The Anne Report, Christmas 2017, shares some insights about Anne and Jim's "Grand" Christmas. The Main article, Expectation-Based Performance, reminds us that our expectations, not necessarily our skills, ultimately determine our performance. The Healthy Living article, Tips to Put on Your Best Face, provides some tips to enhance your face and your health. The Anne Talk is Twas the Day Before Christmas.The Featured Product This Month is Anne's book, Words Make a Difference. Click to read What is EZosophy?

The EZ Mantra: "Everything can be EZ or at least EZier." -- Anne Sermons Gillis

Living EZosophy, December 26, 2017
Published Weekly on Tuesday Mornings

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Email: anne@annegillis.com

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  The Anne Report

Christmas 2017

Dear ,

There’s nothing like spending Christmas with 2 three-year-old boys. My grands were so sweet and happy, and, as always, Christmas adds a unique sweetness to their outpouring of enthusiasm. I went caroling on Christmas Eve with a group from the Mt. Pleasant Unity Church. It’s been years since I’ve been caroling, and it doesn’t lose its magic. What fun. Dec. 24 would have been my mom’s 102nd birthday, and I always think of her with appreciation and love on her birthday.

My husband and I are not present-givers, but when the grandchildren came, our policy changed. We still do not give presents to each other for birthdays or holidays. When I was young, I was often living on a thin financial line, and getting presents was not only a treat, but often the money from a parent paid that next bill. Now, there’s nothing I need. I appreciate the presents people give, but I am grateful that I can buy what I need and don’t have to depend on presents to see me through or need them to lift my spirits.

I’ve taken a few minutes off from the holiday celebration to write these notes. They feel like stolen moments, because being with my family is such a treat, and not being with them feels like missing recess. So I’m headed back into the festivities, holding you in my heart and wishing you the best for the upcoming new year. And that’s it for the Anne Report.

Santa Anne
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  Main Article

Expectation-Based Performance

The following story comes from my friend, Moni Amandla. She is not only amazing, she has overcome adversity after adversity. Honesty, I don’t see how the woman is still standing, but she is standing, and she does it with wisdom, heart, dignity, and intuition.

Here’s an example of her ability to follow through on a seemingly strong urge. Moni’s intuition told her to buy her son a plane ticket, so he could join her in Ohio. She had a strong feeling that something bad was going to happen in Vegas. The now legendary Las Vegas shooting took place right after her son left town, and it took place near her apartment, where her son would normally be hanging out. Even though she was sick and in pain, she took the focus off herself to listen the call of the Greater Voice.

Here’s Moni's latest triumph:

Rakim was in the public-school system when we got a call to meet with the school administrators about his academic performance. Rah was in the room when we arrived. They handed me a set of tests that they had done and explained each one. Finally, one of the administrators looked me in the eye and she said, “Mrs. Patterson, are you comfortable with and willing to accept the fact that, according to these tests, your son is cognitively disabled, mentally retarded, and incapable of learning?” I looked at her and said, “Absolutely NOT!”

I looked at my son and said, “Go back to your classroom. You will not sit in here and listen to this for one more second!”

As he got up and left, they attempted to comfort me with words such as “We understand that this truth is hard to hear, but he needs this IEP (Individualized Education Plan) in order to be successful in this learning environment. He will have a boost in self-esteem because he won't struggle so much, and his work will be tailored to his abilities.”

I responded graciously by saying “Thank you for your attempts, but I will be taking over my son's education from here. He will not be given an IEP, nor will he be labeled as retarded and incapable of learning.” At that point, I went into the office and got the unenrollment forms, filled them out, and submitted them. I took him home and educated him for years. I watched him light up as I explained concepts to him. Instead of making things easier for him (IEP), I CHALLENGED him! I made the work more difficult, and I KNOW that I got on his (and his brother's) nerves!

By the time high school came around, he wanted a traditional diploma, so I let him go back into the school system. He did so well when he first went back, that he was dually enrolled in the school as well as the University of Dayton. He was an exemplary model of character, respect, wisdom, and good old-fashioned hard work.

Last year, while I visited Vegas, he experienced a “challenge” that was beyond his control, and he was removed from school just months before graduation. He sank into a “funk of frustration” about his future. It was hard to pull him out of it.

When I returned to Ohio, for me to have surgery a few months ago, I had a talk with him, to encourage him to go back and finish what was temporarily taken from him. I made him call the school himself in September to re-enroll. They were so excited to hear from him that they sent an admissions rep to our home immediately to get him started.

I saw the hesitation in my son’s eyes. I could see that he didn’t want to be disappointed again. I looked him in the eyes and said “You CAN and you WILL do this! The past is behind you. You will walk that stage this December, and I am NOT accepting anything less!”

I was very stern and serious in my tone. He smiled and said, “You’re right Mom. I can, and I will!” I’ve never seen him work so hard in his life! I walked into his room many days thinking that he would be on the video game, and he was studying and taking notes! I would acknowledge his efforts and let him continue.

The fact that he accomplished this, in the face of great adversity, when the odds of success tried to be against him, is extraordinary. He made it! When those in power said that he couldn't, he DID! When he could have given up, he tried and tried again!

I’m so inspired by my son. He broke the mold, pushed through the barriers, and just got accepted into college, which he will begin in the spring!
 

I believed I was stupid. I did everything I could to avoid making a mistake and to appear intelligent. I learned later that the belief that I was stupid was a defining factor in my life. Performance was not the problem; my belief was the problem! We perform in our lives according to our expectation.

The new year is the time to awaken the genius within. Let’s claim our inheritance. We are all geniuses, but some of us are more damaged than others, and it’s our beliefs that damage the most. Remember this quote, attributed to Einstein, “Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. Einstein’s fish story.”

Anne

  Quotes

Anne Quotes

"The end was near. Then the end was here. Now the beginning is here. Here. You know what you do when the calendar year ends? You buy a new calendar. This year make a perpetual calendar. It’s easy to make. Take one sheet of paper and write, "Here Now." It is always accurate."

We have choice points in our lives, and we can better spend our time by creating and immersing ourselves in the abundance of magic and good cheer of the holiday or spend our time in a state of “missing.” Missing out, missing someone, missing not getting enough presents, missing family, or missing a nonexistent partner. Why worry when we can pray; why cry when we can sing; why feel sorry for ourselves when we can help others? Why not grow up and take our lives by the corners, gather them up, and make things work out in more loving, compassionate, and joyful ways.

True spiritual maturity is paying attention to life and taking the focus off what’s wrong with everything, who’s done us wrong, and how we’ve been the victim of everything in sight. Sometimes we need tough love to knock us out of our family patterns of distrusting life and being skeptical about happiness, and this is the time to use tough love on ourselves, because even though everything doesn’t have to be EZ, everything can be EZier and EZier – even during the holiday season!

  Featured Product This Month

"Books are waiting to be written. Thus, it was my privilege to bring this book to the world. It brought with it such grace and love. Words Make a Difference sparkles with aliveness and blessing and delivers the perfect information under perfect timing. We are called not only to heal ourselves and those around us, we are destined to hold a vision for the world. This book commands us to be architects of a brave new future and lights a path for us to follow." Anne Sermons Gillis

Order Words Make a Difference from the website or call me at 713-922-0242 to order directly from me. The price is $16.95 plus $3.99 shipping, for a total of $20.94.

Click for the Kindle version on Amazon for $5.99.

  What is EZosophy?

Click the graphic above to learn about EZosophy.

NOTE: If you are viewing this on a cell phone, be sure to scroll to the right to see the other column.

  Healthy Living

Tips to Put on Your Best Face

The following face exercises are excerpted from Michio Kushi’s book, The Do In Way. They are designed for beauty, but I find that doing them while I’m still in bed, first thing in the morning, wakes me up and gives me energy. These exercises provide brain and body energy.

Step 1: Tilt the head back, and use the heels of the hands to tap upward on the forehead. Alternate hands, or use both hands at once. Repeat ten to twenty times.

This exercise serves to tighten the bone of the forehead, which tends to sag, as well as to tighten the muscles and skin of the forehead, eliminating wrinkles and making the blood circulation active.

Step 2: Using the fingers, smooth saliva along the eyebrows and around the eyes, both above and below. Repeat about ten times.

This exercise makes the eyebrows grow beautifully and gradually eliminates wrinkles around the eyes. It also makes the eyesight clearer.

Step 3: Holding the cheekbones by the heels of the palms, push up, while opening the mouth. Repeat ten times.

This exercise is to help the loose or sagging bones and muscles of the cheeks become tight and compact.

Step 4: With the thumbs at the back of the neck, and the fingers holding the head, tilt the head back. Drop the jaw, opening the mouth as much as possible. Then, suddenly drop the head forward and close the mouth. Repeat three to five times.

This exercise helps to tighten loose vertebrae in the upper spinal region, and to strengthen and pull together the sides of the skull, thus enhancing the shape of the head. It is also good for circulation.

Step 5: Place the thumbs deeply in the indented area under the ears, tilt the head back and drop the jaw, opening the mouth wide. Then, close the mouth, bringing the jaw up. Repeat five times.

This exercise tightens the mouth cavity as well as loose nasal cavities, and normalizes the coordination of the jaws in their left-and-right movement.

Step 6: With the middle fingers, push up hard on the bones of the middle region of the nose, squeezing in and up. The head naturally tilts back, and the mouth can be relaxed and slightly open. Then, release the pressure and drop the head back to its normal position.

This exercise makes nerve action more alert and clear in the head region, including the eyes. It also causes the secretion of the pituitary gland to become more active, breathing to become much smoother, and it helps to discharge accumulated mucus from the regions of the forehead and nasal cavities.

Step 7: Inserting a finger in each corner of the mouth, stretch the mouth wide, and then release. Repeat about ten times. When releasing, it is very helpful to intentionally contract the muscles of the mouth.

This exercise removes any wrinkles around the mouth and makes blood circulation better in the lips.

Step 8: Hold and vibrate the tip of the nose ten to twenty times.

This exercise makes stagnated circulation in the nose more active, and corrects the shape of the nose.

Step 9: Thoroughly pull and stretch the ears: (1) up, (2) horizontally open, and (3) down, about five times in each direction.

This exercise accelerates the circulation of blood, activates the kidney functions and the secretion of adrenal hormones, and improves the shape and angle of the ears, if they have become loose and unbalanced.

Step 10: Rub and massage the cheeks about twenty to thirty times.

This exercise is to make the circulation of blood and energy in the entire face region harmoniously active, and to eliminate wrinkles in the cheeks.

Try these one time, to experience the energy rush you will feel in your head! You’ll be hooked.

If you have any healthy living tips for the newsletter, send them to me at anne@annegillis.com.

  Anne Talks

Twas the Day Before Christmas

Today's Anne Talk is Twas the Day Before Christmas. Time: 3:43.

  Anne Art

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