Choosing Happiness: Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul

We sat down with the joy guru, Shannon Kaiser, who wrote the foreword for Linda Joy’s new book, Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Choosing Happiness to discover the secret to being happy.

Inspiration for a Woman’s Soul: Choosing Happiness brings you a powerful collection of sacred and intimate stories from twenty-seven extraordinary women. Women who through trials and triumphs great and small prove that true fulfillment is the result of connecting to inner wisdom and making choices from that sacred space. To support you on your journey every story is followed by three “Reflection Questions” to guide you deeper into your sacred truth.

Q: Was there a pivotal moment in your life when you realized that your happiness was an internal choice that could be made despite your outside circumstances?

Shannon: In my mid-twenties, I had everything a girl was supposed to want. On the outside, it looked like I had it all—a man who wanted to marry me, a successful career in advertising, a fancy loft in downtown Chicago—but instead of feeling happy and fulfilled, I was consumed with worry and fear. After being diagnosed with clinical depression, addicted to drugs and suffering from eating disorders, I hit rock bottom.

In my darkest moment, my inner voice said, “Shannon, follow your heart.” I gained the courage to walk away from everything that wasn’t working. I left my addictions, depression, the man, and the job in pursuit of happiness. I realized I could focus on what I want instead of suffocating in what wasn’t working. I gained valuable insight into how to live a fulfilled and happy life and it became my purpose to help others become happy.

Since then I’ve been on a steadfast mission to follow my inner guidance. This led me to leave everything behind, and to follow my heart. Today, I am living my dream life as a travel writer, book author, speaker and life coach.

Q: How do you remind yourself that happiness is always within and catch your footing in those whirlwind moments of life that can throw us off balance?

Shannon: I have learned to really appreciate the journey. I use to put a lot of pressure on myself to have things work out the way I thought they should, but when they didn’t I was crushed. I have learned to release expectations and enjoy the ride by being in the moment.

Q: What is your personal definition of happiness today?

Shannon: Happiness is not about living a life free of setbacks or pain. It’s about learning to see the purpose in all of life’s moments. High or low, we can always choose joy—and today, we are living happy lives that far exceed our old expectations