A Note From Anne

Dear ,

I remember when I just didn’t like rainy days – then I moved to Texas. We had a drought, a big, bad, fire-supporting, tree-killing drought. Now, when it rains, I rejoice.

I awakened this morning to a crying sky, but I was happy inside. Well-being surrounded me. Water signals a kind of abundance, and today parched plants drank, and Jim, Lucy, and I went for a walk. That’s right, water and all. We clomped along the path, noticing each green patch. I think I could hear a collective sigh of relief from nature. We had to see the little pond near our house. Had the algae growth washed away? Had the turtles returned? How complete was this renewal?

I hope your week has been easy and that you’ve had the time to celebrate the abundance all around you. I know it’s there, every day. Even when the mind tricks us onto believing in lack, there is an abundance uprising before us. It is in the smile of our loved one, in the smell in the air, and in the rich blue sky. Remember with me how much easier life can be when we tune into the Life Channel. This channel airs reality shows – real reality – not the fake, rehearsed weirdness other channels try to pass off as reality. So tune in with me this week and together we will live the easy life – it’s unplanned, safe, nourishing and infinitely interesting. Who are we and what do we believe? We are EZosophists, and we believe that everything in life can be EZ or at least EZier.

Sending Love to you,

Anne

  A Word to the Wise

How long is never? Very long, because never, never comes. So I don't like to use that word frequently.

No, however, is a respectable word. It has traction. It keeps me from over committing. It keeps bad stuff out.

“Neither” is one of those in-between words. The word “neither” won't get you out of a jam, but it will make it clear what you mean. When someone says, "I don't eat many fried foods" and you quickly respond, "Neither do I," everyone knows exactly what’s up.

Words can be so helpful. They can take us far, but words aren’t the master; we are. We can take a perfectly good word, deliver it with sarcasm, and the word seems tainted. We can use a word to uplift or support. We can change the tone of our words and make even the most innocent word a bullet.

What kind of master do you want be? Will you be a benevolent word master or a cruel word lord? Just a thought, from your Joy Provider.

  Health Tip:  Peppermint

I’m in love with peppermint oil. As you may know, we sprayed peppermint oil in our home when we had a mouse. I don’t know whether the oil helped or not, but when you walked into our home, it smelled like an early Christmas.

Peppermint oil is a miracle tincture. I use it when I’m having an allergy attack because it calms down the sneezing immediately. Remember, I live in Texas, where the spring pollen is so thick you think nature is wearing a yellow outfit for a couple of months. I have some poison ivy, and the itching it caused me was dastardly – that's the only way to describe it – an all-consuming madness. I mixed a little peppermint oil with some apricot oil, applied it on the rash, and the itching stopped almost immediately. One treatment lasted several hours.

I use Dr. Bronner’s peppermint soap and I feel refreshed after a long day. If you don’t have the soap, just put a few oil drops on your body before your shower and wash. You will feel invigorated. Do not put any peppermint oil on your face. It can quickly travel to your eyes and burn them. Also, be sure you don’t leave any oil on your fingers afterward. Wash them, so in case you unconsciously rub your eyes, you won’t get oil in your eyes.

Put a drop on your toothbrush, along with your toothpaste, brush, and feel the rush. Your mouth will feel super clean and your breath will be fresher.

For more benefits on peppermint oil, check out Top 5 Health Benefits of Peppermint oil: http://www.newsmax.com/FastFeatures/health-benefits-of-peppermint/2011/03/02/id/388097.

  Anne's Books

Standing in The Dark	EZosophy Book	Offbeat Prayers
Click here to see all three of Anne's books

  Quotes

"Our minds make sweeping generalizations that keep us tied to our limits."
  – Anne Sermons Gillis

"Make contribution, not retribution."
  – Anne Sermons Gillis

"Live life for what it is, not for what it is to be. Isness is the only business for the emancipated mind."
  – Anne Sermons Gillis

"Give away your wounds as fast as you can, through love and compassion. Be the ringleader for generosity. Be the champion of forgiveness. Allow gratitude to sweep you away in breathless wonder. Do this and you will know a new kind of freedom and live in boundless fortune."
  – Anne Sermons Gillis

  Video Bits of Wisdom

A while back I recorded a series of 21 short inspirational videos on a wide range of topics. Most of them are under 2 minutes. I'll be spotlighting a different Video Bit each week in this space, with a link to it below this message. When you go to that page, you'll need to click the Play button to start the video.

This Week: "Yes or No Person"
Click Here for This Week's Video Bit

Click the graphic above to see all of the Video Bits.

  What is EZosophy?

What is EZosophy? Click the graphic above to find out.

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

Click the Subscribe button above to get your own copy of Anne's newsletter sent to your email inbox every Tuesday morning. You'll receive a free MP3 on the principles of EZosophy when you confirm your subscription. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you can UNsubscribe by clicking this link. Click the Archives button above to read past issues of this newsletter.            FOLLOW Anne. Help Spread the Word. SHARE Anne by sharing this issue.      Like the newsletter? You can support it through your donation via PayPal. It's certainly not necessary, but it is greatly appreciated. It's not tax deductible, but a small $8 donation helps defray our costs. Thank you in advance.   Anne's Services Need a Coach or a Rent-a-Friend? Interested in getting ongoing support? Try life coaching with Anne. Anne offers options for both short-term and long-term coaching. Contact her for details. Click here to contact Anne by email or Click here to view information on Anne's One Year Seminar.   Schedule Anne You may reach Anne by phone at 281-419-1775 or click the button below to contact Anne by email. Anne is also available to officiate at weddings and funerals.

  Anne's Interviews

Click here to hear a recording of Keith Anthony Blanchard interviewing Anne Sermons Gillis on June 3, 2013.

Click here to hear a recording of Dennis Tardan interviewing Anne Sermons Gillis on May 30, 2013.

  Ask Annie G

Dear Annie G,

What’s the best way to get out of a romantic relationship? I am in a relationship that is not good for me or my partner. Every time I decide to leave, my partner starts acting sweet. Things go back to being fun and easy, but in a few weeks we are back to the arguing and fussing. I’m tired of this.

Sue G., Kansas

Dear Sue G.,

At this point, you don’t want to leave. If you really wanted to leave, you would have been gone by now. Probably you stay because, at the time, the good outweighs the bad; at least that’s the story in your head. Some people love the drama of a zigzagging relationship – in and out, in and out. Be honest with yourself and see if this is your pattern. This is not about being bad or good; it is about being aware of possible addiction to the drama. That addiction might be the reason you can’t get out. We can be addicted to romance, to a particular person, or to that feeling of being in love. We can be addicted to feeling trapped in a relationship and also to the feeling of being abandoned. If addiction is involved, you may want to read Anne Wilson Schaef’s book, Escape From Intimacy: Untangling the Love Addictions, available from http://www.livinginprocess.com/books-tapes.php. This book will help you understand why you continue to stay when you need to go.

I don’t know the best way for you to leave, because it depends on your individual situation, but there is one guideline that will help you stay determined to get out. Revise the story you are telling yourself. If you want to get out, you will make sure you remember the bad times. Play them over and over in your head. Playing the good memories over and over in your head makes you want to stay in the relationship. Playing the good memories makes you yearn, but remember the fights, the sense of hopelessness—these memories keep you strong and more determined to leave.

Once you decide to leave, limit your conversations with the other person, at least for a while. Wean yourself off having them at the center of your life and start a new life. Have a releasing ceremony and put all things that remind you of the other person away for now, so you won’t be triggered every time you see them. Spend time alone, getting to know who you are without that person, and spend time with other people as well. It is best to leave a relationship with grace and dignity. How you get out of a relationship helps define the next step in your life. If you decide to go, then go. Don’t second-guess yourself all the time. If you want another relationship in time, the universe will provide. But only when you aren’t clingy. When I hear someone say, “I want a partner; I have so much love to give.”, I translate it to mean, “I am a dark hole of emotional need and I will suck you dry.” The time the best relationships come are usually when you feel so good about yourself that you aren’t even thinking in the terms of having or not having a relationship.

Good luck on getting out. Remember that your good is available to you now, regardless of any relationship situation. There is no relationship that can stand in the way of your good and no relationship that will bring your good to you. The good of life comes from a much higher place.

Thanks for asking,

Annie G

NOTE: Send your questions on life, health, food, spirituality, and relationships to Annie G.

  Anne Art

You may recognize this Anne Art from the newsletter issue of May 21, 2013. The original picture was in pen and ink, in black and white, but I copied it and decided to color it using colored pencils.

Click the image to see it larger.

The center elephant art is from an old tea can. I scanned it and created a background for it in pen and ink.

Click the image to see it larger.

  Video Spotlight

The Return of the Cicadas: They've been waiting for 17 years to return. Yet they'll be gone within 6 weeks, only to wait for another 17 years, to do it again.

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Editor/Publisher: Charles David Heineke of TheDoorwayBlog and TheDoorway.

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