The 54th Birthday Creed....

                Friday, July 21, 2017

MY  BIRTHDAY  CREED

Here and Now I Decide to Stop Fighting Life.

To Stop Cramming my Own Agenda for My Life down My Throat.

Instead of Widening My Perspective to the Larger Agenda I have Refused to See.

I Stop Fighting The Current.

I have been Rowing so Furiously Upstream, Against The Current of Life, I am Exhausted.

I Allow The Boat to Turn, To Change Direction.

I Throw my Hands Up.

I Let Go of The Oars.

I Peer Ahead with The Excited Curiosity of A Child at The Unknown that Lay before me.

I Use my Deep Determination and my Strong Drive for Self-Love, for Self-Discovery, for Questions instead of Answers.

I Set The Past firmly Behind Me.

I Am, as We All Are, The Most Powerful Spec in The Universe,

Capable of Feats beyond Measure,

Constrained only by The Limits of my Imagination.

I Synchronistically C0-Create Miracles from Beyond.

I Turn the Futile Energy I Expended Fighting “What Was” to Moving Forward with Surrender, and with Courage, and with Wonder.

The Best is Yet To Come:

Love,

Inspiration,

Transformational Shift to Deliver

is Just Around The Corner.

I Shed my Limiting Beliefs:

I Molt my Skin of Self-Doubt as I Step into a Bright Future of Infinite Possibilities.

On This Birthday, It is Christmas Morning,

And The Gift I Bestow upon Myself is Freedom:

Freedom to Change,

Freedom to Buck The System,

Freedom to Step in to my Full Potential

                                With Confidence and  with Unbridled Enthusiasm.

I Shed the Restless Angst that kept me Imprisoned in Stagnation.

The Prison Bars of Societal Conformity are Behind me as I Forge a Path into The Unknown.

I Tune INWARD.

I Pay Attention to My Inner World.

I Nurture it Every Day,

Fostering my own Growth of My Soul with The Food that Feeds my Spirit:

                Meditation,

                Exercise,

                Nature,

                Relationship,

                Healthy Food

                Divine Connection to Source,

                Creativity

                Fun,

                And All that Serves me.

In This Year, I Commit Myself to my Divine Potential in Service to Humanity.

I Use my Voice to Inspire, To Contribute, and To Shift All That Is.

I Stand on the Precipice of The cutting Edge of Humanity’s Consciousness

 and I Jump with Full Awareness and a Full Commitment to Do My Part for Shift.

I Release,

I Connect to Universal Consciousness,

And I Plug in to It’s Stream,

                It’s River,

                It’s Flow.

I Go with The Current, Knowing I Am Always Guided, with each Step Forward.

I Infuse Every Breath I take with Complete Presence and Total Gratitude for The Gift of This Life,

                To Be Here at this Pivotal Point on Earth.

Amen!

TO 54!

Closure and New Beginnings..

Closure

"Closure" is a word that has many meanings to different people.  The very thought of it, for some, means slamming the door shut on a bitter memory, such as a bad intimate relationship that left their heart in shambles.

But Closure  can also mean turning a corner to something new.  It is indeed a leaving behind of the past, but that can mean letting go of a past you have held tightly and dearly for me in this case, for decades, while waiting to again feel that sense of belonging in life & a happy status quo as you flitter through perfect days of personal & career ecstasy.

I am about to embark on a Pilgrimage  next month.  It will have a 2 fold, inextricable purpose.  One, to connect with a Teacher I revere who has helped me to unfold  over the course of the past 8 months in ways I could have never conceived. The second, to re visit my Old Stomping Grounds where I spent some of the happiest years of my life in romance, friendship, and career. To reawaken those sleeping memories and remember how to savor life each day.

Yet it will be a Closure of sorts as I visit my where I once lived, restaurants I ate at with friends, & boyfriends, and my old store.  To look back and Feel  the warmness of it all rush over my heart, I will also be letting it go as I will be simultaneously  vividly cognizant of the stark reality that time has moved on from that place in my life.

This is not the 1st time I have embarked on this type of emotional Pilgrimage.  I look forward to it as before I found it extremely both cathartic and walked away with a strange sense of renewed optimism.

The further we distance ourselves in this life from our early years both in time and physical distance, the more they fade into the recesses of our brains and hearts.  Yet the emotional draw to that time and place can haunt us, calling us back for Closure.

Closure  to remember
Closure to re awaken
And Closure to let go.

I encourage you to re visit the places that you hold dear in your heart for a closure that will lead you to reinvigorate your life once more.

Namaste,
Annie Nonymous

Renewing your Faith

Renewing your Faith
So, it's Christmas & I promised myself that although I need to cook for my gathering later in the day, & my "To Do List" is absolutely enormous  & overwhelming before I am unexpectedly leaving for  a trip soon, I was going to attend Mass this morning.

I walked into the Church for the 1st time down the street completely disengaged & my mind whirling with how many hours I had in the day to get things accomplished.

As I sat & listened to the Priest drone on in his sermon about hell & brimstone, judgment, right versus wrong, it took everything I had to keep my promise to myself with integrity & sit there.  I've left masses many a time when I can't bear to hear the phrases uttered I no longer believe in

There is a point in the Mass where the congregation sets forth intentions together & prays  out loud as a whole.  I woke up with a jolt out  my disengaged haze when I heard words to the effect of. "We pray for those that are  Lonely, The Sick, The Refugees,  Our Departed Loved Ones, The Homeless....."  With each word said, my heart was broken open further & filled with compassion for those less fortunate & the forgotten this Christmas.   Suddenly I'd forgotten the soup I have to make, my to do list, my trip, & was completely present  in unity with the other people in this church. in compassion for others around the globe.

And I knew why my Intuition was so forceful in persisting I go to Mass this morning. It was to receive a Christmas Wake Up Call of Compassion. Compassion for others in this World and also for myself.  To not be so hard on myself to get everything done & just  feel how blessed I am right now.  To feel the deep gratitude of my life & know it will all get done in due time.

I reflected on the times in my life when Prayer had held me together & was my sole solace in Life. I flashed back to the times  growing up, especially in my early teens,  when I so desperately clung to my faith & prayed  relentlessly each week at Mass to get me through 

I flashed back to how prayers answered for Love in my Life and how Career answers always came when I had faith.  I felt the deep respect and gratitude for all of this,  knowing that this is a place more  where aa priest is droning on boringly about some things I no longer believe in, but a place of  great  sanctitude where I have built my life.

When I'd 1st walked in, of course there are endless pews to choose, even on Christmas, the church was empty, I sat in the back as usual.  I couldn't help but notice that the light was streaming in so brightly in a direct ray from my left, I was almost blinded.  As I looked into the window it was shining through, the inscription on the stained glass window of the Saint (which would normally read the Saint's name at the bottom), said "In Memory of My Mother" I've never seen an inscription like that on a church stained glass window.  That light was shining directly onto me the entire mass & I couldn't help but think it was  my mother's light shining down upon me & looking over me.  It didn't move. It didn't flicker. It remained a beacon of her love from heaven the entire Mass.

As  the service neared the end, & I walked down the aisle back from communion, I noticed a handful of people crying in the pews. Christmas is an emotional time for many. I was again overwhelmed with my renewed sense of Compassion for them & thought of who they may be mourning for..lost loved ones, sick relatives & in my heart I reached out to them as I passed.

I walked out of Church having had the Holy Spirit break through my Wall of Busyness & ready to spend Christmas day in a whole new light, & knowing my Mother is with me.

Merry Christmas & may you find this season a renewal of faith & Compassion.
Annie Nonymous

Unity in Diversity

Unity in Diversity

Yesterday, as I pulled up at a stoplight, standing on the island less than 2 feet from my car, was a man, with ragged clothes, his face sun burned and hair unkept, holding a sign asking for money. I immediately & instinctively reached into my wallet, rolled down my window, smiled & handed him a bill. He smiled, & said, "Wow!  Unbelievable. Thank you!"  His gratitude engulfed me like a warm blanket & the smile didn't leave my face for a good 20 minutes after making that left turn to get onto the freeway.

I thought to myself, if we are all One as so many spiritual teachers preach, when you give to the homeless, you give to yourself. When you turn the other way & ignore them, you truly shun yourself & the parts of YOU that you don't want to face.  There is no rationalization or logic; no "they'll just use it for drugs or alcohol."   It is not my job to guess or decide that person's path or where the money will go, it's simply my job to give. 

I have given  to each person I have passed on the street my whole life.  I have given at 10:00PM on Sepulveda Blvd in Van Nuys (L.A) at a gas station after work.  People have often asked me, "haven't you felt like you were in danger? " Not once did I ever feel anything other than I had been chosen to shine my light into someone else's life.

There was a song we sang in Catholic school where the course was, "Whatever you do to the least of my Brothers, that you do unto me."   I guess that sunk in.  Would you ignore Source?   Your job is to answer the call in whatever form in comes in & whomever it shows up as.  It is not always packaged in the neat box of volunteering somewhere or donating clothes. 

More often than not,  the response I will get from the person is, "God Bless you."   I cannot imagine a more heartfelt blessing from the Pope himself.

I distinctly remember a time walking down Michigan Ave in Chicago from the Water Tower Building to the South Loop & giving  around 9 times.  Each time I reached out my hand, I felt freer & lighter as I smiled.  By the end of the walk I was somewhere between skipping inside & walking on air.  It is so gratifying to give a bit of happiness to a stranger's day  & really get that what is a little to you is a big deal to someone else.

The bottom line is when we see The Homeless &/or someone asks us for money, it stirs an emotion within us, be it positive or negative: empathy, disgust, compassion, or the want to ignore.

My grandmother, who I used to refer to as St. Grandma was a light in this world.  When I was a young child, if a homeless person knocked on the door, she would invite them in to eat with us.  I remember her sewing up injured stray cats who had been in an alley fight.  I have been blessed with stark examples & emotional DNA programmed of kind hearts to turn in the direction of those in need, instead of  to look the other away.

So, next time a face in need turns your direction, Sow Some Good Seeds & in honoring them, honor yourself, for we truly are All One.

Soulmates: Expanding the Definition...

Soulmates
The word conjures up a specific meaning within our culture. For women, it  has something to do with a happily ever after & a man on white horse gallivanting away with us.

But what if our "Soulmates," our REAL Soulmates, are more than just the opposite sex in a romantic relationship?

What if our Soulmates are the people planted smack dab in the middle of our lives, (with or without fair warning), that change us, that teach us valuable lessons, that when they leave our lives, leave us with an indelible mark that they were there?  What if they are some of the most aggravating, & antagonizing people that have crossed our path?

I think broadening our definition of the term Soulmate to include those people serves us well.  There is a manager I worked with who was so difficult, I couldn't stand the thought of him.  He taught me some of the most valuable lessons on how to manage people, practically, by my being dragged through the mud to do it.  I have notches on my managerial tool belt that I can contribute directly to him.  At the time, it was sheer hell.  In retrospect, I was attending some serious soul school with an amazing professor.

When we're in the midst of deep emotional turmoil with others & can't see straight,  it's beyond difficult to see the silver lining & think,  "Wow, some day I'll look back on this & be grateful he treated me like crap."

 I guess the best thing to keep your chin up is to just bear in mind, what my Soul Sister & I said as teenagers, "Everything happens for a reason."

So, the next time you get some deep, negative emotions stirred up by someone in your life, whether it be someone you just met, a person who may be temporarily passing through your life, or a long time friend,  take the situation out of the face value context & think,  maybe this is a Soulmate of another sort.

A New Year Prayer

A New Year Prayer For My Life

I Am Ready for a New Chapter in My Life

I Am Ready to Move On

I Am  Ready & am Willing to have Success in Each Area of My Life

I Am Ready for Prosperity & Abundance of Every Kind to Enter My Life Easily & Effortlessly from Sources currently Unknown to Me

Pleasant Surprises & Miracles are around All Corners I Now Turn

Adversity is a Thing of The Past

I Move my Soul Forward with Heaven Sent Earth Angels Inspiring My Path every Step of The Way

I Feel God's Presence & Steady, Gentle Hand Guiding me

I Have Faith & Believe in What I cannot Yet See for I Know The Universe is Conspiring Beautiful Miracles to Enter My Life.

I Now Allow Them as I Release All Resistance

And I Surrender The Future to God

My Holiday Wish for You......

My Holiday Wish for You.....
FEELING TIME PASSING:
Days & months fly by in the blink of an eye. But each of us, I believe, has his or her own personal Wake Up Call to Time's passing, whether it be Nature & the change of Seasons, our Birthday,  the Holidays, or something else. That personal Trigger can be a Time to be Startled into Contemplating, "Am I where I want to be?  Doing what I'm meant to be doing?  Am I Spending my Time on a Daily Basis pursuing My Calling? 

"SPENDING" OUR TIME
Where are we Spending our Time? Are we focused on our Career & working so hard we don't make ample time for those we care about?  During The Holidays our Culture dictates we spend time with Family & Friends, some of whom we haven't seen for some time.  When we gather together to re connect, we share The State of our lives through conversation. We can't help but to face, The State of Our Lives.

THE "HOLIDAZE"
It is so easy to be Entranced in the Commercialism & Materialism of the Season as we are bombarded from every direction through the media to buy, buy, buy.

Do we ever stop to think how challenging and simply disheartening The Holidays can be for those who can't buy?  Today, I overheard an interaction in the Laundromat between 2 acquaintances.  The woman asked the man, "How are your Holidays going?"  He replied. "I don't think we're going to be able to buy much this year, but we'll make it through."

MY HOLIDAY WISH FOR YOU
My Wish for You this Holiday Season is to get a Wake Up Call. Wake Up with Love and....

     Spend not only your Money on Material Gifts, but Spend your Precious Time on Love

Spend your Love on.....

Quality Time with those you care about
      Use This Holiday as an Opportunity to Reach Out to Mend Fences with those you've              lost over silly quarrels

Reconnect with Those you Miss but just haven't made Time for

     Tell people you Love Them

Traverse the Boundaries of "Traditional" Gift Giving and Give a Gift from The Heart...

Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen

      Give an extra donation to your favorite charity

Go out of Your Way to Be Generous in Kind Words to Strangers you meet. You don't know if they may be all alone this season or the challenges The Holidays bring to their life.

Life is Short. Spend your Precious Time on the Highest Calling we All have: Spend your Love.

Happy Holidays,

Annie