Anne's Note, Emotional Flexibility, tells emotional flexibility can make our lives much easier. In the Main article, The Path to Directly Experiencing Life, Anne describes how to move into a direct experience of life. The Healthy Living article, Benefits of Rosewood Oil, provides some ways this essential oil can help you. The Anne Talk, Celebrating Life, is a recording of a talk Anne gave at Unity Church of Practical Christianity in Webster, Texas. The Featured Product this month is Anne's reprint of EZosophy: The Art and Wisdom of Easy or At Least Easier Living.

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

Living EZosophy, October 18, 2016
Published Weekly on Tuesday Mornings

Phone: 281-419-1775
Email: anne@annegillis.com

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  A Note From Anne

Emotional Flexibility

Dear ,

We are in Charleston with the almost 2 1/2 year old grand twins. They are so quick to cry, yet, in the midst of a deep howl, one of them is prone to get distracted and become interested in something else. Within seconds he is smiling. As the saying goes, "They wear their emotions on their sleeves," the good ones and the bad ones.

Their change of mood reminds me of the flexibility of humans. As we age we tend to hold onto our emotions, but when we are younger, emotions come and go in an instant. There should be a class in school on dealing with emotions. Education usually trains our bodies, but it would serve us well if we included emotional education.

The hurricane damage in the Charleston area was minimal, but I was sad to hear that a high school classmate drowned in the N.C. flooding that occurred during Hurricane Mathew. Such an abrupt end to her life.

Life is precious. From beginning to end, life is a privilege. I give thanks for this day.

Until next week,

Anne

  Main Article

The Path to Directly Experiencing Life

Who we are cannot suffer. We are light. We are expansive patterns of energy and intelligence. We are wordless designs. We call this consortium of unseen life spirit. Thoughts that emerge from who we truly are, spirit, are inspired thoughts; these thoughts are sacred.

Thoughts that originate from the surface of our minds are sequestered by the ego and used for protection against the world. It is an unnecessary protection, but none-the-less, the egoic mind has an elaborate agenda that keeps us occupied with seductive, but useless, data and activity.

The mind uses our outer thoughts to build a wall around the light. This is a wall of action, a wall of meaningless doing. We identify with the wall and call the wall ourselves. Since the wall hides our light, it's our job to tear it down or at least penetrate it so we can experience the truth of our being.

Two buzz words dominate our current spiritual narrative. These words speak of the journey from the outer, through the wall and its permutations, and into the Self. These words are mindfulness and stillness. Mindfulness, a tool that moves through the wall and ushers us home to Self and Stillness, describes the inner world.

Mindfulness is the art of staying present and being aware of where we are, what our body is doing, how the body feels physically and emotionally, and what we are doing. There are many entries into the land of stillness: martial arts, contemplation, conscious breathing, and meditation. There are reams of information that explain how to enter the stillness. Book after book, speech after speech, tell of this promised land and how to get there.

Even though we listen, read, and speculate as to the best path, the thing we are missing is not the how to; we are missing the motivation to actually do the work. We don't want to dedicate each current moment to the recovery and discovery of ongoing Stillness. We don't have a deep desire to focus into the now and to be aware. We see it as inconvenient, believe a change would require sacrifice, believe that nothing ever works for us so why try, or we are so busy that we fail to hear this ongoing call toward realization.

We are blinded by the mind as we settle down behind our wall of separation. Knowing how sneaky my mind is and given that I've been deep, having penetrated the wall before, I frequently give myself a pep talk because I know I really want to go home. My talk is similar to the following: "I know you don't want to let go of this current inner dialogue. While this whole conversation seems juicy, it's really meaningless. The only thing worthwhile is deeper than these thoughts. Wordlessness seems boring but it is the only gate that leads to the real Me – to who I really am. This is all I've ever wanted and the reason for all my seeking. In this moment I ask you to go There." This talk is a reminder, a call from my soul, to go home. It's not a call to a complex ritual; it's simply an offering to a starving heart. And what is offered is a feast and a plea to leave my thoughts so I can directly experience life itself.

As I write this I'm on a road trip. My husband drives and Lucy snuggles on the floorboard in the back seat. Through the windshield, an endless blue sky stretches before me and my mind works to pull what I see into context, "Wow, what a really blue sky!" Commenting on the color of the sky is not a problem; it is not morally wrong; yet it is a part of the mental dialogue that separates me from the direct experience of the sky. I am not having an experience of the sky; I am talking to myself about the sky. As I stop my thoughts, I view with a wordless silence. It is majesty to behold. While words about the sky can be accurate and even poetic, this direct experience of the sky makes me one with the sky and dissolves the mentally constructed wall of separation. The experience causes my heart to sing and undoes the past and the future as it anchors me in bliss and blessing.

What is your direct and open path to spirit? Is it well-worn or is it walled-up by the egoic mind? No one will provide us the motivation that makes us go There. I use the word motivation because motivation gives us a kick in the butt so we will do the things we don't want to do. Inspiration comes from the heart and requires no perceived sacrifice, but I use the word motivation because we need a kick in the butt and an alarm clock to wake us up when we are stuck behind our wall.

Rarely will anyone tell us to experience the sky rather than evaluate it. We have to do that for ourselves. We have to go down the less known path to Self. We need to do it now and do it often, if we want to wake up to who we are and to reality. But in order to make it happen, we must move our minds in innovative ways that entice us to take this journey. We must become cheerleaders of the heart and masters of motivation. And when we do, we find that our lives are always EZier and EZier.

Anne

  Quotes

"Approach every moment as if it were your last, and not a preparation for something else."
-- Shunryu Suzuki

"Don't take refuge in the absolute with the exclusion of the relative. Don't get so caught up in the relative that you lose access to the deeper things, lest you become cynical and hopeless or even suicidal."
-- Rick Archer

"I am not looking for myself; I am looking at myself."
-- John Sherman

  Featured Product This Month

At last, the reprint of EZosophy: The art of EZ or at Least EZier Living, is out. If you've been wanting an EZier life, this book provides a clear path toward EZ.

EZosophy:The Art and Wisdom of Easy or At Least Easier Living is a simple philosophy that radically changes lives. It is a book for the spiritually-based reader who no longer values the ego driven struggle of contemporary life.

EZosophy will help readers:

• Give up Hard Attacks. Hardaholic no more.
• Drop the drama.
• Make your life EZier. Ease is not indolence. Rather, ease is the art of accomplishment without struggle.
• Learn to identify ego driven suffering (EDS).

  What is EZosophy?

Click the graphic above to learn about EZosophy.

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

  Healthy Living

Benefits of Rosewood Oil

My friend asked what she could get for my birthday, I answered, "Essential oils. I need rose oil, but don't get lavender; I have plenty." True to her form, she bought lavender and rosewood oil, not rose oil. That's been years ago. My friend passed away, but I think of her when I use lavender and rose oil. After the initial surprise of getting what I asked her not to give me, the rosewood oil turned to be a wonderful gift. And when I used my supply of lavender oil, I had a spare ready to use.

Many people know the benefits of lavender. It's well known for its antifungal and antibacterial properties and as a sleep aid, but the benefits of rosewood oil are not as widely known.

Here are some benefits of rosewood oil.

• Great deodorant. I mix some organic corn starch with coconut oil (Warm oil; if it is solid, do not overheat.) to make a paste. Then add a few drops of rosewood oil and it's ready to use.
• Antidepressant. Apply to bottom of feet. It is quickly absorbed and should be called joy juice. It is very effective.
• Aphrodisiac. Figure that out on your own!
• Headache relief. Again, apply to bottom of feet.
• Cephalic – Memory. Keeps your brain sharp! I can't vouch for this one, but I read it online; it can't hurt.
• Insecticide. Kills small insects, think fleas, and also serves as an insect repellent. Mix a few drops with an ounce of water and put in spray bottle for later use.
• Antiseptic. Use on cuts and scrapes.
• Sleep aid. I put a little rosewood oil on my feet before I go to sleep. It relaxes me and I tell myself it is doing all kinds of good things to my body. I may be combining medicine and magic, but whatever I'm doing with this oil, it works for me.

I also want to do an article on digestion.

Anne

  Anne Talks

Celebrating Life

Today's Anne Talk, Celebrating Life, is a recording of a talk she gave at Unity Church of Practical Christianity in Webster, Texas. Time: 21:08.

  Anne Art

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  Anne's Schedule

All times here are Central Time
unless otherwise specified.

Sunday, October 30, 2016
10 AM Service
Unity of Brazosport
507 So. Brooks St. (Hwy 36)
Brazoria, TX 77422

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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.