A Note From Anne

Dear ,

I tend to get overwhelmed when I have too much to do. That is a part of the reason I developed EZosophy, to help me move from overwhelm into peace and ease. The past few days have been more stuffed than usual and I've felt stressed on several occasions. Last night I got home at about 9:30 PM and took my dog, Lucy, for a walk. There was a full moon, the crisp air smelled clean, and the sky showcased a vast array of stars.

The moon pulled me in. I didn't look where I was walking; I just drank in the sky. Even when we reversed our path, I walked backward so I could see the moon and stars. When I reached home, I felt like I'd had an emotional bath. All the stress just washed away.

This is EZosophy – showing up for life and letting that presence heal. I didn't go for a walk as a way to fix anything; I just went on my nightly walk. Yet in that small, ordinary action, life renewed itself in me. I  think that is the niftiest thing and it proves that when I let things be just the way they are inside me and land fully in the present, life gets EZier and EZier.

Anne

  The Mystical Moment

We all have our thoughts and we love them. They seem so unique and comfy cozy to our belief systems. And our thoughts are so well thought out, so methodical. Again and again they trip along on the same words. Our minds use us to look for evidence that our limits are real and our perceptions are valid. Our thoughts rely on inequality. I am smarter than she/I am dumber than she. I am a good person/he is a bad person and therefore he is not on the same level as I. We put people down or raise them up or we put thoughts up or put them down. We try to get closer to what we look up to and avoid what we perceive as less than.

It is because we are so entrenched in this thinking miasma that we are labeled "sleeping ones." Mystics call us to wake up, but since we don't know we are asleep, their words seem hollow, off the mark, or airheaded. There comes a time when we know we something is askew. Our lives seem empty, the outside world looks right, but the inside world is never settled. Our lives are always rambling toward an unfulfilling moment, chasing the past, or hoping for something that might settle our lives into a space of contentment.

What we really seek is the Mystical Moment. This moment is not bound by time or thought, and the moment we seek is now. It is the moment of truth, and the truth is you. You, You, You – not the you that thinks, performs, and seeks, but the you that always was, always is, and always will be. It is the you beyond now, before, and after. It is the you that pierces paradigms, time, and space. You of all times, you in the air, you in the ocean, and all beyond. It is you before the beginning. It is you before thought. You here and now. You before and after. It is the you that cannot be found because it can't be lost, because you are always here. It is the you that is not the body, but the body appears in that. The you is awareness, presence, radical presence, radical awareness – profound, simple, available – not hidden. It is the sweetness of life, but life beyond thought and form – formless life.

Now is the moment, the Mystical Moment. Opening to who you are can only happen now. You are always here. You are never not here. Be here now, because now is your only chance. Not the now of time, but the now of eternity. This is what you are looking for.

If you can't answer this call, perhaps you can ask yourself, "What is here that has always been with me?" See if you can find that, because that is this awareness of you that you seek. We've taking for granted that that which is looking is unique to our personality, but that which is looking is looking though everything. When we experience That which is looking rather than the filters through which it passes, (these filters are who we think we are), we experience our true selves and the searching ends. This search can only end now. Stop, look, experience the mystical moment. It is not reserved for masters; it is here for you now.

We love our moments, we love our mental pathways, but just for a moment, stop, and enter The Mystical Moment. Do it again and again and again, and soon the mind will tire of its false creations and bow to the reality of you as you are, and as it does, you will find that life becomes EZier and EZier.

Anne

  Quotes

"If our focus is on what is happening, instead of our awareness of what is happening, then there’s always something better that could have happened. What if what matters is both the nature of awareness and the specific quality of the awareness in that moment?"
  – Nirmala

"Do or do not. There is no try."
  – Yoda

“The final mystery is oneself."
  – Oscar Wilde

“Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened."
  – Buddha

  Houston Theosophical Society

Anne Sermons Gillis currently serves as the president of the Houston Lodge of the Theosophical Society.

Meetings are held on the first and third Saturdays at 10 AM Central Time in Houston, Texas.

For more information visit The Houston Lodge or visit our national organization at http://www.Theosophical.org.

We encourage our members to live a life in service to humanity, in stillness through mediation, and in study of ancient wisdom.

  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

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

Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic is now available on Kindle. Click for details.

  What is EZosophy?

Click the graphic above to find out.

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Editor/Publisher: Charles David Heineke of TheDoorway.org.

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  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

January 18, 2014
Sat., 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Noon)
Anne speaks on "Awareness"
Houston Lodge of the
Theosophical Society
1525 Heights Blvd.
Houston, TX 77008
281-561-7013
Open to the public.
$5 suggested donation

January 20, 2014
Mon., 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Purpose and Meaning Group.
Anne speaks on the Ego and EZosophy.
The group meets at
Unity Circle of Light Church
25250 Borough Park
Woodlands, TX 77380
281-681-8883
No charge
J. D. Messinger is the facilitator.

January 26. 2014
Sun., 1:00ish PM
Potluck: Bring favorite healthy foods, snacks, & beverages
Speakers: Mira Dessy (Food), Nichole Mann (Fitness), and Anne Sermons Gillis (Mind/Behavior)
Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church
1370 N. Millbend Drive
The Woodlands, TX 77380
281-298-2780

January 28, 2014
Tues., 3:00 – 4:00 PM
Life Changing Insights with Dr. Alan Simberg
Listen to Dr. Alan Simberg interview Anne Sermons Gillis. The show starts at 3 PM and Anne will come on at 3:30 PM. Click here to listen online.

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
Wed., 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

  Healthy Living

Soap – What Goes On, Goes In

I still love old fashioned bar soap. I have some Dr. Bronner's Castile Soap in a bottle, but I love my handmade soaps that I receive as gifts and some I purchase from the naturals sections of grocery stores.

The great thing is that the soaps I prefer are not anti-bacterial. This gives my immune system a chance to grow its immunity to bacteria. When we live in a sterile world, our systems do not develop their natural defense systems. What we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies. That's why we administer drugs through patches - in a way, we eat with our skin.

I look for soap that does not have "fragrance"; fragrance is too often synonymous with "Strange chemical that the body does not like." I look for organic, and choose a soap that has as few ingredients as possible. But to get down and healthy, here are Frugal Faye's criteria:

• Paraben-free
• Phlathate-free
• Sulfate-free
• Petroleum-free
• Plant-based
• Naturally scented 
• Organic (if possible)
• Fair Trade (if possible)
• $4 per bar limit
• SMELLS GOOD

That's a lot to look for when making a soap purchase – who wants to camp out at the soap section - but the three soaps Frugal Faye recommends are Dr. Bronner's, Nubian Heritage Coconut and Papaya, and Kiss my Face. I also use Miracle II Soap. Sometimes it's just easier to look for a specific brand than to read all the labels.

I apply soap sparingly. I just put soap on any dirty spots, underarms, and privates, and scrub the rest of my body with water. (And I do have a shower water filter.) Our bodies have a natural healthy bacterial balance that doesn't need to be disturbed.

If you want to be soap savvy, next time you replenish your soap supply, think about making a healthier choice for your family and yourself. It's actually fun to find new and interesting soaps with unique natural bouquets and that support healthy living. I love my soap, and I hope I can get you to have a love affair with your soap too.

  Anne Talks

"Celebrate Life Meditation" This 8 minute mediation on Celebrating Life was linked  in a previous newsletter. The meditation was incomplete at 3 minutes, so this is the new upload. Relax and let go into this refreshing meditation in its entirety. (8:42)

"The Golden Rules of Conscious Relationships" Anne interviewed by Keith Blanchard. (58:20)

"EZosophy: The Art and Wisdom of Easy Living" Anne interviewed by Lynn Allen on the Honoring Hour.