The Anne Report, Experiencing the Treasures of Now, again reminds us of the importance of noticing and experiencing the treasures available in each now moment. The Main article, Irma, provides a way to handle a perceived imperfection in your life. The Healthy Living article, What is Your Life Quotient?, talks about how much life we pack into our days. The Anne Talk, Hating Others is Self-Hate, suggests that hating and condemning others is a for m of self-hatred. The Featured Product This Month is Anne's first book, Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic. Click to read What is EZosophy? Click for Abundance Affirmations. Click for Shareables From Anne.

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

Living EZosophy, September 4, 2018
Published Weekly on Tuesday Mornings

Phone: 713.922.0242
Email: anne@annegillis.com

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  The Anne Report

Experiencing the Treasures of Now

Dear ,

We arrived home Friday evening from our 3-1/2 month adventure. We frolicked in the sun, have a great tan, walked on beaches, and ate more than usual. We talked to strangers, I spoke on a few occasions, and we came home with a lighter attitude about life. Last week I mentioned my husband's reaction to thong bathing suits. I think that bunch of almost naked college ladies gave him a new lease on life, and I am grateful that their little heinies caused such a stir!

I have a friend who says she wants to have more fun. I know she can, because, as life progresses, I have more fun. It is possible. There are still my emotional triggers, but gone are so many of the shoulds. After 20 years together, my husband and I have reached a better understanding of how our relationship can be more supportive. This only occurred after I gave up all my longing and desires that life be different. It seems that the more I push life to give up the goodies, the less good it gets.

Ecclesiastes 3 speaks to everything having its season, but it could be articulated best by saying, "Every moment has its perfection." Some of the moments bring pain, and when pain comes along, it's time to grieve. We need to do the moment up right, so it doesn't escape without its fullest meaning. Pain is not bad, but when we try to escape the moment in which it arrives, we suffer. Pleasure is a treasure, and I am a universal pleasurer, because I love the treasure and pleasure of old men goggling young butts. I enjoy the weed struggling to grow between the crack in a swath of hot concrete. I rejoice in a sunrise, but I cry when I see dead fish lining the shore. I don't harden myself to the pain, because every moment has its signature. Each moment is simultaneously pristine and epic, and when our minds mess with the moment, we befoul it.

And that's it for the Anne Report.

Anne

  Main Article

Irma

I have this thing in my guts. I don't understand it. I think Brené Brown would say it was shame. Most of the time I feel savvy about being me, but sometimes, with certain people, or in some innocent situation, my guts rip through, and I feel like I've made the worst mistake and that, therefore, I am a mistake. And from time to time, I have made a mistake and said something wrong, so I can see why this would trigger shame. Maybe I've tried to one-up someone and recognize my ego's ploy, or perhaps I've stated an opinion, that I believe they will judge me for, and they will think I am a terrible person. Maybe I've name-dropped. But my perceived crime does not match the feeling I have. My mind uses a semi-automatic gun to kill a mosquito. It's too much, like some force trying to bring me absolution by demanding I cease to exist.

The appearance of this gut turning has dwindled during the years, but sometimes, one small incidence can return me to the inner quivering state of a three-year-old. I would like to fix this. I know the drill. One raises self-esteem, learns to set boundaries, yada, yada, yada. "I'm past this; I'm too old. I can handle this. I am wonderful; powerful." Yes, I give myself positive self-talk, but I will be 70 in a few weeks. If this shameful part of me was going, I think It would be gone by now, so I'm working on a different approach. I asked this part what her name was, and she says, "Irma." Wow, I had an aunt Irma who passed away years ago. She was stern. She could scare the sh** out of me in one look. I have my work now, I must make friends with Irma; not my aunt, but the part of me that gets Irma-ed out. Maybe Irma has a purpose, so I've decided not to effort to get rid of her. "Irma, I love you very much. It looks like you are having a bad moment. Just do your thing for as long as you need to. I'm here for you. You don't have to change a thing." I think Irma is warming to me.

I got this idea from a book about a woman who had a cancerous tumor. She named and befriended the tumor. She claimed it as a part of herself. Eventually, she died from the tumor, but what a radical approach. So, I named my shame, and it's Irma, and I don't think she's going away. I have this idea, and it's not original, that life itself expresses not only through expansiveness, but through contraction as well. If that is true, and it's true for me, then I might as well welcome all parts of myself to life's table. Given this new direction, I've wabi-sabied Irma. Wabi-sabi, in case you've not heard of it, is a Japanese way of honoring imperfection and impermanence in life. In Japanese art, one might take a broken vase and, rather than discard it, repair it with a gold-filled resin. It is called Kintsukuroi, which translates as "golden repair."

Now Irma is a part of the art form of my life. Rather than try to fix her, hide her, or demolish her, I'm filling her with gold dust and letting her do her thing. While there are many things in life that need to be healed, there are other aspects of our brokenness that just need a little RESPECT, and Irma is one of those things. This means that by not healing, I'm healing. It's referred to a perfect imperfection. We should all know, by now, that life is a paradox and, with this in mind, that's it from Anne and Irma.

Anne

  Quotes

Anne Quotes

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  Featured Product

Order Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic from my website or call me at 713.922.0242 to order directly from me. The price is $15.95, including shipping.

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  Abundance Affirmations

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This group is a place to post uplifting affirmations and thoughts about prosperity and abundant living. Let's create a right relationship with money so that we feel comfortable about money. Let's use money as it's meant to be used, and not as a way to accumulate power or to fill a void. We don't need money to buy more stuff. We need it to create a world that works for everyone. We want to cast off old beliefs of lack and reclaim our natural state of abundance.

  Shareables From Anne

The World's Best Weight Loss Secret

Thought Freedom

40 Days to Abundance

  What is EZosophy?

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  Healthy Living

What is Your Life Quotient?

Our life quotient (LQ) is the measure of the amount of life we take in. The amount of life consists of our flow of aliveness, spontaneity, creativity, and generosity. When our life quotient is high, we slowly lose our attraction to unhealthy foods, self-condemnation, and judgment. When our life quotient is low, we may eat healthier foods, but our cells respond, "We can't make you any healthier than your life quotient allows."

Everyone wants to be healthy and happy, at least on a conscious basis, but how do we raise our life quotient?

• We must change our thoughts and feelings. Without happy emotions, the body pays no attention to what we preach to ourselves and others. We may have a smile plastered on our face, but when our guts turn, our bodies respond. And it's not a pretty sight. Norman Cousins, who had 1 chance in 50 of recovery, cured himself. He listened to funny shows and movies for months. He also took massive doses of vitamin C. Along the way, he found that 10 minutes of belly laughter gave him at least 2 hours of pain free rest at night. He knew that if he was happy, his cells would be happy.
   
• Give up suffering about physical pain. While pain is difficult to bear, suffering about pain makes it worse. Suffering about pain is different than acknowledging pain. Suffering about pain is a form of self-pity and a way to leverage attention. I've had my share of physical pain, and the less I talk about my pain, the better I feel. This doesn't mean not to share about current pain, but remember, pain is not an interesting topic to most people. I once called a brassy, sassy friend who was dying. She only had a few days left. She had cancer and she asked about a problem I had. I told her I didn't want to share, but she said, "Please, I need to put my attention elsewhere. I'm so tired of pain and dying!" And she listened and advised me.
  
  When I am in physical pain, I experience it but don't make it wrong, and I don't scare myself with thoughts like, "It will get worse. My back is disintegrating." I limit the amount of talk to myself  about the pain. Awareness is called for when I'm in pain, but negative talk about my pain to myself and others isn't emotionally healthy. In other words, we have to tend to our emotions when we are in pain, just like we do any other time.
   
• Get moving. Nothing says life quotient like moving. Move as often as possible, wiggle your toes while sitting, move your hands. If you can't walk, pretend walk, with your feet tapping on the floor. Stretch, even if it's just pulling your ears. Movement is life. The only time we need to sit still is when we meditate. Life is dynamic, and when we stay still and sit for long periods of time, we cut off life's flow. Some people think that movement means to start an exercise program and, of course, that's a great idea, but movement should not be relegated to certain kinds of activity. We should be on the move all the time, whether sitting or standing.

It's time to raise our LQ, because when we do, not only will we be healthier and healthier, we will find that life becomes EZier and EZier.

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

  Anne Talk

Hating Others is Self-Hate

In Hating Others is Self-Hate, Anne suggests that hating and condemning others is a form of self-hatred. Time: 2:23

  Anne Art

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  Anne's Schedule

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