A Note From Anne

Dear ,

Most of us have things we love to do, but going to the grocery store, washing our clothes, getting up early in the morning -- most people don't like and too often resent these tasks. If we take a frank look at our lives, we might discover that life's maintenance takes the biggest chunk out of our days. If you count earning a living to pay the bills as life maintenance, then most of our lives is really about taking care of our human presence, making sure our cars, houses, and bodies are taken care of. Time to go skiing, swimming, or read a novel gets only a sliver of our time. I'm suggesting if we don't suit up and love life as it is, rather than resenting what we have to do, we're going to be ornery old coots. Just something to ponder.

I'm coming home today from my meeting in Wheaton, IL. I'll give you the scoop next week.

Anne

  Our Stories Seem True

I came across Gina Lake on Kindle. I purchased some of her books and just love reading them. I’ve found her work to be spot on and refreshing. I am grateful to Gina for this article on stories. We all have stories, we relish in them, and we’ve become expert story tellers. But what is the cost of this virtual reality we assign to our lives?

Take it EZ.

Anne

Our Stories Seem True, Now And Forever
Guest Post by Gina Lake

Stories, as they are defined in spiritual circles, are spins that we give to our experience. For instance, if it's raining, we might tell the story: "It always rains when I have a day off," spinning the fact that it's raining into a story about "me." Spinning stories about our experience is natural. It's just what minds do, and the mind will probably always do this. However, these stories tend to create suffering when we believe them. Although we can't stop our mind from spinning stories, we can become aware of these stories and choose not to believe them.

Stories are often an attempt to explain or give meaning to our experience, but for the most part, the stories the mind tells are lies, masquerading as the truth. These stories are partial truths and therefore lies, because they don’t include the whole truth. Actually, nothing we say about an experience can contain the whole truth, since life is so much more mysterious and complex than we can ever understand, and words are so inadequate to describe this great Mystery to which we belong.

Here are some examples of stories we might tell if we stumble and break a leg:

• I’m so clumsy.
• I’m so stupid.
• I’m losing it.
• I don’t want to be taken care of.
• No one will want to take care of me.
• Life never gives me a break.
• Life sucks!

The Forever-ness of Stories

Besides being narrow and not sufficiently inclusive (and being all about "me"), such stories imply a finality and forever-ness that just isn't true about any story we tell. "I am clumsy" implies that you are clumsy, not just now, but perhaps forever. As a result of this story, clumsy has become part of your identity. It is this forever-ness that causes us to suffer. We may be able to accept that we were clumsy in a particular moment, but if that stumble means that we are clumsy, then the stumble is not just something that happened but a terrible blow to our identity, which, in itself, becomes a problem. This story creates feelings not only about the fall, but also about being inadequate – now and forever: "I'm so clumsy. I'm so stupid."  Or we become angry with life: "Life never gives me a break. Life sucks!" And we carry that anger around with us long beyond the accident.

Many of our feelings and our identities are created and maintained by stories that pretend to be the truth or have a grain of truth to them but are essentially lies. Embedded in these lies is a certain finality and forever-ness that makes us feel defeated, hopeless, and helpless. If you strip away these lies and just stick with an account of the event, the feelings disappear, the hopelessness disappears, the sense of inadequacy or victimhood disappears. The truth is "I broke my leg" or better yet, to avoid all sense of blame or personal ownership of the mishap, "My leg got broken." That"s the simple truth. Things like this happen in life. Saying much else beyond that is just creating trouble -- suffering.

The Story Behind Our Stories

The stories the mind tells are not about what actually happened but often paint a picture of an ongoing difficulty that extends into the future. Such stories create a sense of having a problem beyond the immediate issues related to an event, such as an accident. 'I am..." or "I feel..." seem like a problem not only now but into the future, as if "I" will always be or feel this way. It is this sense of having an ongoing problem that causes us to suffer over an event or situation that is either over or will soon shift, as nothing, not even our suffering, can last for long unless we continue to repeat our stories.

As a counselor, I have often heard people say things like "I feel lost" or "I feel like my life is over." These are examples of stories in which a momentary feeling seems more than momentary, the operative word being "seems." Such statements have a finality and forever-ness about them, as if they are declarations of the way things are now and forever. This is true of our stories. The mind makes our feelings and stories seem so true, so real, and so lasting, when the truth is that feelings are very fleeting and stories are made-up.

Stories Tend to Become Self-fulfilling Prophecies

However, if you tell a story often enough, you will perpetuate the feelings associated with it. Then the feelings and story gain a kind of reality and can even become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If I feel lost and I repeat that story to myself and others, I will continue to feel lost, I'll begin to act lost, others will treat me that way, and any feelings to the contrary will be discounted, not noticed, and overshadowed by the belief that I really am lost.

Life is much simpler and more peaceful when we just speak the truth without putting a spin on it, when we report when reporting is needed and are silent when nothing else needs to be said. Can you give up your stories? What makes giving up your stories difficult? How would that be to not tell stories? What is it that is aware of the mind's stories and can choose not to believe them, and what is it that believes them and wants to tell them? What do we get from telling stories? We get to be a somebody with a problem. We get to be a "me." What a funny thing it is to be human!

Gina Lake is a spiritual teacher and the author of numerous books about awakening to one's true nature, including From Stress to Stillness, Trusting Life, Embracing the Now, Radical Happiness, Living in the Now, and Anatomy of Desire. She is also a gifted intuitive with a master's degree in counseling psychology and over twenty years' experience supporting people in their spiritual growth. Her website offers information about her books, intensives, and online courses as well as free e-books, book excerpts, a monthly newsletter, a blog, and audio and video recordings: RadicalHappiness.com

  Health Tip: A "Heads Up" for You

  Anne's Books

Standing in The Dark

EZosophy Book

Offbeat Prayers

Click here to see all three of Anne's books

What people are saying about Standing in the Dark:

"If as you said, it is not a positive thinking book, then, however, it is a positive being book, because positive has its own rewards. You wrote very eloquently, and gracefully about very hard to cover topics. More than that, your shadow is a light unto us, Anne, and your night is like a day. I thank you."
  – Veronica Nannee, Houston, Texas

"Someone asked me how you could be spiritual and live in the world. Your book spells it out perfectly."
  – Helen Hutchison, Nacogdoches, Texas

  Quotes

"All creative scientists know that the real laboratory is in the mind, where behind illusion, they uncover the laws of truth."
  – Jagadish C. Bose

"I don't own this moment. I feel like I'm renting it."
  – Anne Sermons Gillis

"Goodbye, present moment. My mind is MIA. I'll be back soon."
  – Anne Sermons Gillis

  EZosophy CD/DVD Spotlight

Each week in this space we'll be featuring one of Anne's CD's or DVD's. Click the link below to learn more.

EZosophy CD: Easy Money

If you are addicted to worrying, struggling, and suffering about money, regardless of how much you have or do not have, this EZosophy CD can assist you in the process of letting go of the struggle. This CD is designed to work with both sides of the brain. This special effect is called Split Brain Learning. The split brain theory proposes that we have two separate realms of conscious awareness: two sensing, perceiving, thinking, and remembering systems. The left hemisphere controls language, sequential learning, and information storage. It is logical, rational, and linear. The right hemisphere is holistic, creative, thinks in pictures. It is nonlinear. This CD works with both sides of the brain to expedite a new understanding that will make your life easier. You need to work with each CD for 31 days or more to experience miraculous changes that make you live easier in the area you have chosen. CD: $14.99 Downloadable MP3 file & Printable Cards & Affirmations in PDF format - $9.99. http://www.annegillis.com/Books-CDs-Etc.html#Split

  What is EZosophy?

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

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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 Schedule

September 11 & 13, 2013
Wed. & Fri., 10:00-11:50 AM CDT
"EZosophy"
Lone Star College
Montgomery Campus
Conroe, TX 77384
936-273-7000
Offered as an ALL Class

Recorded 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.

Click here to listen to a recording of Rick Archer interviewing Anne Sermons Gillis on April 27, 2013.

Click here to hear a recording of Ken Keis interviewing Anne Sermons Gillis in January 2004. It's a good overview of EZosophy.

  Ask Annie G

Dear Annie G,

Can you live in the world and not be of the world?

Frazzled Sue

Dear Frazzled Sue,

From the name you've adopted to ask this question, it looks like living in the world has taken its toll. It is possible to be unaffected by life's vicissitudes, but not many people are willing to do what it takes to accomplish a balanced spiritual life. If, at some stage in your life, you made the choice to be an astronaut, you would have to do a lot of work to make this come about. You would have to have a certain education, stay fit, and undergo all sorts of rigorous training.

Just like training to be an astronaut, being spiritually fit requires wisdom and action; you have to be in training to live in equanimity. You must learn to take responsibility for your life and feelings and not blame others. You have to learn to say no and not over schedule your life. You have to take care of your health so your body doesn't become a problem. You have to give up drama and negative juiciness. You have to be interested in peace as a way of life, rather than thinking of it as an unreachable idea. You have to expand your mind and be comfortable with stillness, silence, and compassion.

Living a peaceful life, while still engaged in earning a living or caring for your life, is possible. The real question is "Am I willing to do what it takes to ensure I live in the world and am not negatively affected by it?" If you can answer yes to this question, and follow through, it is certain that you will live a life balanced between heaven and earth. Go for it.

Thanks for asking.

Annie G

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

  Anne Art

"Hypnosis"

"Leaf"

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