Anne's Note celebrates Spring Days. The main article provides some Enlightenment. Healthy Living recommends Drinking More Water. The Anne Talk is Mayonnaise. The Featured Product this month is Anne's I AM Affirmations CD.

The EZ Mantra: "Everything can be EZ or at least EZier." – Anne Sermons Gillis

  A Note From Anne

Dear ,

Amazing spring days. Jim and I made our annual spring tour of the Texas bluebonnets. One day a year we become tourists and ride around in the country. We took a picnic lunch to Washington on the Brazos, walked the grounds, visited the Antique Rose Emporium, and finished our day off with a visit to the Blue Bell Creamery. Ice cream is on my rarely eaten foods list, but I have to admit, a trip the place where they make all the Blue Bell ice cream in the US is loads of fun. And the ice cream – heavenly.

Anne

  Enlightenment

As I sit and look out my window, I see life passing by. A couple of years ago I wrote an article, “The House Next Door Died,” about an empty house and how weird it felt to sense the inactivity of the once active house. My neighbors were gone and the house was waiting for its new family, but to me it was a loss. It felt like the passing of an era and I didn’t even know the people that well. I just knew they were always there. We waved and I asked for a favor from time to time, but we had relatively little contact – or so it seemed. In reality, we are woven more closely with those who live close by than we think. The puzzle pieces of living fit together and include each facet of our lives, even our little known neighbors.

As sure enough, the new family came. There was a couple and three children. A year later, little Naomi was born. The briefly fallow home was reincarnated and it is now full of life. There’s a nanny, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I don’t see a dog at some point. My new neighbor said to me when we first met, “This is my dream house.”

I’m on a prayer team. We receive so many requests. Through the lens of these requests I remotely view heartbreak, death, hope, and resurrection. I can’t even imagine how one deals with a suicide or unexpected death in the family. People are burdened, worn out, sick, and dying.

I am one of those people. Some days I feel the burden; I’ve lost friends and parents to death. I’ve been touched by some of life’s worst situations. You are one of those who have been touched by misfortune as well. None of us escapes the loss and heartache life dishes out.

But, and this is where “but” is a beautiful word, it is amazing the passion, creativity, compassion, and will to live we have, even though we’ve been through hell. Regardless of how devastating living can be, we not only keep going, we do it with flair. We dream, we plan, we sing, and our sense of well-being shouts to anyone who will listen.

How can it be that we are so extraordinarily flexible? What flows through us that defies pain and suffering? What is it that repeatedly brings life to death? What allows a mother to live on when her child dies? It is the power that flows through us, and that power is “Life.” Life is not the events or situations we find ourselves in, even though we often use those as to define life. Life is more. Life is Essence, and that Essence is what pulls us on, lives through us, reinvents us, uplifts us, and informs us.

Essence is subtle and shows up all the time. We are so identified with Essence that we don’t even know when it’s moving us. It moves in us as hunches. Essence sparks our creativity and gives us the courage to speak out against injustice. Essence is like the air. It’s always there but frequently overlooked. Enlightenment is not about changing; it is about seeing what is already there. Enlightenment is about living from Essence and knowing that it is the fire that lights our lives.

Is there a “how to” on living from Essence? No. That’s why life’s such a mystery. It doesn’t come with lessons. Some believe that tragic events serve as an alarm clock to wake us up while others believe in miracles as an agent of change. But it’s time to face the truth: nothing we do will cause this awakening. Still, even though nothing we do can coerce grace into giving us her stead, if we do nothing, nothing happens. We must live, look, learn, and do our spiritual practices and in those activities the ingredients of awakening are baked into existence. “Enlightenment may be a seeming accident, but living life with meaning and power, meditation, breath work, self-inquiry, or engaging in some kind active work of self-expression makes us accident prone.” (This is a rewording of a phase I heard from Rick Archer.)

It’s a relief that there’s no information we need or that there’s something we’re not doing right in life. When we show up to life and just do what enlivens us, the rest takes care of itself. We can search if we want to or not search. We don’t have to struggle so much to make things happens. We can’t control and manipulate life to give us what we want, because what we want is already here; we just don't see it. So if you want to do any kind of work, work on seeing what is here and now. That’s my best advice, and even though it may not be profound and I’m not giving you much to go on, at least I’m pointing you in the right direction. What I’m all about is making life EZier and EZier and that’s all I’m trying to do!

Anne

  Anne Art

Funky Tao
Click image for a larger view.

Leaves
Click image for a larger view.

  Featured Product This Month

  What is EZosophy?

Click the graphic above to learn more.

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

  Healthy Living

How Much is Enough Water?

I know everyone has heard that we should drink plenty of water. It may be the number one suggested health tip of the century. I tire of hearing it, but I recently realized how much I’ve slacked off from drinking enough water. Most of the signs of mild dehydration are obvious, such as thirst and darker urine, but did you know that when you are dehydrated you can also:

• Have dry skin
• Feel dizzy
• Have a headache
• Have bad breath due to overgrowth of bacteria

How much water is enough to keep us hydrated? The Mayo Clinic recommends 9 cups of water for females and 13 cups of water for males, but a one size fits all amount may not be that effective. Take your weight and multiply it by 2/3. If you weigh 120 pounds, 2/3 is 80, so you need 80 ounces of water a day. Here’s a chart to help you calculate the amount of water you need. According to this method, I need 11 glasses of water daily.

I’ve decided to fill up two quarts of water in the morning and see how much I drink during the normal day. I’m hoping that writing this will give me an incentive to drink plenty of water. It’s easy to see what happens to a potted plant when it doesn’t get enough water, and I certainly don’t want to wilt, so I am going to pay more attention. I hope you will too.

Anne

  Anne Talks

This week's Anne Talk is Mayonnaise With Anne Sermons Gillis. It's a story about Anne's performing a marriage over the phone in a jail. This audio was taken from a talk at Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church in The Woodlands, TX for their Wellness Group, on April 27, 2014. Be sure to listen to the end.
Time: 5:30.

  Quotes

"The ego never predicts the future accurately." — Gina Lake

"Argue with what’s happening, complain about it, try to ignore it, or try to change it. This is a recipe for suffering. It doesn’t change what’s happening. It just makes it unpleasant." — Gina Lake

"There is no one who doesn’t live in love. There are few who realize it."
— Byron Katie

Consider sharing this newsletter with someone who would appreciate it.

Want to subscribe to Anne's weekly newsletter? Click the button below to do so. If you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, you can UNsubscribe by clicking this link. Follow Anne:            Share Anne:      If this newsletter inspires you or touches you in some way, please consider donating to help keep the EZ message going out to the world. Donations may be sent to: Anne Sermons Gillis 52 W. Tallowberry Dr. The Woodlands, TX 77381 Or sent via PayPal.   Anne's Services Need a Coach or a Rent-a-Friend? Interested in getting ongoing support? Try life coaching with Anne. Anne offers 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 and other training too.   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 All times here are Central Time. You must register with Lone Star College to attend these classes. Wed. & Fri., Apr. 8 and 10, 2015 10:00 AM-Noon, "EZosophy" Lone Star College ALL Program Montgomery Campus Sunday, Apr. 12, 2015 12 noon – 2:00 PM "The Golden Rules of Conscious Relationships" Unity Circle of Light The Fountains Center 25811 Gosling Road Spring TX 77389 Phone: 281-681-8883 Snacks Provided. Conscious Giving Appreciated, $10.00 - $50.00 Tue. & Thu., Apr. 14 and 16, 2015 1:00-3:00 PM, "Alive, Awake, Aware" Lone Star College ALL Program Kingwood Campus extension in New Caney (LSC-EMCID Center) Sunday, April 19, 2015 9:30 and 11:30 AM services "Living in Ease" Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church, 1370 N Millbend Dr. The Woodlands, TX 77380 Phone: 281-298-2780 Sunday, May 3, 2015 10:15 AM service: "EZosophy" Unity of North Houston 11738 Grant Road Cypress, TX 77429 Phone: 281-374-7085 Wed. & Fri., May 6 and 8, 2015    10:00 AM-Noon, "Alive, Awake, Aware" Lone Star College ALL Program Montgomery Campus Disclaimer: Some links in this newsletter may be affiliate links and may pay a commission if an item is purchased. Do your own due diligence to determine if a product is appropriate for your use. Editor & Publisher: Charles David Heineke of www.TheDoorway.org.