Inspirational Life

“Don’t Lose Yourself”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

We’re never too old to learn something about ourselves and during this past week I learned something so valuable about myself that is life changing and will definitely help me in living my best life even more.

I always talk about “fear,” and that nothing good can come from it. I talk about standing in your truth and using your voice in a kind, respectful way to express it. I talk about how to understand any fear you may be facing and how to get past it.

Yet during this last week I realized that I had been carrying a “fear” which I wasn’t even aware of. Sometimes a situation happens in your life that brings a life lesson to you, that gives you an opportunity to see something in yourself that you hadn’t been able to see before.

I see it now and I want to share it with all of you.

I love and value the people in my life and I would never want to lose them, and that’s a human and normal way to feel. Yet I also realized that in not wanting to lose them I’ve become “fearful” of losing them. I finally saw that I wasn’t standing in my truth as much as I should have or saying what I needed to say to them because I didn’t want to anger or hurt them because if I did that, they’d leave my life. And that is so not the way to be with anyone in your life: friend, family member, partner or spouse. I realized that this was a fear that should never have been part of who I am because in the end, anyone who would leave my life because of who I am and what I say didn’t really value me at all. And that is the truth. And it’s my truth now. And I’m working on releasing that fear that was buried within me for much of my life.

We’re all humans who, at times, don’t even understand why we act the way we do or feel the way we do, yet once we address these underlying issues of our own and understand the “why” behind them, we release them…and we grow into our best sense of self. And we begin the journey of healing, of recovery and the road to truly “living our best life.”

“Don’t be afraid of losing someone by standing in your truth. Be afraid of losing yourself if you don’t.” AD

It’s a good thing.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Feeling Lost”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I’m grateful for all of you that follow me and you must know by now that I share a lot about my personal life with you, and I do so because I know that I’m not the only one going through a difficult time. Some of you may be going through a similar situation as well and by sharing my truth I hope that it helps you. said that I’ll let you know what’s going on with me. I’m feeling lost. The life I knew a few weeks ago no longer exists and I don’t know where I belong, how to feel or what to do next. I remind myself of a time when I wrote about this very thing and said that “it’s during those moments that we feel lost that we are actually finding ourselves.” And I have to believe that.

I feel uncomfortable, anxious, scared and lost. Life took a sudden turn overnight for me and I’m left with wondering what’s next. Where do I go? How am I supposed to feel? What do I do now? And I have to go back to my belief in that “everything happens for a reason.” Life has shaken me to my core and it’s up to me to figure it out and do what I need to do to move forward. None of this is easy, but I believe that in the end I’ll be in the exact place that I need to be in. I’m feeling more lost than I ever have but I know that this is a time to find myself more than I ever have, to grow into the person I’m meant to be and to move forward without fear. Life is changing and it’s changing quicker than I had imagined.

Some of it’s painful but I’m willing to trust and take that leap of faith to see where life is going to take me. It’s been a crazy year for all of us but I have to believe that we’re all going to be okay. And we’re going to come out of this better and stronger than ever. Just my thoughts for today.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Three Sides To Every Story”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

My mother always said that “there’s three sides to every story, yours, mine and the truth.” And she’s right. There are three sides to each of our stories and I’ve learned from experience to believe the story that lies in the middle of your version and mine: “the truth.”

Sometimes we get so caught up in the emotions that are swirling around in our minds that we lose sight of the truth. We tell our story to whoever will listen, hoping that they’ll be on “our” side, not “their” side. We’re hoping for confirmation that we aren’t guilty of anything, that the other person is. And we’re hoping that telling others our version will make it the truth. It doesn’t.

The real truth lies out there in the middle. It’s one thing to tell your story to friends and family for support, which would be the right reason. It’s another thing to tell it for sympathy and to talk badly of the other person, which is the wrong reason. There’s enough hurt swirling around. You don’t need the opinions of others to keep it going. After all, they’re not living in your “truth,” they’re just hearing it from you.

Everyone has their own “version” of their situation, but when you get to the real heart of the matter, when you take your own accountability and when you forgive yourself and the other person, then you will have found the right version: the truth. It’s not always easy to face the truth, but it’s an important piece of healing and moving forward in your life. No one knows your “truth” but you. Be careful who you share it with.J ust my thoughts…Have a wonderful day.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Healing A Broken Heart”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

Anger is one of the most dangerous emotions to feel. It pushes people into doing things that they wouldn’t normally do and the repercussions of those actions can be brutal. And the damage it can cause to another human being is oftentimes hurtful beyond repair, the effects lasting a lifetime. There’s no value in anger, only in forgiveness.

Forgiveness is a gift to yourself. That is why forgiveness is so very important. Forgiveness doesn’t mean that it is “okay” for someone to hurt you, or that you forgot what they did, it means that you’ve forgiven the person in order to let go of your anger. Heartache and hurt feelings take time to heal, but anger? You can get rid of it as quickly as you felt it…with forgiveness. Time does heal all wounds, and so does love, compassion, understanding, empathy and a willingness to take accountability for your part in all of it.

And time does heal all wounds more quickly when you have found forgiveness in your heart. Nothing heals a broken heart more than a heart that can forgive. And I know that to be true. Just my thoughts…

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“If You Can’t Be Kind, Be Quiet”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

Just my thoughts on kindness. No one has the right to be unkind to another human being. Imagine what the world would be like if we were all kind to one another? It would be awesome!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Life And Love Is About Forgiveness!

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

Human behavior always amazes me, especially when hearts are broken or bruised. I’ve had quite a few broken hearts in my life. When I was younger and immature my first thought would have been to “pay them back.” Let’s face it, that’s what most teenagers do. Yet as I grew older I learned that a pay back isn’t the solution for a broken heart. It’s not the solution to anything. Broken and bruised hearts happen for so many reasons, yet as I always say, if your heart feels any pain then remind yourself that your heart still works. We can’t feel brokenness if we can’t feel love. I’ve learned that when someone breaks my heart there is no easy fix, and no pay back or spiteful behavior will help ease the pain. In fact, the more you act out in vindictiveness or spite towards someone who hurt you, the more you’ll stay in your own pain. You’ll never move forward and you’ll never heal. And don’t we all want to heal from something that has hurt us? I will tell you in no uncertain terms that hurting someone that hurt you isn’t the answer and will never serve you well. Talk to the person who hurt you, express your feelings, and listen to their reasons as to why they had done something to hurt you. Not everyone hurts another human being on purpose. I know I don’t. Sometimes it’s inevitable that we hurt the ones we love, not because we stopped loving them, but because we began to love ourselves in a way that they couldn’t or wouldn’t.

“The heart has a mind of its own” and when that heart has been hurt by someone they love, the mind seems to take over with no reason or rhyme. A heart that truly knows love will never lose sight of how precious it is. The heart knows how it feels and every so often the mind gets involved to help it through the pain. We all have gone through a broken heart at one time or another, but I beg of you, don’t allow your pain to hurt someone back. Nothing good will ever come out of negative emotions. Feel the pain, deal with the “why,” and heal from it. The pain of a broken heart won’t last forever, but your spiteful actions towards them will. And that’s my thoughts for tonight. If you’re feeling hurt, feel it, but don’t feel the need to inflict intentional pain on another human being. In the end, what goes around comes around. It always does. Life and love is about “forgiveness.” And that’s the only way to heal.

Wishing you love and light,

~AnneDennish~

“It’s What You Bring To The World”

/ Anne Dennish

Each of us is born with a gift. It’s a talent, an awareness, a knowledge or a compassion which offers us the chance to make a difference in the world.

So many people wait their entire lives for the world to bring to them what they want and desire, yet the world will bring you nothing if you’re not bringing anything to the world.

Embrace the gifts you were born with. Show and share your greatness with the world and you’ll begin to see what the world has to offer you.

The truth is this: “It’s not about what the world brings to you, it’s about what YOU bring to the world.” 

And during these difficult times it’s even more important to bring all the positive thoughts and actions that we can to the world and the people in it.

Our world is going through a difficult time at the moment and now, more than ever, it’s so more important that we all join together to bring all the positive thoughts and actions that we can to the world and the people in it.

Let the world see how awesome you are and share that with everyone!

It’s a good thing!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

its_not_about_what (1)

 

“And Then There Are The Other Heroes”

/ Anne Dennish / 1 Comment

There are many heroes out in the world today keeping us safe, taking care of us and trying to keep life going, yet I believe there is another hero we don’t give credit to and that’s our children.

The definition of a “hero” is: a person who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

And I admire my children, your children and the youth of the world who are living through these uncertain times right along with us. They are heroes as well.

They’re quarantined home just like the rest of us, they can’t see their friends or family, they can’t go to school and for some, there will be no senior class trip or high school/college graduation. Imagine what they’re feeling and thinking. Imagine how WE would feel at that age.

I look at my 18 and 22 year old in amazement. I’m empathetic and can feel what they’re feeling and think to myself that I would have gone crazy at that age being stuck in the house with my parents and siblings! It truly would have driven me out of my mind. Yet here they are, just like the rest of us: quarantined.

None of us have ever seen something like this in our lifetime and I hope that we never do again, but here are our children. They’re young with an entire lifetime ahead of them and look at their lives now. They’re quarantined just like the rest of us, but the difference is we had that life and freedom at a young age and right now they don’t. As adults we can sit here in quarantine and wonder what life will be like after it’s over. They are just beginning their lives, thinking about what they want to be when they grow up, or where they want to live. They’re looking and planning towards a future that is uncertain. Imagine all those thoughts that go through their minds. I imagine them when I see that look of boredom on their faces, or the sadness over not seeing their friends. I imagine them when I talk to my kids who live across the country and can hear the sadness in their voices or a tone of disappointment knowing that the life they started on their own is all changed. All of them were laid off from the jobs that they loved because of the quarantine. They all comply with the orders that we’ve been given, including wearing gloves, masks and social distancing. I have to say, it breaks my heart to see pictures of my kids wearing masks. 

I love my five children with all that I am and when this quarantine starts to get to me or they start to drive me crazy I remind myself of how it must feel for them. Suddenly, it doesn’t feel so bad for me and I understand about their bad days because I remember all the fun and freedom I lived through as a teenager, the times that they can’t right now.

My kids are handling it better than I would have expected. They’re constantly watching out for me because I’m “high risk” and there are days they put my well-being above their own. They’re making the best of this quarantine and doing what they can to laugh, smile and have fun together…and they even include me!

I have to believe that they’ll come through this stronger and with an even deeper gratitude for freedom and life than they had already had.

There are many people out there that are “heroes,” and I count my kids among them.

Here’s to my five kids, your kids, and the youth of the world: “Thank you for handling this as well as you are. I know it’s not easy, but thank you for doing what needs to be done. You are my hero!”

In the end, we’re all heroes for staying home and saving lives by doing so.

Hang in there…you’ve got this!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~your_custom_beautiful_quotes_here (1)

“And As The World Was Changing…”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

“And as the world was changing, so were the people in it.”  AD

It’s been about two months now of social distancing and quarantine and I’ve noticed a lot of positive changes happening.

I’ve noticed that the wildlife seems to have sprung back to life. Here at the Jersey Shore a herd of deer are romping and playing on the beach and roaming the streets in town. I’ve seen and heard more types of birds than normal and the colors of the leaves, grass, and flowers seem so much more vibrant. The sun even feels warmer and seems to shine even brighter than it used to. Even blue skies seem to be a clearer and stronger shade of blue.

And I’ve noticed the people changing along with the world. Strangers take the time to wave, smile and ask how you’re doing. Neighbors speak more often all the while social distancing with one another. People are putting the effort into finding other ways to celebrate birthdays and graduations by driving someone’s home in their decorated cars and beeping their horns. Restaurants that offer curbside pick-up and delivery do so with a smile. And for all of us wearing masks and gloves when needed, we’re doing it to protect ourselves, our families and everyone else’s. It seems that so many people have again started to look out for each other by calling more often or scheduling video chats together. 

People are learning to embrace their time at home. They’re cleaning and purging their homes, they’re spending more time cooking and having dinner with their family, and some are even spending more time outdoors planting a garden or simply enjoying the sunshine and blue skies. They’re walking or running more, biking more, and they’re doing activities that help them stay calm and less anxious, such as meditation or yoga. 

Despite what’s going on in the world, I’ve seen some truly beautiful changes in both our environment and in the people. It’s as if both are in a “healing process” of becoming a kinder and gentler world.

And isn’t that a wonderful thing?

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

and_as_the_world_was_so_were_the_people_in

 

 

“A Change In Perspective”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

My perspective has changed a lot during this quarantine and in a way that I hadn’t thought of before. 

Right now we’re all living a social distancing way of life, and depending on where you live, some of the restrictions are less, some are more. In either case, we are all living a different life than we had a few months ago.

I was thinking about the restrictions that are in place here at the Jersey Shore and suddenly they didn’t seem so awful. In fact, once I put it all into perspective I realized that my freedom hadn’t been taken away, just some of the things in life that are not really necessities, but luxuries.

For instance, most retail stores are closed, the bars and restaurants are “take-out” only, the movie theaters are closed and so are the hair salons. Unless you are an employee of the establishments, are they necessary? No, they are luxuries that we enjoy and perhaps, have taken for granted until now.

The retail stores may be closed but you can still order online. You may not be able to actually sit inside a restaurant or bar and be waited on, but you can get takeout meals and cocktails to enjoy in the privacy of your own home. You can’t go to a movie theater but you can get just about any movie on television through a number of different resources and the hair salons may be closed but some offer curbside pickup of hair coloring or you can order hair products online.

The fact is that the things we aren’t able to do right now are luxuries. We can still go to the pharmacy or food store, to the parks and beaches which are now open, and we can still order a meal that we don’t have to cook. We can still go outside to enjoy our backyards or walks around the neighborhood. 

The only thing missing is that we’re not being waited on for some of those things. We’re not being pampered at the salon or getting our dishes cleared after a meal at a restaurant. The list can go on and on but you know what I’m talking about.

We are living in a simpler time, one that existed many, many years ago. We’ve grown accustomed to being taken care of, yet we paid to be taken care of and pampered. We’ve learned to believe that all those things we can’t do right now were necessities, when in fact, they are luxuries. We’ve lost sight of the things we took for granted that we now are anxiously awaiting the return of. And we are now doing many of those things for ourselves.

I’d say that our vision has been much clearer since social distancing began and in a positive way. Many of us are looking at things we’re missing with a new found appreciation and I’m sure we’ll never take the smallest or biggest of things for granted again.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer

And I believe that with all my heart.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

if_you_change_the_way