A Note From Anne

Dear ,

I hope it's a good week in the neighborhood. I'm travelling again. Whoever wrote that thing about being used up when they died must have given me the disease. I'm using myself up, but with wild abandon. I'm soaring. I think it was George Bernard Shaw. Anyway, I've designed my life so that I can go places and still contribute. It makes life full.

Theosophy is a philosophy that stresses "service." Theosophy studies ancient wisdom and it's interesting that when all kinds of mysteries and secrets were distilled by its founder, one of the most salient truths was that we are to serve others. Jesus modeled serving others. Even a touch to his garment yielded a blessing – a gift.

If you find yourself feeling like you are missing something, I can point you in the right direction, because when your speech becomes kindness, your thoughts become blessings, and your hands become helpers, that which seems to be missing dissipates and, of course, life gets easier.

Take it easy,

Anne

  Become a Joy Master

Technology is terrific. I'm writing this today, and when you read it I will be leaving South Carolina and heading home, but as I write this I haven't even started my journey yet. All this information gets stored in Aweber and set up to go out in the future. This gives me the freedom to have a consistent newsletter while I'm traipsing around the country and sometimes the world.

Consistency is a double edge sword. Sometimes it thwarts us from new discoveries and behaviors, but consistency has it strong points. A friend said to me, "If we gave our personal lives the consistent attention and energy we give our businesses, no telling how our lives would be." Are you as important as your business? Do you notice yourself? Not in a narcissistic way, but if you are hungry, do you feed yourself? If you have to go to the bathroom, do you interrupt your road trip and stop? Do you give your body consistent care? Do you give your mind consistent care?

The following except is from Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic. It's called the Vows of Seriousness. We are trained by the silent influence of the unspoken rules of our culture. They are somewhat amusing, but also sad, and they lead to a sour, serious outlook on life. When we deny ourselves consistent care, we grow bitter and even self righteous.

Vows of Seriousness

I am now an adult, therefore I must be perfect, know everything, be everything, and never make a mistake. I will not express any strong feelings and I will be the rock, the foundation that many can build their lives on. I will have a mate, and if I don't have one, I will be looking for one while improving myself so that I can have a good relationship with a significant other. I will always be responsible and get my work done before I play. I will not let the fact that the work never gets done slow me down from working. I will be busy, never idle. I will try to do my best at all times.

I will be as still and quiet as I can be about the things that really matter to me, and then spout off about things that make no difference whatsoever. I will maintain proper seriousness in all my business meetings, especially board meetings. Silliness is only for children, and I will refrain from silliness because I must remain dignified at all times. I will feel ashamed if I fall down, make body noises, or don't know the answer. I will be positive, bright, and cheerful at all times, especially when I feel awful. I will feel guilt over the fact that I do not exercise every day. If I smoke, I will either feel guilty and hide it, or be a smoking warrior demanding that others not step on my rights as a smoker. If I am on a road trip, I will refrain going to the restroom until I am miserable, because that makes me a better person. I will wear clothes that make me uptight so that I can fit in. I will wear shoes that contort my feet so that I can appear powerful or sexy.

I will be good at the expense of myself so everyone will like me. I will hang on to people who don't treat me well so that I don't have to be alone. I will not take a stand on what I believe in order to avoid serious discussions. I will try to please everyone and get everyone to like me. I'll do things I hate to do just to hold on to you or to avoid disapproval. I will try to convert others to my point of view about everything, including vitamins, self-help, metaphysics, computer type (Mac or PC), philosophy, and religion. I will insist that I have the freedom to believe my way and you have the freedom to believe your way, as long as your way includes letting me believe my way. If you won't allow me the freedom to believe my way, I will call you an enemy, and you will then forfeit your freedom to believe your way. That means you will not have the freedom to believe that I am wrong.

I will put off eating when I am starving until I am grumpy and faint. I will stuff when I am already full until I feel miserable. I will read self-help books to analyze what others are doing to me. I will rebel against things that are good for me so I can do it my own way. Yeah, though I walk through this world of enoughness, I will find the lack and problems of life so that in fixing them and figuring them out, my life can have meaning and purpose. AMEN.

After you've read the vows, open up your mind and give yourself a "serious" conversion. Life is not serious - we are serious, and we have the power to move from how our culture trained us to believe and act and move to more consistent self care and love. Until we wake up, we are drunk on old beliefs. When we wake up and operate from self care and self love, we sober up and find the joy of living.

We are all Joy Masters even though our joy might be hidden under our indoctrination. Wake up and remember your rights as a Joy Master.

Joy Master's Bill of Rights

• I have the right to a joyful life.
• I have the right to be happy.
• I have the right to be silly.
• I have the right to smile.
• I have the right to playmates.
• I have the right to playtime.
• I have the right to be fully alive.
• I have the right to the joy that is my natural state of being.
• I have the right to be enthusiastic.
• I have the right to take time every day to relax and enjoy life.
• I have the right to enjoy my body.
• I have the right to be happy for no reason.
• I have the right to say "No" and to remain happy.
• I have the right to express feelings other than joy without giving up my Joy Master's Rights.
• I have the right to have fun when I am working and playing.

© 1996 Rev. Anne Sermons Gillis, Joy Master

Anne

  Quotes

"It's not your job to like me - it's mine.”
  – Byron Katie

"Happiness is your nature. It is not wrong to desire it.
What is wrong is seeking it outside when it is inside."
  – Ramana Maharshi

"Life isn't as serious as the mind makes it out to be."
  – Eckhart Tolle

  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:

"Standing in the Dark, by Anne Sermons Gillis, isn't just another positive thinking book. It's a book about the difficult times in life and what we can do to make it through them. It does, however, give us positive ways to make life easier. It's a short book, but it's one that may just turn your thinking on its head, which will probably be the best thing that's happened to your thinking in a long time. It's about how to bring more ease into a life that isn't easy all of the time. Anne discusses six main areas of life: Ease, Mission, Health, Relationships, Money, and Loss."
  – Charles David Heineke, Bonham, TX

What people are saying about EZosophy: The Art and Wisdom of Easy or at Least Easier Living:

"Although most conscious people understand that life doesn't have to a struggle, the "how to" has been missing... until now. Anne's book makes it "easy."
  – T. Harv Eker - Bestselling author and Founder of Peak Potentials Training

What people are saying about Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic:

"I love your book. It is filled with much wisdom, humor and heart. Really beautiful."
  – Alan Cohen author, Enough Already, mentions Anne and EZosophy on page 99

  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.

  Anne's Services

  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.

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  Anne's Schedule

February 6 and 13, 2014
Thur., 1:00 – 3:00 PM
"EZosophy"
Lone Star College ALL Program
Kingwood Campus
20000 Kingwood Drive
Kingwood, TX 77339-3801
281-312-1600

February 9, 2014
Sun., 11:00 AM
"Strength"
Unity Church of Practical Christianity
15920 Piper’s View Dr.
Meadow Community Association
Webster, TX 77598-2550
281-520-4047

February 19 and 26, 2014
Thur., 10:00 – 11:50 AM
"EZosophy"
Lone Star College ALL Program
Montgomery Campus
3200 College Park Drive
Conroe, TX 77384-4500
936-273-7000

March 4 and 7, 2014
Tue. & Fri., 10:00 – 11:50 AM
"Alive, Awake, Aware"
Lone Star College ALL Program
Montgomery Campus
3200 College Park Drive
Conroe, TX 77384-4500
936-273-7000

  Health Tip: Wrap it Up

A recent study found that students ate 5 pieces of unwrapped candy to 3 1/2 pieces of wrapped candy. They also ate more when they were around people who ate more. *Conclusion, if you don’t want to snack, keep your homemade fudge individually wrapped and stay away from overeaters!

*Source: Nutrition Action Newsletter, Nov, 2013 (see www.nutritionaction.com for details on the newsletter.)

Certainly eating traditional candies is not healthy, but with holidays coming up, we often stock sweets for our guests and veer from our normal diets. A little of anything is not bad for us, but remember, as the eating season approaches, keep in mind how off your normal diet you want to go. Each pound gained puts four pounds of pressure on your knees. Your health is more important than your appetite.

  Anne Talks

Dynamic Prayer – a way to pray. Someone asked me how to pray.

Joy Mastery Free Teleseminar
This is an ad I made for a teleseminar two years ago. I tell a story and you can see a lot of pictures of me in this 2 plus minute video. Take a look. It might cheer you up. The seminar has come and gone, but you can still purchase a copy of the Joy Mastery Teleseminar for $2.99.

  Anne Art

Pictures From Costa Rica

Anne in Costa Rica
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Anne in Costa Rica
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Editor/Publisher: Charles David Heineke of TheDoorwayBlog.

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