The Anne Report shows how life can be better by Doing Life Together. The Main article, Take a Chance on Love, examines how our personal growth in marriage can lead us into the long-term commitment necessary for a lasting relationship. The Healthy Living article, Healing Through Inclusion, shows the power of healing through inclusion. The Anne Talk is Love is Now. It's a beautiful meditation set to a musical favorite. The Featured Product this month is Anne's new reprint of EZosophy: The Art and Wisdom of Easy or At Least Easier Living. Click here to learn about Anne's newest book, Words Make a Difference.

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

Living EZosophy, February 14, 2017
Published Weekly on Tuesday Mornings

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

Anne's Websites:

  The Anne Report

Doing Life Together

Dear ,

Here's to report that my rib is healed, my days are full, my heart is alive, and each day rolls by so fast I can barely hang onto the moment. This week I came out of my second yoga class without aches and pains, attended the singing bowls group meditation, went to Wednesday night and Sunday spiritual renewal lectures, learned about the Baha'i faith at my Theosophical Society meeting, attended Potlucks for Peace, met with my Master Mind group, and attended the A Course in Miracles class. We also hosted some friends and streamed part of the Sister Giant convention.

We live in a world that is bourgeoning with opportunities to grow spirituality, to be uplifted, and to learn the once hidden secrets of the Universe. While there is much greed, tragedy, and mayhem in the world, we forget that the resources we need in every moment are available. All the events listed above were opportunities for spiritual restoration. In this high-speed world, we need more places and spaces than ever to renew our mind and bodies.

Don't try to do this life alone. Even when you can't get out, join with others on the phone, invite people to your home, and take advantage of social media or free conference calling. While much of technology pulls us apart, much of it can pull us together. Let's use technology as a tool of connection and community rather than as a tool for separation, and when we do, we find that life becomes EZier and EZier.

Until next week, this is the Anne Report.

Anne

  Main Article

Take a Chance on Love

"No one falls in love by choice; it is by CHANCE. No one stays in love by chance; it is by WORK. And no one falls out of love by chance; it is by CHOICE." -- Marianne Williamson

Today is Valentine's Day. It's also my wedding anniversary. I've upgraded twice, for a total of three marriages. My second marriage was a rebound deal, and it was so brief that it doesn't even seem like a marriage, but the brief encounter was full of pain and insanity. If I had not had a lot of support, I might not have made it through.

I've taken a lot of chances on love, but for very unworthy reasons. I took a chance on a relationship that could meet my unmet baby needs. "Maybe this will be the man who will really see me, he'll understand me, love me the way I deserve to be loved." After herds of these guys, I got wiser. Or at least I thought I had – the mind has a sneaky way of making us think we are making better choices. I wrote the following not long after I met my husband. At the time, I was 50.

When I was young it was so easy to surrender to love. I did not know who I was. There wasn't much to give up or to give from. I gave myself to someone to become someone. Now I know who I am, and so when I surrender, I give into much more than hoping I will become someone. I know I am already someone. Now I give into allowing that I can become even more if my heart is open. I have known how to be who I was when alone; now the risk is the vulnerability of being myself in the presence of one who can see me.

I am both honored and afraid of this journey into intimacy. Sometimes my mind spins in a mad dance of potential outcomes. I get dizzy and spin out of control. Other times I rest in a deep contentment. I feel intoxicated when I consider my lover's mind and heart. There is excitement in the newness, but as I glimpse the holiness of the daily encounter, my mind relaxes. I watch the tea cup brush his lips and feel the gentleness of his willing embrace. These things are becoming familiar, but none the less they are sacred. Familiarity breeds contempt, but who can look upon the sun closing her eyes and not be touched again and again? So it is with him and me; those familiar things I long to see and repeat a thousand times.

I was so proud of that piece. I would read and reread it. I wanted a relationship that felt stable, honest, and real. Of course, I left out the factor that when one is swooning, in love, and intoxicated by another person, it is almost impossible to make a legitimate assessment.

We moved in together after a couple of years and married in our fourth year together. Each step or new level of commitment brought surprises. Surprise: who knew you/I could be that crazy? Surprise: who knew you turned into a weirdo during holidays?

Sometimes, after a particularly tough time, I would think, "If anyone knew (whatever the deal was during the current crisis), they would think I was wrong to stay with my husband." Yet during the few roughest times of our relationship I was given a vision and direct guidance to stay in the relationship. At some point, I turned in my get out of Dodge card and made the commitment to keep both feet on the ground of our relationship.

I had been single 25 years (of course, there were some serious relationships during that time), but I had not made that permanent commitment, the big one, marriage. The institution taught me about love. It was not the love I was getting that counted; it was the love I was giving that filled my heart. I couldn't get love from others; I could only open to the already present love that is the nature of life itself. While marriage was not what I expected nor what society promised, it was and is the perfect training ground for love.

Happy Valentine's Day.

Anne

  Quotes

Anne Affirmations

"There is order and grace in every space of my life. I'm stressing the blessing, erasing the past, enjoying the present that's happy at last."

"Love permeates my emotions and I am free of revenge, jealousy, disrespect, cynicism, irritability, ego driven anger, and fear."

Anne Quotes

"Rest in the absolute to restore your compassion, to nurture your forgiveness, and to embolden your gratitude."

"Life is not always a smooth road, but for some outlandish reason we have this idea that when life doesn't go like we want it to go, it is a personal injustice. Therefore, we can vigorously complain and/or feel sad or surly. If 50% of our lives go as we want them to go, we are lucky. That still leaves 50% of things not going the way we've planned. You might not think things don't go your way more than 50 percent of the time, but if you listen carefully to the egoic mind, you will find it wants you to be dissatisfied all the time, and it will point to everything with an accusing eye. Don't let that 50% of the time become a bargaining tool for the ego. Let it serve as an opening into flexibility, creativity, and non-attachment."

  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).

  Healthy Living

Healing Through Inclusion

Healthy Living is not just a personal responsibility. A sentiment of inclusion is at the heart of Christ's message and certainly tops the charts when it comes to social justice and a collective healthy mental state. When groups exclude people who don't look and believe like them, there's a tear in the fabric of humanity. There are times when exclusion is natural. A girl scout troop is probably not the place for Hell's Angels members, but religious organizations that exclude anyone are suspect; at least they are to me.

The following welcome statement appears at Coventry Cathedral in the United Kingdom.

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, widowed, straight, gay, confused, well-heeled or down at heel. We especially welcome wailing babies and excited toddlers.

We welcome you whether you can sing like Pavarotti or just growl quietly to yourself. You're welcome here if you're 'just browsing,' just woken up or just got out of prison. We don't care if you're more Christian than the Archbishop of Canterbury, or haven't been to church since Christmas ten years ago.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome keep-fit mums, football dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you're having problems, are down in the dumps or don't like 'organized religion.' (We're not that keen on it either!)

We offer a welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don't work, can't spell, or are here because granny is visiting and wanted to come to the Cathedral.

We welcome those who are inked, pierced, both or neither. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down their throat as kids or got lost on the ring road and wound up here by mistake. We welcome pilgrims, tourists, seekers, doubters… and you!

Now that’s the kind of church I want to be a member of, and it is. Our minister read this welcome one Sunday at our center and everyone loved it.

If you have any healthy living tips for the newsletter, send them to me at anne@annegillis.com.

  Anne Talks

Love is Now

Today's Anne Talk is Love is Now. It's a beautiful meditation set to a musical favorite. Time: 14:55.

  Anne Art

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  Anne's Schedule

All times here are Central Time
unless otherwise specified.

Wednesday, April 19, 2017
5:30-6:45 PM
Words Make a Difference
lecture and book signing
Unity Bookstore, 2929 Unity Drive
Houston, TX 77057
713-782-4050

  Call or Email Anne Now to Schedule
  Her for Your Meeting.

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.