quotes

“Waking Up Moments”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I had a conversation with my love yesterday about what a “waking up” moment is… and I realized that some might not know what it truly means. So, let me explain…

A “waking up” moment is that moment of clarity that can bring you to your knees when you realize you’re not living the life you deserve or want. Yes, it does take but one moment to find yourself “waking up,” yet we are meant to have many of those moments throughout our lifetime. It depends on your age at the time, your relationships, even your job.

It’s that moment you suddenly ask yourself: “What the hell am I doing? Why am I doing this to myself? How do I change this?” There you go, you’ve “woken up” to the reality of your life and your truth. And in that moment you were just gifted the choice to change it all!

I’ve had many “waking up” moments, yet breast cancer was the most powerful. It changed my life in ways I hadn’t thought possible, yet all for the best. I’m living proof of what a “waking up” moment can do for you… it can bring a miracle!

A “waking up” moment stops you in your tracks, makes you think, and hands you the lessons you need to find your truth and the joy you so deserve.

What was a “waking up” moment for you? I’d love to hear what helped you along the way, and I’m sure other’s would love to know as well. Share your story with me today, because “it’s time to make a difference, and we can make a difference together!”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

waking up moment

“Joy”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

“Joy.” I love that word, and up until a year ago had never used it much, actually, never used it at all! Sure, I’d say I was happy, but I’ve realized that “joy” is that one word that surpasses it all! “Joy” is a combination of happiness, gratitude, and that incredible feeling of knowing that you’re blessed.

As life changed after breast cancer and throughout this past year, I found myself feeling more than happy. It was during a reiki session with my spiritual teacher, Bobbi Torres, that she asked me what I was feeling. In a split second I answered her: I’m feeling “joy!” I realized at that moment that a word that was so foreign to me suddenly felt like home.

I had gone from happy to joyful, and at that moment I suddenly understood what “tears of joy” was all about, because I certainly shed a million. I sat for hours before my book

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Tears of joy as my dream had come true!

signing this past Saturday with tears flowing off and on. My nearest and dearest kept asking me why I would be crying on such an exciting and important day. My answer was simple: I’m crying because my dream came true, I’m crying over the immense amount of gratitude I’m feeling, I’m crying at how incredibly blessed I am, and I’m crying because I am feeling “joy!”

“Joy” is happiness, love, gratitude, blessings and peace all wrapped up in one, and my wish for all of you is to find your “joy” today! Embrace it, let it become part of you, share it with others, and let the “tears of joy” flow! It’s a great combo…why not try it? My guess is that you’ll realize that joy will feel like “home” to you as well.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

joy

 

“Dream Day”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

 

dreams

It’s a big day today, and I’m filled with so many emotions! It’s the official launch and book signing of “Waking Up!” It’s also the first public appearance of “Anne Dennish.” So, how am I feeling? Excited, nervous, anxious, grateful and incredibly blessed. There are so many people that have made this book possible…there’s a piece of them in many of the stories I’ve written. If my life hadn’t changed as much as it has in the last several years, “Waking Up” would never have been written.

So this morning, as I get ready for the afternoon, I sit counting my blessings…and there are many!

I’ve been pursuing this dream for all my life, and the fact that it’s here is overwhelming! I never gave up on it, and while there were moments I wondered if it was worth it, or maybe it wasn’t meant to be, I still went for it.

I say to all of you today, dreams do come true. It may take years, but if you believe in it, and have faith in yourself, it’s absolutely possible!

“Dream big and make it happen!”

Well, Anne Dennish did just that… and today is my day!

I’ll be at BookTowne on Main Street in Manasquan, NJ today from 1 – 3. Stop by if you’re in the area…I’d love to meet you!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

Author of “Waking Up”  copyright 2016

dr seuss

“I Won’t Back Down!”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

“No, I stand my ground, won’t be turned around
And I’ll keep this world from draggin’ me down
Gonna stand my ground and I won’t back down.”
~Tom Petty~

I always loved that song, but while going through breast cancer, the lyrics rang more true than ever. Yet you don’t need to go through an illness or rough patch to understand that song…no one should “back down” to anything or anyone.

Finding our strength isn’t the easiest thing to do, and truth be told, even when you find it, there will be moments that you’re too tired to stay that strong. You’re tired, you’re emotions are running rampant, or you just hit your wall to life. And all that is okay; we’re all human and there are just some days that people and situations get the best of us.

I have days like that, although as I learn my lessons in life, those days are far and few between. When I find myself faced with someone who’s draining my energy or trying to manipulate me, I hear those lyrics:

“Well, I know what’s right, I got just one life in a world that keeps on pushin’ me around but I’ll stand my ground and I won’t back down.”

Yes, there are times we feel like we “gave in” to someone, yet you need to remember, you didn’t give in, and you didn’t give up. You did what was necessary to remove yourself from it, even if you allowed someone else to think they got the best of you.

What you know to be true is your “truth.” And no one, and no situation, can take that away from you without your permission.

“Don’t back down” to anything or anyone…stand tall, proud and strong! Show the world how “big your brave is!”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

tom petty

“Peace”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

“Imagine all the people…living life in peace.” ~John Lennon~

Smart man. “Peace” is such a simple concept, yet there are those that would rather live outside of peace, and inside of drama. I’m not one of them and never will be. I prefer “peace” and even though life throws me a curve ball once in awhile, I don’t view it as stress or drama…it’s simply “life.”

Some have asked me how I found peace in such a crazy world. My answer is simple: you find it within yourself. You walk away from people and situations that no longer serve your highest good; you wish them love and light, not anger and contempt. And then you drop it. Yes, you drop it and move forward. All negative emotions bring negative reactions, no matter what the situation is. And who wants that? Well, some do, and they are the ones that are battling themselves and their lives, not you.

Don’t engage in another person’s struggle or discontent; they have their own choice to change the life they’re living, and it’s not up to us to do it for them. We all have lessons to learn in this lifetime, and we are gifted the “free will” to do so.

Today I wish you peace, and I wish peace to those struggling within themselves. Embrace your life…and wish love and light to those who can’t.

Wishing you love, light, and peace!

~Anne Dennish~

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“The Dreamers vs. The Realists”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

“My opinion is that the “realists” are fearful of the “dreamers,” because we dare to believe that there’s more to life than living in reality; that in fact, sometimes our dreams are the very thing we need in order to live in our reality.”

It took many years for me to accept and be comfortable with being called a “dreamer.” People had me believing that dreamers had no sense of reality, and that being one was not a good thing. I’ve learned throughout my adventures in my life that being a dreamer is a wonderful gift…and while I am a dreamer, I’m a realist as well.

“A dreamer is a realist with faith.”

Those that look down upon a dreamer are simply fearful of who we are; they see in us what they can’t see in themselves. They look at us and wonder what our “secret” is to dreaming as we do. The secret is simple: have faith in yourself!

If you want to make a difference in the world, you have to begin with a dream, then turn that dream into a reality. And all that happens with “faith!”

Here’s to the dreamers of the world! It’s time to make a difference…and we can make a difference together!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

dreaming

from “Waking Up”  copyright 2016

“Motherhood”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

I wrote a story called “A Letter to My Children,” which can be found in my new book, “Waking Up.” I remember the day I wrote it, and I remember WHY I wrote it.

It was a balmy, summer night and as my kids were floating in and out of the house, and those that didn’t live home had called me, I started to think about all the things they don’t yet know about parenthood…what they don’t know about “motherhood.”

Being a mom has been the greatest role I’ve had in life, and as much I love being a writer, I believe I was born to be a mom. I wasn’t perfect and I know I made some mistakes along the way, yet everything I was as a mother was born out of love.a letter to my children

“And on the day the first of you was born, I was re-born. I was not longer just a married woman; I was born again as a mother. Life changed from that 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 to all the responsibilities that were not a part of my life, from that day forward.””

“The love of a mother never dies, not with time, not with distance, not with death; the love of a mother grows stronger with each passing day, with each new milestone you reach and each heartache you encounter. Your mistakes become lessons for us, and with each mistake, together we become stronger and better for it.”

“There is nothing that can or will break or lessen the love a mother has for her children; the heart of a mother is the heart of her child.”

I love my five beautiful children; they’re all unique in their own way, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’d like to think I gave them the strength to be who they are and to dream big. I know I made mistakes, yet my children and I learned through both their mistakes and mine. We’re all stronger for it. And isn’t “strength” one of the greatest gift we can give our children?

“There is the proverbial knowing that our children are not here to love us; we are here to love them.”

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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“The Right Love”

/ Anne Dennish / 4 Comments

As I sit here this morning watching the sun rise, I’m filled with an overwhelming feeling of love and gratitude. How did I get here? When did this all happen? Questions flowing through my mind, yet deep inside, I know the answer: I got here when I loved myself the way I wanted to be loved, and it happened on a snowy night last February. It happened when I met Rob.

We were two broken souls who found one another. Both of us believe that the ones’ we loved most that passed away conspired to get us together…and I believe that’s true. It wasn’t love at first sight, but it was love. And how do I know this? Because out of our relationship came some amazing things!

Perhaps the key to knowing the “right love” is paying attention to what your life together becomes and what it has brought you. Through our love he’s found a job he loves and strained relationships he had in the past became a smooth ride. I found more stories to write for “Waking Up” and found myself part of a family that I would have never imagined I’d be part of.

I found a close friendship with the mother of his children, one that isn’t built on his prior relationship with her, but on “our” relationship as two women who love and respect oneliz and i 1 another. I found myself part of her family as well, and while most think that’s crazy, I think it’s beautiful…and so does he. I found love in his children and in the laughter and love of his granddaughter, and he found that in mine.

The “right love” taught us who the right people were to have in our life; it also taught us who the wrong ones were. It taught us that we had settled for less than we deserved before we met. And it taught us that with the “right love,” miracles happen; amazing adventures become a reality; and that true love really does exist.

“The right person doesn’t want something FROM you; the right person wants everything FOR you!”

After all these years, I truly understand what love is, and I found it for the first and last time in my life. I found it on that snowy night over a year ago, and with each day that passes, I sit in gratitude of what this love has brought into our lives and the lives of those around us.

“It’s funny that the moment you stop looking for something is the very moment you find it.”

Believe in love and believe in yourself. If you can do this, the rest will fall into place…it always does!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

robnanci

 

 

“A Martini Glass of Tears”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

Yesterday was a bad day…and I don’t have those very often. My feelings were hurt, I heard some news that was upsetting, and the realization of who I thought was a friend turned out not to be true. Needless to say, the martini glass was filled with tears by the end of the night.martini glass 1

Yet bad days happen for a reason; they allow us to see what the good days really are. Yesterday was a compilation of all the changes happening in my life at the moment (and most of them are all good!), feeling beat up and manipulated by someone, and knowing that life has just handed me another challenge.

I went to bed in tears last night, and woke up this morning with swollen eyes. But I woke up better. I cried it all out and I believe with all my heart that a good cry is our soul’s way of cleansing all the negativity within us. I had had a week in which negative stuff was building up day by day, and last night it all broke open.

tearsThis morning I woke with the dawn, and sat outside with my coffee, listening to my intuition and the voices of reason that can only be heard in the silence. I’m not upset anymore, and the hurt that I felt from outside sources has lessened. They’ve lessened because I’ve forgiven them…not to their face, or over the phone. I’ve forgiven their hurtful behavior so that I’m not hurt or angry. And I’ve forgiven myself for allowing it to bother me in the first place.

We are in control of our emotions, and perhaps mine exploded last night due to fatigue and sleepless nights. Those are key factors in our “falling apart.” It’s so important to stay healthy and well rested, because when we’re not, our emotions take advantage of us, and we simply don’t have the strength to be strong.

“When you can’t find the strength, let the strength find you.”

My strength found me this morning with the sunrise, a hot cup of coffee, and feeling well rested. Moments like the one I had yesterday have to happen every so often. I believe they’re good for us at times, as long as it’s not happening every day.

“Trials, tribulations and blessings are one in the same because you can’t have one without the other.”

Our greatest blessings come from the lessons we learn from our trials and tribulations, and I truly believe that if we understand that, then we have found the secret to life.

Today is a good day, and I know it will get better. The martini glass that was once filled with tears is empty…and a new day is upon me, with no mistakes in it.

“Every new day is chance to do it better than the day before.”

Wishing you love and light, my friends,

~Anne Dennish~

new day

 

 

“Be Smart, Be Brave!”

/ Anne Dennish / Leave a comment

All too often we settle for less than we deserve and want. And why is this? It’s because we don’t love ourselves enough, and most often, in order for us to move forward and have the life we deserve, we have to make some difficult decisions. Those decisions are ones of change, letting go and moving forward. Change can be scary, and so can saying good-bye to someone or something that no longer serves us.

I share my experiences in my new book, “Waking Up,” on how I was able to change my life to one that I deserved and wanted. One of the biggest lessons I learned was that the “smartest things I had to do were often the hardest things I had to do.” Yet I will tell you this: it was worth the effort, and any heartache or pain that came with it. And you know why? Because once I did those thing, it was as if the doors opened with more opportunity, more happiness, and more love than I could have imagined! Great things come to you when you say good-bye to the “not so great” people and things in your life. I believe that all good things will come to all of us when we rid ourselves of the drama and negativity in our life.

Love yourselves as well as you love those in your life! Take an inventory of “who and what” in your circle no longer serves you. Be smart, make a change, and move forward.

Show me how big your brave is!

Wishing you love and light,
~Anne Dennish~

smart and hard