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“The Truth Seeker”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

“Reasons and Excuses”

There’s a distinct difference between the two, or so I believe.

“Excuses” are what we use when we don’t stand in our own truth. Rather than tell someone how we feel, and why we feel a particular way, we’re “sugar-coating” our truth, and in my opinion, I’d much rather stand in my truth.

Lies and truths may hurt, yet in the end, there’s a respect with the truth, and none with a lie. It’s not always easy to tell someone how you’re feeling, and it’s those times we trip over our words, tell them “our truth” in a roundabout way, or simply withhold it. And you know what I’ve learned? That way of thinking is not for your Highest Good, and will, in time, eat you alive and make you angry at yourself for not saying what you needed to say.dr seuss

“Reasons” are the truth of our feelings, of who we are, what we want, what we need, and what we don’t. They are our way of loving and respecting ourselves enough to know what is in our best interest and what’s not. No one can fault you with your truth, and if they do, you’ve learned a lesson and seen their true colors.

“Excuses” don’t give someone the full picture; “reasons” do. Lies don’t allow someone to make a decision for their Highest Good; truth does. “Insecurity” is born from lies; “trust” is born from truth.

And I would much rather be hurt with the truth than deceived by a lie; some lies will truly alter important decisions you need to make in your life. Yes, the truth can hurt, yet in the end, the truth does set you free; free to be who you are; free to stand in your own truth!

I want to surround myself with those who stand strong in their own truth, not those that hide behind “excuses” and a version of their truth. The”truth seekers” are the ones who are loyal, who have your back, who don’t judge YOUR truth, but embrace it!

Be a “truth seeker” and surround yourself with other “truth seekers;” it’s a circle of trust you build around yourself, and those you love. Don’t fear your truth or anyone else’s truth; embrace it!

Stop making “excuses;” stand in your own truth, and let your strength of “reason” shine through! Those that matter to you won’t mind a bit!

And that I can promise you!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Help… I Need Somebody!”

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In the midst of barbeques and time spent with friends this past weekend, my love and I were able to find some down time to watch movies from the comfort of our serenity cave. One movie in particular stuck with me: “28 Days” with Sandra Bullock, who plays a writer that had to go to rehab. The theme of the story wasn’t what intrigued me; it was the messages throughout the movie. One in particular stood out to me. Her character, Gwen, had broken the rules, to which her therapist made her wear a sign around her neck that said: “Confront me if I don’t ask for help.” As usual, it got me to thinking and wondering:

How often do WE ask others for help?28days

Most of us, including myself, will answer: not very often. The answer should be: not enough! I realized as I watched this movie that rehab isn’t just for addictions; it’s for changing a life that wasn’t working and learning how to speak your own truth, and be comfortable with it. And isn’t that how life should be for all of us?

I’m willing to help anyone and everyone, as are most of the people in my circle. I feel good helping someone else, no matter what help is needed. Yet when we need help with something, we don’t ask. We don’t want to burden another, or worse yet, we don’t want to believe we need the help. In society today we seem to be so programmed to believe that “we can do it all with no help from anyone!” It’s as if we’re trained to believe that this is what makes us strong and self-sufficient. That’s all well and good, yet when we don’t ask for help we become tired, run-down, emotionally spent, and worse yet, we get sick.

The flip side of this is that while we feel like a wonderful human being by helping someone else who asks for help, we don’t ask them and don’t allow them the rights to the same good feelings we get by helping out. It’s kind of ironic, isn’t it? Then again, maybe it’s selfish on our part. Why do we want to feel good yet not allow someone else the same right? A little “food for thought” here!

I’m guilty of this and it’s something I’m working on changing. I’ve spent a lifetime doing everything myself, rarely asking for help when I knew deep down inside I needed it. I didn’t like appearing weak, or needy. When someone asked me for a favor, I jumped at the chance, whether I had the time or not.It didn’t matter that I was exhausted, or had to change my schedule to help them, I just did it. I’m not saying that’s wrong, but I am saying that it’s okay to say “no” sometimes. We need to take care of ourselves first in order to truly help someone else.

Every day I work on saying “no” if  it’s not for my Highest Good, and am trying hard to ask for help when I need it. I’m willing to allow someone else the chance to feel needed, to help a friend out and know that they made a difference in my day and in my life. My mantra for my book, “Waking Up” is: “It’s time to make a difference, and we can make a difference together.” Well, that is yet another “waking up” moment in my life: to admit that I’m not weak if I need help, that in fact, asking for help shows a sign of strength; that my “making a difference” in life and the world also includes allowing other’s to be part of that journey with me; and more importantly, that I’m a work in progress, learning more about myself every day on this journey of life, and that’s okay.

The Universe throws so many “signs” at us, and we’ll see them if we just pay attention. Watching an old movie brought to light many signs I had been missing, and asking for help was just one of them. Owning “our truth” isn’t always easy, especially if it involves a quality in ourselves that we don’t care for, yet when you own your “truth,” you own your right to change it. It’s your lesson to learn, and your choice on how to handle it.

Today I work on asking for help if I need it, whether it’s simply a much needed phone call with a friend, or a strong arm to hold me at the end of the day. Today I incorporate the “Serenity Prayer” in my lifeand know that I been gifted ” the courage to change the things I can,” and asking for help, finding my balance in this crazy world, and loving myself are all things I can change for my Highest Good.serenity

“Confront me if I don’t ask for help.”

Remember that as you go throughout your day and each day to come; let someone else feel the peace and joy you feel by helping them, because in the end:

“It’s time to make a difference, and we can make a difference together.”

And today I’m remembering that!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Four Like-Minded People”

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“The Universe is watching, that’s what brought me here.”

It’s amazing how one dream can multiply into many more, yet that’s what happened. The dream of writing a book to make a difference in someone’s life turned into much more; it turned into a collaboration of music as well.bn new poster

That’s why I believe that when you leave fear behind, believe in yourself and have faith, the Universe will bless you with more gifts than you could imagine…and unexpected ones at that!

This morning I sit thinking about last night. I met with Sutton Thomas, his wife, Lisa, and my love to discuss our upcoming Barnes & Noble event for this Saturday. We talked about fourthe line-up of songs that Sutton would sing, and what excerpts I would be reading from my book.

Yet as the evening of planning progressed, it became much more than the agenda for the event. I became aware of this amazing gift I was given, that we all were given last night: we were given the gift of four “like-minded” people sitting together around a table, and our thoughts were all the same: How do we reach people on Saturday? How do we get our message of hope and belief across to them? How do we let them know that we care, that we’ve been through similar experiences that they have, and more importantly, how to we let them know that they’re not alone, that we’re all in this journey of life together?

It was a powerful evening for me, and one which I woke up thinking about. And I’m grateful for “four like-minded” people who understand one another. It’s that gift that we all believe will make a difference to someone else, and ultimately, that is our goal: to soothe a soul, heal a heart, and let someone know that we understand.

As the lyrics in our song, “What Now” say: “I know where I’ve been, not where I’m going, but I’m dancing along.”

Open yourself up to the Universe, let your soul soar, leave the fear behind… take a leap of faith in yourself and what the Universe can bring to you… and dance along!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Rock The World”

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“The world doesn’t owe you, you owe the world. If you put out all your best into the world, good things will come back to you. After all, the world doesn’t revolve around you, you revolve around the world.”

There are those that believe that that’s a simple way to think, that it’s not true. Yet it is true. I know it for fact.

I know a few people that walk around with a chip on their shoulder, always complaining that they never have enough or that they didn’t get what they want. They wonder why no one is helping them or giving them what they need. They are the martyrs of the world, the ones who, literally, have a boulder on their shoulder.

I almost feel badly for them, because they have no clue as to why life isn’t treating them the way they want; it’s because THEY are not treating their life the way they should. They expect others’ to fix it for them, yet they sit in ignorance and denial that they are the reason for their life not being what they want.

YOU ARE IN CONTROL of your life, your emotions, your boundaries, what you will allow, what you will accept and of what you want!

Repeat that until you believe it.

Sometimes it’s just easier to blame someone else. None of us want to admit that we caused our problems or emotions that are hurtful, but the truth is, we did.

Most of us don’t understand that we have 100% control of our life, of our mind, of our heart. It’s almost scary to think that we can change our life and our thinking to attain our goals, to fulfill our dreams, but we can! And we shouldn’t be scared. We should feel grateful for the gift of choice, the gift of free will, the give of control!

Take control today; don’t look at the world as the place that owes you what you think you deserve. You owe yourself what you believe you deserve, and you have the power to have it all…it’s all in your hands.

Every new day is a chance to make a choice which is for your Highest Good!

Every new day is a chance to do it better than the day before!

Every new day is a gift just for you.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Just Believe”

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Do you believe that all things are possible? Do you believe that with faith in yourself that the dreams you want can turn into something you never imagined? Something bigger than you had thought?

I do…and I’m living proof of it!

I’ll be posting some exciting news later today, and it’s something that came out of the blue, was unexpected, and something so awesome that I have to pinch myself to believe it to be true.

Yet, after the pinch, I remind myself that when your life is in balance, when you surround yourself with positive people, when you love yourself as you want to be loved, and most importantly, when you BELIEVE in yourself and your dreams, miracles happen! Opportunities come along, adventures begin, and love grows even stronger!

 

My life isn’t perfect, yet it’s perfect for me… and that’s what counts. What I believe, how I love, and how I live are the key to my success, my happiness, and my ability to connect with the right people.

Accept the gifts of the Universe, because it’s always watching, always listening, always paying attention; and when it knows we believe in ourselves and that we’re living in a life that’s for our highest good, it steps in and gifts us some amazing adventures!

That’s the truth, and I know that with all my heart. It took me many years, a multitude of lessons, and some incredible spiritual teachers to get me here, but I sit in gratitude for this life and the direction in which it’s going.

I sit in awe, in gratitude and love for this adventure I’ve been blessed to be given.

Dream big, my friends, and go out and make it happen!

“Just believe, just have faith, everything else will fall into place.”

I know you can do it, because I believe in you… now go out and believe in yourself!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Mother’s Day”

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When I think of Mother’s Day, I don’t think of it as a day for me to be honored or celebrated… I think of it as a day to thank my children for coming into my life and allowing me to be a mother. 373875_197902680304731_100002550010781_399695_369887769_n (1)

Five beautiful souls passed through me  and into this life we share together. Five sweet babies picked a day of their own to begin their life. And with each new life, my life changed.

My first child was born on Mother’s Day, and to say that my life changed that day is an understatement! That day changed me from being “just me” to becoming a mother, a role that was both exciting and terrifying.DSCN2070

There’s a story in my new book called “A Letter To My Children” and in it I described the  moment they were born:

“Life changed from the exact moment that you took your first breath, and with that breath, I held mine. I held my breath out of excitement of a new baby  placed in my arms, and out of fear as to all the responsibilities that were now a part of my life, from that day forward. “

I think we’re always holding our breath a little, hoping that we raise them right, praying that they’ll be safe, having faith that they’ll make the right choices. My children are older now, and three of my five babies have moved out of the nest, and two moved across the country.

Do I hold my breath more? Sometimes, yet my heart knows that I’ve taught them all I could, shared my experiences with them, and was the best mom I knew how to be.And you know what? The breathing is easier and the love remains the same. Now the breathing is one of excitement in waiting for the call from them to hear about their life and the new and exciting things they want to share with me.

Today I sit with a smile and contentment over being a mother, a role that I was blessed to Ruthless Peoplebe gifted. There are no perfect mothers and there are no perfect children, yet what we are is “perfect together” and mother and child. After all…

“It’s not their job to love us; it’s our job to love them.”

And I would say that knowing they do love us is perfection in itself!

Happy Mother’s Day!

With love,

~Anne Dennish~

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“My crazy tribe…but they’re all mine!”

“Anne Dennish & Sutton Thomas”

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I’VE GOT SOME EXCITING NEWS TO SHARE WITH YOU!

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Sutton Thomas

Sutton Thomas and I have joined creative forces to produce a compilation of songs that coincide with the stories in my book, “Waking Up: Lessons Learned Through My Adventures with Life and Breast Cancer.”

We spent a few hours yesterday working together on some new songs, and it’s a match made in heaven as I write the lyrics and Sutton Thomas writes the music! He’s one of the most creative and amazing musicians I’ve met, and I’m grateful that the Universe conspired for us to meet and work together. It’s such an amazing feeling to work together with another creative soul such as him.

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Working on our latest song!

Our CD is a beautiful work in progress, and will be released sometime in the summer of 2016! We will keep you posted when this final work of inspirational and uplifting songs is available to you!

 

I am so grateful for this  journey I’m on. Every day something wonderful falls into my life, bringing people and opportunities that I never saw as possible. My life truly is an adventure, and I’m embracing every moment of it!

I believe all things happen just as they should, when they should, and how they should. The secret is to keep the faith, believe it to be true, and put out into the Universe all that you want to come back to you. Positive thinking brings some amazing adventures!

In the meantime, check out Sutton Thomas at www.heart2song.com and get to know more about the creative genius of this amazing musician. You can also find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Sutton-Thomas-Music!

It’s time to make a difference, and we can make that difference together!

Dream big and make it happen! You can do it, I know that you can!

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The creative forces of Anne Dennish & Sutton Thomas meet!

 

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“I’m Not…But I Am”

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I write books, short  stories’s, poetry, posts and even song lyrics about being positive. I write to inspire others, to make a difference in their lives, to make someone feel better about themselves and their life. I write the words to help someone find hope and faith, and to release fear. I write about the lessons I’ve learned about negative thoughts and actions bringing only negative things into our lives.

Yet  something happened to me in the last week, and I found myself in the hospital for the last two days under observation for my heart.  After countless tests and a five hours stress test the verdict was in: my heart and my brain were completely fine. No signs of heart attack, blockage, stroke or any other medical condition. So what the hell was wrong with me? Why had I been feeling “off” for the last week?

I left the hospital with my love late in the afternoon, came home and showered, did my hair and make-up, and went out to dinner to celebrate my son’s 19th birthday. I kept thinking to myself:  “What just happened to me?”

This morning the answer came, and I wanted to share it with all of you. The answer was this: All I have been saying in the last two weeks is:  “I’m not.”  And I know better than that! I know that thinking that way and saying that out loud only brings negative to me. Wow, I just had an enormous “waking up” moment, and truth be told, didn’t see this one coming!

I thought about all the “I’m not’s” I’ve been saying: “I’m not getting my writing done, I’m not getting anything done that’s on my  to do list, I’m not getting the housework done, and I’m not feeling like myself!” Wow, it makes me feel tired just thinking of all of that. And it makes me angry with myself for doing that because I don’t believe in negative thinking. Yet, it happened, and I’m sharing it with you to let you know we’re all human, and we all fall. And we all have a choice to “get back up.”

And this morning, I’m back up. First things first: forgive myself for the “I’m not’s.” They happened for a reason, and taught me something. They taught me that I lost sight of myself, and was doing everything for everyone else except me. And I know for fact, if I don’t take care of myself, no one around me will benefit from it. Lesson learned there!

Next, it’s time to replace all those nasty, little “I’m not’s” with powerful “I AM’S.” No i ammore negative thoughts, only positive affirmations, thoughts, words, feelings and actions!

“I am well, I am healthy, I am taking care of myself, I am getting things done when they need to be, I am happy, I am balanced, I am myself and most importantly: I am loved.”

Whew, I feel so much better already! All those unwarranted “I’m not’s” brought me to the hospital, and as I sit in my house today, I know this is where I want to be, not in an emergency room with a crazy heart! I am where I belong.

You see, this is how we learn, this is how we grow, and this is how we take the lessons we learned and use them to help someone else. This is how we make a difference.

My “waking up” moment was brief, but powerful enough to put me back on track and allow me to see what I was blind to: “myself”.

This is my story, and I’m sharing it with you so it doesn’t become yours. Focus on the “I AM” thoughts and actions for yourself and forget about any “I’M NOT” moments; they don’t exist unless you allow them to.

Be well, my friends, and stand in your power of “I AM!”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Take A Time-Out From Adulthood”

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“Adulthood hurts.”

That was the topic of discussion over coffee this morning that my love and I shared a laugh over. We can both agree that sometimes being an “adult” is just too serious!

As adults we often forget what it’s like to be a child; we look at children with envy at how simple their lives are when they’re younger. And we begin to look at adulthood as boring.

But you know what? Adulthood is only boring and too serious if you let it be that way. No one says that adults can’t find their “inner child” and express it! In fact, I believe with all my heart that it’s healthy and absolutely necessary to be in touch with your “inner child,” to find the time to be free and be silly; to find some time to play, to make the time to have fun!

All too often we get caught up in the day, forgetting to take the time to “stop and smell the roses.” And we miss a lot of good stuff when we don’t take the time to see it or feel it. We miss out because we’re being “too serious” of an adult and not allowing our beautiful “inner child” to come out and play often enough.

Part of living a life in balance is allowing yourself to play and release that kid locked up inside of you! It’s healthy for your mind, body and spirit. Look how good you feel when you’ve had a good belly laugh, or played Frisbee with your kid, or swung a hula hoop around your waist! “Adult” coloring books are all the rage now…and why? Because you relive a memory of coloring as a child and find it fun and relaxing as an adult.

So, today, I’m asking you all to take a “time-out” from adulthood at least once a day. Trust me, your “inner child” is just waiting to come out and play!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“The Sweetness of Doing Nothing”

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It was blue skies, bright sun, and warm weather here at the Jersey Shore this weekend, and this writer took full advantage of it all!

I managed to get some writing done, then did something I don’t normally do: I did nothing! And it felt great!

Doing “nothing” is actually doing “something,” and that something is so important for dolce 1your mind, body and spirit. It’s your time to sit and relax, still your mind, recuperate from all the responsibilities of the week, and just “be!” It’s your time so spend with family and friends, or to just be alone. It’s your time to let your body slow down and enjoy the outdoors. Whatever you choose to do, remember: it’s “your” time!

There’s an Italian phrase, “il dolce far niente” which means “the sweetness of doing nothing,” and it’s one of my favorites! I have it written down on a post it note (one of many I have!) and hung above my computer as a reminder to find that sweet time of doing nothing every so often.

And remember, doing “nothing” is one of the most important “somethings” you can do for yourself… and all the good you do for yourself spills onto all those around you.

“It’s time to make a difference, and we can make a difference together!”

And that “difference” begins with YOU!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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