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“On Meeting Elizabeth Gilbert”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I’ve always loved the author, Elizabeth Gilbert. I’ve read most of what she’s written yet I have to say that her one book, which turned into a movie starring Julia Roberts, was my favorite, and that was the infamou “Eat, Pray, Love.” It’s a true story of her life at that point in her journey and one that I learned many life lessons from.

Another book she wrote, “Big Magic” is my second favorite because, as a writer, I understand all that she speaks of and writes about.

So when the opportunity came up a few weeks ago to see her speak in person, I jumped at the chance.

As a writer, I’ve always wanted to meet her and share my own books with her, but basie 4opportunities to do that are far and few in between. I’ve held onto the thought, actually, “the dream” of meeting her one day, and I’ve held that dream for many, many years.

As a spiritual person I knew that if my meeting her was meant to happen, it would, and it would happen as it should, how it should and when it would. So it was no surprise that in February a post from Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, New Jersey appeared on my Facebook newsfeed: Elizabeth Gilbert would be speaking there. I knew I needed to get tickets and if that wasn’t enough, the event was being held  on my birthday! It was at moment that I knew the Universe had set this dream of mine up to become a reality…my patience and continued belief that I would meet her someday was paying off.

I proceeded directly to “purchase tickets” and much to my surprise and excitement found that I could buy tickets which also allowed a “meet and greet” with Liz. My head was spinning and my heart skipping beats as I realized that this dream of mine was coming true…that I would finally get to meet one of my “hero’s” of literature. I purchased the tickets and sat with the biggest grin on my face for the rest of the night…actually for everyday that was one day closer to that night.

As the time was quickly approaching I was beginning to get a bit nervous, after all, basiemeeting a “hero” can either be wonderful or a shot in the arm. What we perceive people to be through their books and social media does not always ring true when you meet them. I hoped upon hope that she would be everything I had imagined…

And she was…and she was more than I had imagined.

My love and I were about fifth in line to meet her. I knew she wasn’t signing any of her books that night, but had hoped she would accept my two books as my birthday gift to her!

Her staff took my coat and pocketbook, as well as my cell phone so that they could take pictures.  My heart was racing as I walked toward her. It was such a surreal moment of seeing her and walking towards this woman whose books had changed my life. As I approached her,  she smiled, said “hello,” and embraced me in a hug, one filled with all the love and light she is…and with an incredible amount of energy!

liz gilbertShe spent about five minutes speaking with me and graciously accepted my books. I told her that it was my birthday, to which she wished me a wonderful one, and that I had just reached my four year breast cancer survivor date. I offered my condolences over the loss of her wife, Rayya, and told her how much she meant to me. She took the time to pose for several pictures with me and I was on my way.

I was in heaven…on Cloud Nine, if you will. And so was every other person that had the chance to meet her that night.

It was time for her to speak so we took our seats in the fourth row. I snapped picturebasie 2 after picture and hung onto every profound word she spoke. Meeting her was a dream come true, yet I had one more opportunity to speak “one on one” from the audience with Liz. She had time for a few questions and I was right up in line in front of a microphone asking her mine. I felt as though it was a private conversation between the two of us, even though there was an entired audience sharing in it!

It was truly the most perfect birthday I’ve ever had, and that energy, that feeling of my dream coming into a reality lasted well past that night…once again an experience with Elizabeth Gilbert changed me a bit, put a few things in a different perspective, and made me want to be as good a writer as she is and be able to touch a life and the world in the laid back, easy going, and honest way that she does.

So if you were to ask me what she was like I would tell you this: She was beautiful, humble, kind, compassionate, honest, down to earth, sweet, warm, loving and an amazing human being to be in the presence of.

Thank you, Elizabeth Gilbert, for being all that I had hoped and more; for putting the real you out there for the world to see, not some facade of what the world wants you to be; and for embracing me, speaking with me, and accepting my two books that I’ve written, and two books which carry a lot of lessons I’ve learned from you.

It was my honor, my privilege, and my dream turned into a reality to meet you.

And that is my experience on meeting Elizabeth Gilbert.

It was one I will never forget.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Your New Year Revelations”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I gave up on making New Year resolutions years ago, and replaced them with what I call my “New Year’s Revelations.” It’s all the things I learned throughout the year that I will carry into the new year with me, in the hopes that I don’t make the same mistakes in the new year. In other words, my New Year’s Revelations are my “waking up” moments of seeing the truth in myself and others’, of learning from my mistakes, and learning more about myself.

I use New Year’s Eve as my time of reflection back onto the year that is about to end. I look back at all that happened, good and bad. It’s a time to count my blessings of the year, and to be sure that I had many more gains than losses. It’s a time to look back at where I may have fallen short and try to understand why. It’s a time to look back at relationships that ended with honesty and respect, and letting them go. It’s taking my accountability for the ending, and moving on with no regrets and no intentions of ever going back.

It’s the night I say good-bye to all those people, places and things that no longer serve my highest good; that didn’t bring out the best in me; that caused me stress and heartache; that took advantage of me. And then I look at why it happened. Did I allow boundaries to be crossed? Did I allow their behaviors that hurt me? Did I put myself in a situation that broke me in two? And when I can answer that with an open and honest truth of “yes,” I can then begin to understand and see the lesson in it.

I learned many things this year, and I’d like to share a few with you. These are my top “waking up” moments, or “revelations,” if you will:

  • I learned that the old saying “keep your friends close and your enemies even closer” is an absolute lie! Nothing good comes from surrounding yourself with people who are negative and toxic, manipulative and untrustworthy. If you think you’re an enemy of someone, or they are an enemy to you, definitely keep them far away!
  • I learned that the other old saying “you always hurt the ones you love” may be truth, but not such a good idea. Trust me, hurting the ones you love will not serve you well.
  • I always knew how precious life was, especially having survived breast cancer, yet this year after losing some very special people in my life I’ve realized just how precious it is. No day is promised, and if you have a chance to spend time with those you love, do it! You may miss out on a chance that you’ll never get back.
  • I learned to say I love you to the ones’ I love more often, and to hug them all tighter.
  • I learned that if something seems too good to be true, most often times, it is.
  • I learned that if I do anything for the wrong reasons, I’ll soon learn those “wrong reasons” the hard way.
  • That no matter what anyone says, I will always be a dreamer and will always dream big! Why would anyone settle for less
  • And my biggest “revelation” was that I need to stand up for myself more, speak my truth always, and walk away from people or situations that are not good for me.

All in all, the past year has been filled with more “ups” than “downs,” and while a few people have had to leave my life, a few more amazing ones’ walked in. I know for sure that when you get rid of anything negative or toxic, you open the door to the positive coming in, and that’s what I did this past year, hard as some of it may have been.

As I close out 2017, I say good-bye to a few close friends and family that passed on, and I know in my heart I now have some amazing guardian angels watching over me. My heart has hurt over their passing, but the joy and love that they left me with has helped me through.

I’ve said good-bye to a few friends who were no longer welcome in my circle, yet they taught me what true friends are…and aren’t. I’m grateful for the lessons they taught me.

And as I get ready to welcome in the year of 2018, I look towards it with the promise of more dreams to catch, more life to celebrate, and more adventures to begin.

To all of you, I wish you adventure, dreams come true, love, light and all the good that you are willing to receive. Happy New Year and may your “New Year’s Revelation” be your guide into this New Year of 2018!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“A Perfect Christmas”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

Christmas is fast approaching and the countdown is on. Final decorations are being done on and around the house and wish lists of gifts are being bought. It’s another year of making the “perfect Christmas” happen for your family and friends.

Yet is all this preparation what makes it perfect? Will you and yours remember the decorations and gifts? Will you remember the table and the meal?

Or will you remember the “imperfections?”

Will you remember the year that mom’s arm got caught inside the turkey as she was taking the giblets out? Will you remember the year you broke your arm on Christmas Eve only to wake up to a new skateboard the next day? Will you remember the year the entire family had the stomach virus and all camped out in the living room? Will you remember your sister running down the stairs on Christmas morning only to miss the bottom step?

You see, it’s the “imperfections” that make it perfect. It’s not the matching Christmas pajamas and the family Christmas cards, it’s the family. It’s not the beautifully set Christmas table with a delicious dinner, it’s the people who sit around it.

While “perfection” can be captured in a picture, it’s the “imperfections” which are captured in your heart. They become the stories shared and passed down to other generations. They become the tradition of storytelling and the legacy for our children.

As years pass, so does the idea of the “perfect” Christmas, and as we grow older, we begin to realize that what means the most is the memory of the “imperfections” and the loved ones who were part of them. Life changes, children move away, and sometimes the many faces that once sat around our table are no longer with us.

But their memories are…their stories are…and their love always surrounds us.

And sometimes we forget that. I see so many people writing about their sadness in missing the “old days,” yet I think that is such a waste of energy. I know that there are those I’m missing, yet I choose to embrace the memories as stories to share with my children. I choose to embrace this time, these loved ones, who are in my life now, and who will be around my table this year.

Memories aren’t meant to bring sadness, they’re meant to bring joy! And for those feeling an ache in their heart, please try and remember the love, the joy, and the memories of those not present this year. They gifted you with all those things and more.

Remember the “imperfections” that make every Christmas the “perfect one!”

Because in the end, the perfect Christmas is found within your heart.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Rules: Break Them Or Change Them?”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

Rules are in place for a reason, especially when it pertains to a job. They are not meant to be broken, yet sometimes they need to be changed for the best interest of the company, the employee, and the family behind the employee.

I worked for a large company years ago and saw a need to “change” the rules a bit when it came to the employees and boosting their morale. Parties were not something the company smiled upon as they believed it would take the employees out of the “work mode” and into a “party mode.” I thought differently so I went to the head of the company and explained my idea.

I told him that as a supervisor I wanted my staff to love their job, as a happy employee promotes greater work from them. The people I was supervisor to were hard workers, yet there were days I listened to them complain about the job and how they felt they weren’t appreciated. My idea was simple: on the first day of each season we would have a party: seasonal foods, decorations and dress. There was a strict dress code within the company and I thought that four times a year that could be lifted, and that a party for each season would bring the staff closer to one another and would most assuredly boost their morale.

The rule was never to have such parties, and I didn’t want to break them, but I thought it was worth the attempt to “change” them. After all, some rules have been in place for many years and as life changes, so should some of the rules.

And the “change” was approved.

And every employee was excited over the first party I had planned.

The first one was our “Welcome to Summer” party. Each employee decorated their work area with beach towels, flip flops, pails and shovel, seashells and palm trees. They dressed in “summer” clothes; shorts, Hawaiian shirts and sandals. There were even a few beach chairs and umbrellas decorating the office. Each person brought in a summer dish to share with their unit: there was fruit salad, potato and macaroni salad, pasta salad and more! We played Beach Boys music and had a day of fun together and a day of everyone still getting their work done…and completed with perfection.

The day was filled with smiles, laughter, singing and getting to know each other better…and it was filled with happiness.

So you see, the rules that are in place aren’t meant to be broken, but are certainly worth the effort to attempt to “change” them for the best interest of everyone involved. I know from experience that not every rule will be chanegd, yet it’s certainly worth it to try.

It was worth it for me.

And it was worth it for my staff.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

 

“Helpless When You Smile”

/ Anne Dennish / 2 Comments

 

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I’ve learned that no matter what kind of day someone is having you can help change that moment when you smile at them, because they’ll smile back. In fact, most people become “helpless when you smile,” but helpless in a good way: they see your smile, they feel your positive energy behind it, and they share in your happiness. They begin to let go of their bad day and become helpless at staying in that bad place; they’re helpless when you smile.

Make a difference in someone’s day today.

Make an effort to share your positive energy with someone who needs it.

Make someone “helpless when you smile” today.

It’s a good thing…

Wishing you love, light, and smiles,

~Anne Dennish~

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“The Thanksgiving Table”

/ Anne Dennish / 1 Comment

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I’m getting ready to bake pies, chop vegetables and make cranberry sauce. There will be seven people around my table tomorrow and I can’t help but think of the “Thanksgiving Tables” of all the years gone by.

I remember a time when there were more than 15 people around the table, and all the many others that filled the house after dinner for dessert. It was filled with my aunts and uncles, cousins, parents, my grandmother and children. It was a time of sitting together and watching old home movies, of listening to the older ones’ stories and lessons and of running around the house with the cousins.

Children grow up and move out on their own and loved ones get older and pass away. Each year there seems to be one more person missing from the table.

Only three of my five children will be at the table tomorrow. My two oldest are across the country and spending it with their significant others families. I’ll miss them terribly but I am forever grateful knowing that my other three babies will be with me.

Yet when I sit down at my “Thanksgiving Table” tomorrow I will remember those days of holidays past and I will remember the loved ones that I lost.  I will remember the laughter and the stories they told, their faces and the warmth of their embrace. I will remember their colorful personalities and their presence and importance in the family. I will remember sitting at the “kid’s table” until we reached the important age of sitting at the “big table.” It was a rite of passage to graduate to that table.

My brother used to say “I wonder who will be missing from the table next year.” I always thought that was a terrible thing to say, but he was right and it taught me to embrace each holiday and each day with the people in my life because life truly is short. I’m learning that lesson more and more as I get older. I don’t look at the table and wonder which chair will be empty next year but look at the table filled with the blessings of family, of love, and of laughter. It’s a day of making memories and we carry those memories in our hearts forever. We may lose a loved one, but we can never lose the memories of them.

There may be only seven people at my table tomorrow but I will be seeing much more than that. I’ll be seeing all the “Thanksgiving Tables” of my past and the people that once surrounded it. And for that, I will be grateful.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Everything You Want Begins With You”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

 

begins with youI’ve been hearing a lot of grumblings going on out there lately. So many people seem disappointed with their life; they don’t have what they want and they don’t understand why. And here’s why:

“Because everything you want in your life begins with you.”

You have the control and the power to have what you want.

If you want peace in your life then you have to start find the peace within you.

If you want respect from others, you have to respect yourself first.

If you want to be loved you have to love yourself first and in the way that you want to be loved.

If you want to surround yourself with positive people, you have to let go of the negative ones.

If you want a loving and kind life partner, you have to be loving and kind to yourself first.

If you’re unhappy with your job then find a new one or change your attitude about it.

If you’re frustrated that you don’t have as much money as you want, be grateful for what money you do have and decide what you can do to have more.

If you want to learn to trust people you must first trust yourself and your intuition.

If you want to write a book, start typing.

If you want to take a vacation, start saving and planning.

If you want to fulfill your dreams, stop chasing them and begin to catch them.

And if you are unhappy with your life, change it. Turn the page. Move forward. Wish the negative situations and people in it “love and light” and let them go. Love yourself. Believe in yourself. Change your perspective. Keep a positive attitude. Be grateful. Count your blessings. Take a leap of faith and know that everything you want will happen as it should, how it should and when it should.

It all begins with YOU.

My life isn’t perfect, but it’s perfect for me.

And I would bet that yours is too.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Be Poetry, Not A Slogan”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

Don’t let anyone dull your sparkle…stand in your truth and let it light you up on the inside and shine on the outside!

“Don’t be someone’s slogan because you are poetry.” ~Sandra Bullock~

It’s your choice to be poetry or settle for being a slogan…I choose “poetry!” I hope you do, too!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Within Arm’s Reach”

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Sometimes the most beautiful pieces of life are right in our own backyard. Sometimes the love we crave the most is found within arm’s reach. And sometimes the dreams we pursue to become a reality already are, we just go searching further than we need to.

Love, life, dreams and beauty are within our arm’s reach, yet we always make things more complicated than they are.

Reach your arms out in front of you; feel the energy of the sunrise at your finger tips; take the hand of someone you love and feel the love you have for one another; slip your arms around another and find the feeling of safety in their embrace; and understand that your dream is within you and always within your arm’s reach.

Don’t go searching for the things you want in life because more often than not, they’re right in front of you, within your arm’s reach.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“Gratitude For My Happy Place”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I have a certain spot here at the Jersey Shore which I call my “happy place.” It’s everything I love about where I live: the water, the scent of the salty air, seagulls and sea grass. It’s the sights and sounds of stormy seas and the gentle sound of the waves lapping against the sand.

This place has the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets. It’s filled with peace and serenity. It’s where I go to just “be.” It’s where I go to think about my life and what I need to do next. It’s where I go when I want to be alone. It’s where I’m drawn to, whether the weather is warm or cold. It’s where I go for inspiration for my writing.

It’s the place that changes its’ appearance with each season, yet it always a constant source of serenity.

Today I’m grateful for my “happy place.”

Where is your “happy place?”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

 

Photography by EVN FLO Photography and Anne Dennish @2017

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