relationships

“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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“4 AM”

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It’s been well over a week now that I find myself getting up at 4am. It’s not that I’m going to bed early the night before, yet I find myself waking at 3am, going back into a broken sleep, and finally giving in, giving up and getting up at 4 am.

There’s so much going on in my mind right now; questions I need answered seem to be more present during the night than during my waking hours.

  • When will my new book, “My Collective Soul: Things I Know Without Knowing Why” be released?
  • Will the new book be well received and a success?
  • Will the new motivational speaking lectures I’m about to begin change a life and make a difference to someone?
  • Will my relationship ever move to the next level?
  • Will this sadness tucked deep within my heart ever go away?
  • What is holding me back and what do I need to do to move forward?
  • Will my intuition ever stop speaking to me about the reality of my life?
  • Will my heart ever catch up to what my head already knows?

That’s a lot for 4 am, yet I embrace the questions in my mind because it’s my Higher4am Power watching over me and looking out for me. It’s the questions that only I can answer and deep inside, I know the answers to most of them. And while some of the answers may be difficult, I know without a doubt that they will allow me to live my Highest Good. Anything waking me up at 4 am must be important and I have to pay attention.

Aside from all the chattering in my mind, there are some beautiful things about waking up at 4am.

  • No one else is up and the house is quiet.
  • The sky is so dark that you can see a billion stars and constellations.
  • There’s a stillness outside that you don’t have during the day.
  • There’s a different kind of energy at that time…exciting and yet calming.
  • It’s a time when I can hear my thoughts and my intuition speaking to me.
  • And the best thing is this: it’s MY time alone.

Would I like to sleep in? Absolutely.

Am I okay with waking up at 4 am? Absolutely.

There’s a reason I’m waking up at that time, and that reason is “me.” My Higher Power knows I need this time to think, to write, and to sit in silence outside to listen and learn.

4 am: It’s early but it’s a good thing.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

 

“Love Your Life”

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I’ve learned many things in my life and one of the most important things is to love my life through the joys and sorrows, ups and downs, good times and bad. Life isn’t meant to be all sunshine and roses everyday, and those stormy days teach us to hang on, stay strong and know that this too shall pass. There’s a lesson in all those “down” times and they teach us to be grateful for all the good times.

And the good always wins over the bad…every single time.

Love your life and I can promise you this: it will love you right back.

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

“Everything You Want Begins With You”

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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~

“Through Your Eyes”

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We’re meant to see things in our own way…it’s what makes us unique and makes the world we know an interesting place. How many times have you looked at something and seen it to be one way, while another person see’s it completely different? Even the emotions it invokes can be diffferent.

The beauty in the differences we see is that we can share our perspectives with other’s, allowing someone else to see what we do and what they hadn’t.

Look at this picture and tell me how you see it and how it makes you feel…

It’s a good thing!

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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Photo by Anne Dennish @2016

“Be Aware Of Your Surroundings”

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I never gave much thought to this line, “beware of your surroundings” until I met Rob. His dad was a police officer and always taught him to be aware of his surroundings wherever he was. Needless to say, he’s aware no matter where we are.

Yet as a writer, I see that phrase as so much more.

I see it as a reminder to be aware of all that surrounds you in your life; the beauty of nature, the ocean, the skies and more importantly, be aware of the people that surround you.

Be aware of the love that surrounds you; of the roof over your head and the food on your table. Be aware of the feeling of the warmth of the sun on your face; of the feeling of walking barefoot on the sand or grass; of the feeling of closing your eyes at night counting your blessings.

Be aware of the friends that you surround yourself with; of the family you spend holidays with; of the sounds and memories of your children; and be aware of the love that someone gives you every day.

Be aware of your significant other; of the little things they do for you every day; of the support that they give to you; and of the love they have for you and how that love makes you feel.

“Be aware of your surroundings.”

And be aware every moment of every day…

You wouldn’t want to miss something wonderful.

Wishing you love and light,

~Annne Dennish~

“Free To Be Me”

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I’ve learned many lessons throughout my journey in life, and one of the most important things I’ve learned is this: when I surround myself with the right people I can be “me.”

I can be my true self. I don’t need to hide who I am; I don’t have to act a certain way to be around someone; and I don’t need to be someone I’m not.

I don’t have to worry about them trying to change me because they accept me for who I am; I don’t have to worry about them stabbing me in the back because I trust them; and I don’t have to worry about not speaking my truth because they prefer my honesty over a lie.

I’ve spent years of my life being who everyone expected me to be and hiding who I truly was deep down inside. I was ashamed to be called a “dreamer.” I lived my life believing that “this was as good as it gets” and never thought I would have any better.

I’ve been criticized for being “too sensitive” and “emotional,” yet I’m an empath and that’s what makes me sensitive to the feelings of others and makes me feel emotions, both good and bad, deeper than most. It’s what allows me the freedom to write topics to help someone else. It’s what makes me love someone with all that I am.

Yet many years ago, after divorce and having had so many wonderful spiritual teachers, I changed…just like that.

I decided to live a life in which I was “free to be me,” and if you didn’t like that, you didn’t need to be inside my world or part of it.

I am proud to be called a “dreamer,” especially since I’ve met many dreamers along the way who have caught their dreams.

I no longer try to be perfect or fit the mold of how anyone wants me to be.

I am who I am.

There are those who like me for that, and those that don’t…and that’s okay.

I’m not perfect, but I’m perfect for me.

I have flaws but if you love me you’ll see them as flavorful.

The point is this: if you truly love someone you don’t try to change them. You allow them the freedom to be who they are, because truth be told, that’s the person you fell in love with in the first place.

I would never try and change anyone I love, but I will tell you that I’ve seen them change because of that unconditional love that I gave them.

And if they’ve given me unconditional love they’ll see that I changed as well, not because they wanted me to but because I wanted to.

When we give the people in our life unconditional love, respect, kindness and compassion, we allow them the freedom to be who they are without worry of our judgement or criticism. We allow them the peace in knowing that they are loved for “who” they are, not for “who” we want them to be me.

If you’re going to love someone, whether it’s a significant other, friends, children or family, please remember to love them for who they are and let them have their freedom to be who they are. Your love is what allows them to be all that they can and that is when you see the magic and miracle of true, unconditional love.

“Free to be me…”

It’s an incredibly good thing.

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 All Of You”

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impactThis story is for all of you who follow my blogs and my posts, who comment on my writing and have supported me throughout my journey. Your words mean more to me than I can say but the one word to describe my feelings for all of you is this: “grateful.”

I’m grateful to have people I know and people I don’t know engage in my posts, leave comments of encouragement and support and who are willing to share their own life experiences and feelings with the world.

I’m grateful that you have given me the platform to try and change the world, try and make a difference in it, and to try to make another human being feel better.

I’m grateful that you take the time to read what I write. I’m grateful that you share your opinions of a particular story that meant something to you. I’m grateful that you’re part of my life journey…if only through my writing.

I’m grateful for all of you. It’s amazing to me that some of your comments come from those of you right in my own backyard and others that come to me from other countries.

I’m grateful for all of you, especially in the last few weeks. You’ve allowed me to truly see and believe more than ever that “it’s time to make a difference and we can make that difference together.”

And you’ve all made a difference in my life.

And sometimes it’s “the smallest of things that makes the biggest impact” on our life.

My heart is filled with gratitude for all of you…

Wishing you love and light,

~Anne Dennish~

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