Here's Anne Sermons Gillis' newsletter, The EZ Secret: Tips on Living in EZ, for 07/23/2013
Published: Tue, 07/23/13
The
EZ Secret Newsletter
Living EZosophy: Volume 86, July 23, 2013
|
In This Issue | |
Left Column: | Right Column: |
A Note From Anne | Anne's
Services |
Our
Stories Seem True |
Schedule Anne |
Health Tip: A "Heads Up" for You | Anne's Schedule |
Anne's Books | Ask Annie G |
Quotes | Anne Art |
EZosophy CD/DVD Spotlight | |
What is EZosophy? | |
Contact Information:
Phone: 281-419-1775
Email: anne@annegillis.com
Anne's Websites:
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
Want to tighten the muscles and skin on your forehead? This little exercise helps blood flow to the face and wakes you up. It also tightens your bones, which tend to sag as you age.Tilt your head back and gently bang your forehead using the heels of your hand. Alternate using the left and right hands. Repeat 20 times. Do this in the morning. Tapping exercises tend to energize, so they are best not done at night.
This tip comes from one of my favorite books, The Book of Do-In: Exercise for Spiritual and Mental Development, by Michio Kushi.
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.
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
SHARE Anne 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 ServicesNeed 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 AnneYou 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 Dennis Tardan interviewing Anne Sermons Gillis on May 30, 2013.
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"
Remember, if someone forwarded this email to you, you can click this link to have a copy delivered every Tuesday morning to your own email inbox.
If you're currently subscribed and no longer wish to receive this newsletter, click this link to UNsubscribe.
Editor/Publisher: Charles David Heineke of TheDoorwayBlog.
Share Anne by sharing this issue.