The Anne Report, Going and Flowing, tells of Anne's and Jim's new adventure and of the new man in their lives. The Main article, Wisdom and Suffering, discusses the roles that wisdom and suffering can play in our lives. The Healthy Living article, Prayers of Petition and Affirmation, gives us two examples of Anne's written prayers. The Anne Talk is the Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview, by Rick Archer of Buddha at the Gas Pump. Learn about Anne's newest book: The Living Book. The Featured Product this month highlights Anne's second book, EZosophy: The art of EZ or at Least EZier Living. Click to read What is EZosophy?  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, August 1, 2017
Published Weekly on Tuesday Mornings

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

Anne's Websites:

  The Anne Report

Going and Flowing

Dear ,

Today we are going on another adventure to see our grandchildren, Thomas and Reynolds, and family. It's a two-day drive, and Jim likes to drive the whole way. We stop every two hours for our precious canine, Lucy, to piddle and stretch. We follow suit.

I'll be giving two trainings in the Charleston area for continuing education credits to therapists, and if my detective skills are correct, they'll be teachers too. I want to impart everything I've learned in the past 68 years, but that's not possible, so I've spent countless days distilling the wisdom of the ages.

I like the "More is Less" movement. It reminds me that just a few powerful thoughts, placed in the minds of others, bring greater blessings than stuffing the mind with countless thoughts. Cookies are good. They can be comfort food, but when eaten frequently and mindlessly, they become addictive and lose their blessing.

More news: We are excited to welcome Larry to our household. We've been traveling so much that having a watchful eye to water plants and take care of the house while we are gone on our adventures is a boon. I affirmed for several days that we lived in the perfect place, and the perfect space, with grace. Everything fell into place and Larry moved in yesterday. He's a wonderful man who lives his life based on intuition. My kind of guy! We route our lives with our thoughts, and having good, wholesome thoughts contributes to a life of abundant living. That's it for the Anne Report.

  Main Article

Wisdom and Suffering

This morning, as is my custom, I picked up some literature to read for inspiration. I read my favorite magazine, Quest, then I picked up my book, Standing in the Dark. It's been a while since I've read it. It's a thin book and one I rarely push when I'm selling books. I have other books I think are more important, but as I read my third book, my heart widened, "The book holds curative powers," I thought, as I snuggled into its content.

When I was young, I yearned for one thing: wisdom. As I read the book, I thought, "If I were another person, and read this book, I would think the person who wrote it was wise." I warmed inside and thought that somehow, in the madness of living, wisdom crept in and took its rightful place in my life. While I can't say without reservation that I am a wise person, I must admit that there's a wisdom that rears its thoughtful head from time to time. Too often I focus so on the task at hand, dissect my foibles, and discount my abilities. Then it struck me, "I don't identify with the qualities of wisdom, compassion, and joy because they seem like things that I watch as they run through my life. When wisdom comes through, and compassion rises, they come from a place that is universal. My ego wants to sweep in and take credit for wisdom and joy, but they are not of me; they just run through me.  I watch in admiration as I participate in Universal Oneness."

It's a relief not to have to be a wise person. I wanted to be wise so others would think I was okay. I thought, unwisely, that if others thought I was okay, everything would be great, but I found that even when others called me wise, or thought I was accomplished and productive, their input didn't change my inner deprecation, nor my drive toward perfectionism.

There is a lineage of suffering that comes with the job of being human, and it's up to us to heal that which is ego driven. We bring with us the heritage of our ancestors. Some of that heritage brings power, some brings suffering, and other parts bring an inner fragility that cannot be ignored. While that inner fragility limits us, it also keeps us humble. Humility is the tamer of the ego, and without it, we might run amok. In order to be powerful and functional humans, some of our fragilities must be healed, while other fragilities need protection from the winds of life.

Healing occurs as negative self-evaluation recedes. The egoic mind fuels itself with negative evaluation. "I'm not the problem; it's my partner's fault." "The world is the problem." "I'm the problem." The egoic mind thrives in a merry-go-round of fixer uppers. I'll fix this, and the ego goes on its merry way to solve the problems it's made through negative evaluation.

Viewing our shortcomings from a vantage point that we are eternal children of Okayness, makes our deficiencies things we chose to change because the changes make our lives EZier. We don't change so we can be okay; we change because we are tired of hurting, but not because we think it's the right or good thing to do.

The only way to stop the circle of survival through identification of the being the hero of fixing non-existent problems, is to give up the need to fix ourselves. We don't need to fix things that are not broken. We are not broken. We all have the power to accept our Okayness in the present moment. This Okayness is a gift, and through grace it is offered immediately, to even the most miserable soul, and it is offered now. When we accept this grace, and let go of the shame we carry, the defense systems and coping mechanisms we've relied on cast off their desperateness and become the servants of well-being. We are transformed, through surrender, because without our constant intervention and need to fix, life becomes a peaceful kingdom. Bobby McFerrin tells us "Don't worry; be happy." With brief, yet powerful words, he speaks universal truth. Will we use wisdom to see the truth or will we continue to live life as if it were a fixer upper? I'm going with the idea that I am completely okay. I am willing to make changes in ineffective behaviors, but not hound myself to do better or be better, and if you come with me on the journey of flow, I'm certain our lives will be EZier and EZier.

Anne

  Quotes

Quotes

"Our fears invent danger."
-- Victoria Hamilton

"The truth has no agenda."
-- Unknown

"Do you feel hopeless? Is hopelessness a common occurrence for you? If it is, you may want to look deeper. If you are not living in a third world country, literally starving, or being beaten by a spouse, and you still feel frequent hopelessness, then consider this: "Hopelessness is addictive." What, surely not. But yes, just a surely as a bee flies around on two tiny seemingly inadequate wings, hopelessness is addictive."
-- Excerpted from Standing in the Dark, by Anne Sermons Gillis

Quotes Follow Up

Anne, I noticed that you kindly showed two quotes by me in your newsletter. Actually, you have voiced the same ideas time and time again in the past, with different words. Our future growth is dependent on our mind's (with appropriate emotions) moving away from its present separative nature to a more holistic and unifying consciousness. That is when, as the Bible says, "the lamb will lie down with the wolf and spears will be beaten into plow-shares."
-- Fali Engineer

  The Living Book

The Living Book, by Anne Sermons Gillis

• Suppose someone told you that you could change your life radically, for the better, if you spent just three minutes a day doing inner work? Would you believe it? Maybe not, but wouldn't it be worth an investment of three minutes a day to try it?
• The Living Book offers just this. Devote three minutes a day to this process and your life will become a living testimony to the seed principle. A tiny seed can grow into a mighty tree, but it must be planted. Plant your daily seed for three short minutes and notice both subtle and miraculous changes in your life.
• In addition to the daily practice, one can use the process when they are stumped or afraid or angry. This process transforms anger into love. When we plant seeds of light into our thoughts and emotional bodies, we move into higher frequencies of well-being.

The Living Book, by Anne Sermons Gillis
PDF Book Download $0.99. Kindle Book: $2.99.

  Featured Product This Month

Click here to check out Anne's newest book, Words Make A Difference, a book of affirmations, action plans, and deep insights into the human consciousness that transforms and heals the soul, the local and global community, and the planet. Travel with Gillis on a journey through deep psychology, metaphysics, and nondualism.

  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

Prayers of Petition and Affirmation

Each of us has faced the devastation of not having things turn out the way we wanted them to. Almost everyone faces physical pain, and as we age, we pay a price. Aging is the price we pay for not dying young.

While we might eventually die, healing is always a possibility. We need and want physical and emotional healing. The following supplication calls to a Higher Power for healing of the belief of permanent hardship and suffering.

Healing Prayer*

God, give me the faith to believe that you have the power to heal me. Reach through this seemingly impenetrable maze of belief systems and take me home. Teach me to celebrate joy more and to worship fear less.

Teach me to pray with an attitude rooted in power. Help me to accept the authority of your word. Remind me that thinking about praying or assuming that you know my needs is not enough. Remind me that I must speak to you with an open, undefended heart and ask directly for healing. Then remind me to listen. Help me to make it a priority to listen to you. Make me understand the importance of our time together. I know that I need to make more time for our relationship than I do for any other relationship. Help me to act on that knowledge.

Teach me to eliminate the situations and beliefs that keep me stranded from your love. Dispel the delusion that I can personally heal my deepest wounds. Grant me the humility to ask for and receive your healing. Lead my mind into your love and away from my fear. AMEN.

Affirmative Prayer for Athletes

The most familiar prayer is in the form of a petition. We ask God for healing or assistance.  Affirmative prayers are used to inspire us; they are statements of potential and pledges of faith.

Prayer*

My body is healthy. I love and appreciate my body. Every cell in my body radiates perfect health. I do not treat my body like a machine because it is the home of my soul. I stay alert to the inner wisdom of my body so that I do not harm it. I now have the wisdom to know when to push on and when to stop. It is through my body that I can perceive and serve the divine. I will not burden my body, but I will maximize the co-operation and performance of all muscles, bones and organs. I use my mind to picture myself in perfect health and see myself as successful in all my physical undertakings. My body is operated by my mind and responds well to praise and adversely to criticism. I choose thoughts that support both my physical and emotional well being.

I breathe clean, fresh air. I eat foods that enhance my vitality. I exercise regularly. I am now reaping the benefits of vibrant health and passionate aliveness. AMEN.

*Prayers excerpted from Offbeat Prayers for the Modern Mystic by Anne Sermons Gillis

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

  Anne Talks

Buddha at the Gas Pump Interview

  Anne Art

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NOTICE: Here are two shareables from Anne. Feel free to pass them along.

The World's Best Weight Loss Secret

Thought Freedom

  Anne's Schedule

All times here are Central Time
unless otherwise specified.

Saturday, August 5, 2017
Workshop, 9 AM - 3 PM EDT
"Ending the Suffering Syndrome:
The EZosophy Philosophy" $45.00
5 hours LPC, CE credits for LPC
Location: "The Cottage"
122 Alicia Drive
Summerville, SC
Click Here for Registration

Friday, August 11, 2017
Workshop, 9 AM - 3 PM EDT
"Building Self Esteem and Courage"
5 hours LPC, CE credits for LPC
Location: "The Cottage"
122 Alicia Drive
Summerville, SC
Click Here for Registration

Sunday, August 20, 2017
12:30 PM to 3 PM
"Synchronicity"; Cost $25.00
Bring a sack lunch, light snacks provided.
Creative Life Spiritual Center
5326 Spring Stuebner Rd. Ste. 200
Spring, Texas 77389
Phone: 281-350-5157

Friday, October 6, 2017
Workshop, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM EDT
"Building Self Esteem and Courage"
5 hours LPC, CE credits for LPC
Location: "Phoenix Center"
1400 Cleveland Street
Greenville, SC
Click Here for Registration

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.

  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.

The EZosophy Bracelet