Are You Crazy?

Are You Crazy?
by Annie Tornabene


"Are you crazy?" There have been times when I thought I must be crazy to think like this... And there were times when I heard someone say that to me, 'Are you crazy?' There were times when I would have thought it was an insult, but today, I think it is a compliment. Why, you ask?

To be crazy means I'm a little out of the ordinary. Well with all the things I want to accomplish, I have to be out of the ordinary. Think of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison or Albert Einstein. They all had to be out of the ordinary. I'm sure they heard 'Are you crazy?' many times. Even Elvis Presley must have heard, 'Are you crazy?' a few times. This craziness is a good thing.

You see our conscious mind is like our Mother constantly nagging us. It's there for our protection...to keep us safe. It goes on and on like a stuck record, oops, I dated myself before CDs. with the same stinking thinking over and over again. But even a lie that is told repeatedly can become true. "Who do you think you are? You can't do that! You're not good enough. You're bad. Something awful is going to happen. You're stupid to think that." These are just a few of the more popular tracks the mind likes to repeat constantly. No wonder we get depressed. So you need to be a little crazy ... out of the ordinary... to go BEYOND the fear that is holding you back. Your mind has heard the words, 'NO" and "Don't Do That" ever since you were born. The stinking thinking has been played more often than the positive input. So why wouldn't you get depressed? It's time to stop the stinking thinking and be a little crazy.

So to create a little craziness with positive changes in your life, you really need to be out of your ordinary mind. All you have to fear is fear itself and for that you are crazy. To be crazy is going beyond the ordinary...it is stepping out of fear...it is pushing the barriers beyond the wall...it is thinking for yourself outside the box.


Anything that resonates as "not safe", your mind will automatically dismiss as impossible and sabotage you every time. The problem is that it is operating from programming the ordinary mind. The ordinary is safe. The ordinary just follows and does not think for itself. So it's time to break the pattern. Don't just follow the leader. Think for yourself. It is going against mainstream that is your only hope of salvation of creating your best life now.

If you feel depressed, anxiety, worry or in any way out of place with peace, love, joy and abundance, stop and think of what is going on in your head. Listen to the chaos and start to pluck out what really matters. Some of that nagging chaos is absolutely false - although your mind believes it 100%. So ask yourself these questions and write down the answers which is a critical part of this exercise.

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  What am I most worried about?


• 
  What is the worst thing that could happen to me?


• 
  What is my biggest fear?


• 
  What would happen to me if my biggest fear came true?
  

Are any of these reasons serious enough for you to be depressed, not sleeping at night or completely stressed out? Problems present themselves and then amazingly enough solutions seem to manifest as well. Problem, solution, problem, solution, problem, solution. That pretty much is the pattern of life from what I can see. It's when we buy into our mind's fear spurred along by the ordinary addiction to fear, that we can start to believe that THIS TIME the problems are bigger than ever. So what if they are, then the solutions THIS TIME will be bigger than ever. How excitingly crazy is that! Seriously, I am discovering in my life right now that big problems require big solutions and they manifest just like little solutions occur for little problems. Why worry? I am fascinated to see how all this chaos in the world is going to play.

The United States will have a first for their President next week - a first oldest man, a first semi-black man, a first female Vice President... you see they are all first no matter which way you vote or who wins. A generation that has grown up in an unrealistic economy may realize some core values in life that have been buried way too long. We may discover that our Creator goes a long way to keeping us together in tough times.

We are in for some big shifts like we have never seen in our lifetime. Together we have an amazing opportunity to be pillars in a potentially very different world. This is a wonderful opportunity to be the leader you were born to be. This is your time to really shine your light for others to see. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and living a crazy best life now.

Here's what you can do starting today. Encourage others. Laugh daily. Give lots of hugs. Send positive thoughts out to the world. Focus on love, joy, peace and abundance. Stop watching and listening to stinking thinking. Get your mind into crazy positive thinking and into your heart. Step out of fear and into a place of love, hope and peace. When you do that, you will be delighted how amazing you can live your best life now. Are you crazy in an attitude of gratitude?

Poverty: Mind, Body and Soul

Poverty: Mind, Body and Soul
By Annie Tornabene

When you hear the word poverty, what comes to your mind? Do you envision the economic crisis? Your empty bank account? A poor hopeless and homeless person sleeping on the park benches? Maybe you think of a third world county where they are hungry or areas of America where they are starving, cold and desolate? Poverty: Mind, Body and Soul.

Sure any of these can strike a cord of poverty. But there is a poverty that reaches far beyond these simple needs and pierces the heart and mind. There is a poverty that is within our very touch. There is a poverty that we pass every day. This is the epidemic filling our world that needs our touch… You may pass this poverty every day. You may be a victim or hostage of this poverty. Poverty: Mind, Body and Soul. What do you do? Do you do something about it or do you simply walk on by?

There is a world of poverty that is oppressed with the isolation of love, loneliness, confusion, rejection, despair and desperation. You can have all the wealth in the world and live in poverty. It lives within us all. No man is an island. No one can live with the isolation of love, loneliness, confusion, rejection, despair and desperation. I’m sure you have felt it a time or two. Poverty: Mind, Body and Soul … Tears of a child when they didn’t understand why their Mother was suddenly taken away. Or the pain of an unfulfilled dream. Maybe you have felt the pain of isolation and the void of love. Have you ever wanted someone to talk to, someone just to listen to your cries, someone to give you a hug, a smile or a warm touch? Then you have felt the pain of poverty. How deep did you feel that poverty? The poverty of the mind and soul reaches further than the poverty of the pocketbook. What matters most in life? What really counts? In the words of the John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country!!”

If you have riches of the mind and soul, you have a treasure that is worth far more than gold. You have a peace that passes all understanding… a light from within…a warmth of unconditional love fills your life … a glow of tranquility in the mist of chaos and a dream that keeps you alive in a world filled will confusion. This wealth gives us what we need to sustain life. Sure money helps but not as much as these… friendships, time, love and listening. Greater wealth has no one.

Take a step … reach out a hand.. To your fellow man … co-worker or child. Lend an ear and take time to listen and you will find that it is returned maybe not from the same person but there is someone else willing to lend you their ear. I am always here for you. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and fighting the war on poverty: mind, body and soul. Love our life and live our best life now.

Smiles

Smiles
by Annie Tornabene







Smiles. Ever notice them? Sure you have, without thinking you probably returned the smiles. Smiles are contagious. You can't help but put on a smile when you see smiles.

Trying smiling. What happens? You notice your mood changes. Even my daughter has learned when I'm feeling blue, all she has to do is smile and it's better than magic. It's better than taking a pill. It flows from within. It turns the frown upside down.

When you smile, you notice that life is too short, we have to break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, truly love ourselves and each other, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile. Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we're here we should dance... and smile.

From Tears To Hope

From Tears To Hope
by Annie Tornabene

Inevitably, we all experience highs and lows in our lives. One moment of yesterday is filled with tears turn to hope for tomorrow. As the Grandmaster stated in Kung Fu Panda, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a present - that's why they call it a gift."

Some days are filled with bewilderment, despair and anxiety. Some days are filled with laughter, peace and joy. I'm sure you have had days like that. Everyone has them. It's how we deal with them that makes the difference in going from tears to hope or going from hope to tears.

Sometimes when I am facing the stormy strings of life, my spirit cries out,“ Why? Why!?!” Why am I stuck in this mess? Why am I deserted? Why have I been for gotten? Why have I been left behind? Sometimes we think our way of doing things are best only to find out that the mess has been multiplied. Our Creator wants no one to be left behind. Our Creator wants us to go from tears to hope...to pick up the pieces and find a new tomorrow.

Sometimes, it takes a little meditation ... to be still and listen to the voice from within... not the anxiety-ridden voice, but the calm, still voice of our Creator... the One that guides us safely. Not a prayer ... for prayer is where I do all the talking ... begging ... crying. Meditation is where I do the listening and giving gratitude for all the little things in my life. Sometimes it's a big step to learning to be still and quiet.

If it wasn't for the lighthouse, I wouldn't be here today. I can speak with the voice of experience. I've been there. I've been on the stormy sea of life... with tears flowing down my cheeks ... with a heart heavy from defeat, loneliness and hurts. In the midst of chaos and turmoil, the stillness and quietness of meditation turns me from tears to hope. The stillness and quietness turns every fiber in my body ... every single cell into alignment to receive the message from my Creator. I turn from trembling and fear to one of peace, tranquility and joy. I may not have the answer, but I feel the peace that my Creator wants me to live my best life now...that my Creators wants me to turn from tears to hope. My Creator wants no one to be left behind. My fears and worries are all dissipated. I have been empowered. I am ready to take a new step forward. I am back on track. I have gone from tears to hope.

The same applies to you. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and turning our lives from tears to hope.

What Then?

What Then?
by Annie Tornabene



When the storms in life hit us, we often ask ourselves, "What then?" Do you remember the last time you said, "What then?" or maybe you said, "Now what?"

We are in between circumstances. We've been hit by an obstacle on our course in the strings of life. We've been knocked off course. We often find ourselves just sitting there ... waiting ... looking perplexed and asking, "What then?" If we keep sitting there, nothing is going to happen. What then? We will continue to let our flame from within die.

Or maybe we get hit by another storm along the strings of life. That storm blows us further off course. What then? Pretty soon we've been thrown off course so many times that the spark from within is almost dead. If we keep sitting there waiting for someone to rescue us, our flame will go out! If we ask, "What then? It's time to get up and do something about it.

There are three (3) kinds of people in the world:
Those that MAKE Things Happen...They know what they want and take life by the horns to do whatever it takes to make things happen.
Those that WATCH Things Happen...Those who sit on the side lines wanting a better life, whose lives are just in need of a little help or adjustment because they've hit a bump or two that has knocked them off course temporarily; and
Those that SAY "What Happened?... Those who don't have a clue as what is going on. They allow circumstances to shape their lives.

Which type are you? Which type do you want to be? You can do it. You can do something about it. What then?

Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and learning what to do when the storms of life knock us off course and "What then?" is asked.

Meditation

Meditation
by Annie Tornabene





Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the strife of everyday life keeps us busy with so many distractions and other things. We tend too not have time for meditation. Now days we have so many distractions and creature comforts that we don't realize how distracted we have become. We say we are too tired, that we will do it tomorrow. Let's just chill out and watch TV. Have you heard yourself say that?

The next thing you know, two maybe three hours have gone by and our mind is filled with a bunch of stuff ... a bunch of garbage ... useless mind wandering stuff. I've even had those days where I did that and was more depressed because I didn't feel anything. I went to sleep and my dreams were a mixture of what I had watched on TV and distortions of my life. Crazy dreams! Haven't you ever wondered where some of those crazy dreams came ... what brought them on?

The most important thing for meditation, at least for me, is silence. Just to be still and know... to get my mind to settled down, to be at peace with myself .... to get my mind to focus. Every fiber in my body comes to rest. It is a way to reorganize my hectic and chaotic thoughts... to feel love and gratitude ... to unwind. The hardest part is getting into the routine ... of integrating it in our lives. When I first started meditation, my wind wanted to wander because I was in so much chaos. Now, it's like a little baby when it's fussy. I remember when our oldest son had his first baby, when he would get fussy, my husband would rock him and walk with him and he would just cry more. Then I would come home and pick him up and within two minutes he would fall fast asleep. It was as if he said, "Mom or Grandma has got me, so I am safe." He felt comfort in my arms. Our minds are like fussy babies. When we learn meditation, our mind learns, "Oh, safety is here, I can rest." When my mind becomes unruffled, my body starts to soothe.

After meditation, it is a perfect time for me to do a little yoga and bodyflow ... to stretch those muscles so I don't have all those little aches and pains from the nerves being bottled up and stuck in one place. You know what I'm talking about. Oh yeah, it hurts to move them, but it hurts worst not to move them. It is as if our bodies were made to flow ... not too fast ... just easy movement. I do this twice a day ... first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening. Sometimes, when things get too hectic, I will do it during the day also. And of course, sometimes I need a two minute meditation just to get me back on track.

All week we have been talking about keys to understanding depression. Meditation is one key that helped me. The effects of meditation doesn't happen overnight, but I found in the long run, I was feeling better along with the other things that I have talked about. No one said it would be easy, just that it would be worth it. Together we can make a difference in living with peace, tranquility and joy. Empower your live today with love and gratitude.

Perseverance

Perseverance
by Annie Tornabene





I will do whatever it takes to live my life to the max. I will keep on keeping on to overcome the storms of life. Perseverance is my way of life because I focus on positive results no matter how long it takes.

Denis Waitley said it, "Toughness gives you the resilience to keep pressing on, even if your determination and optimism are lagging." Jim Rohn said, "It takes time to build a corporate work of art. It takes time to build a life. And it takes time to develop and grow. So give yourself, your enterprise, and your family the time they deserve and the time they require." You can live every single day in love, peace and joy! How do you do that? Perseverance.

One way is to embrace your future by perseverance and determination to live your best life now. When everything around you is crumbling, when you’re facing the storms along the strings of life and your attitude on life will be determined by your "hook-up." (What you do when the storms in life come your way.) If your hook-up is grounded in an attitude of gratitude and you are determined to persevere whatever it takes to live your best life now; joy, peace and love flow through you to empower your life. That empowerment enables you to have perseverance in the face of adversity. That empowerment helps you understand depression and overcome the obstacles in life. It's another key to understanding depression. Together we can make a difference with perseverance.

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A Forgiving Spirit

A Forgiving Spirit
by Annie Tornabene




I will greet each day with a Forgiving Spirit.

I'm often asked "How can I move on?" You can't move on without a forgiving spirit. Forgiveness is the mental, and/or spiritual process of ceasing to feel resentment, indignation or anger against another person or persons for a perceived offense, difference or mistake, or ceasing to demand punishment or restitution. Love is an act of endless forgiveness that becomes a habit.

Moving on, new year celebrations and other similar events are a chance to start over. Starting over often involves forgiveness; both giving it and getting it. Neither one of those is easy, but both are doable.

Forgiving someone means that we find the courage to go beyond ourselves to a place that helps us see those who have hurt us in a new way. It means that we must confront the past and commit to a new way of thinking and behaving. That's a hard cup to swallow.

There are steps that will help make it a little easier. Remember nothing is impossible. The only thing you have to fear is fear itself. Fear will try to talk you out of forgiveness because unforgiveness feeds on fear. Fear has been it's teacher... it knows no other way to survive than living a life in fear and unforgiveness.

Forgiveness only applies to the first person. What I mean by that is that you can only forgive what you have done or someone has done to you. You can't forgive what someone did to someone else or they did to someone else. It is strictly personal. If you are not involved, then stay out of it. You can not force another person to forgive. Each person has to make that decision for themselves.

Don't waddle in your forgiveness. When you have decided to forgive someone (that includes yourself), make the statement and let it go. Hanging on to it or to keep nagging about it only means that you haven't been willing to forgive. Don't start listing all the problems at once. Take one at a time. Don't overwhelm yourself or the other person with all the mistakes. I've seen couples try to ask for forgiveness for a thousand mistakes - listing them one by one until the other person is overwhelmed. It's not the time or place to explore the problems. It is simply the time to ask for forgiveness in a forgiving spirit. Some mistakes can be bundled together and sometimes you can just say "Forgive me for all my mistakes." Love is the endless forgiveness that becomes a habit. Love your life. Love the other person. Every time fear pops its ugly head to remind you of the past wrongs, bring love in... think or say "I love you." The same goes for when someone apologies for their mistakes, accept it and let it go reminding yourself to send them love. Each time you do this, it will strengthen you in a forgiving spirit.

Remember none of us are perfect. We have all made mistakes and in a forgiving spirit, we move on. We do not want to be held hostage to our past. A forgiving spirit brings us to a better tomorrow ... a new relationship with the other person and our self. When I learned to forgive myself for past mistakes, it was like a different person. Because I became a different person. The key to forgiveness is to be able to look beyond all the problems, all the faults, all the mistakes and love them and/or yourself anyway!

If you are not ready to forgive, tell the other person that you will need some time but you want to begin a new level of relationship. Remember forgiveness is not the end but the beginning.

Forgiving yourself with a forgiving spirit is the act of beginning to move on ... to live again.

In starting a new beginning and moving on, celebrate that moment with a hug, a smile, a toast or even a dinner. You have made the first step, however small it may be, you have made the first step to moving on in a forgiving spirit.

Remember to forgive those who do not ask for forgiveness and most importantly, forgive yourself. Do whatever it takes to forgive in a forgiving spirit with an attitude of gratitude. No one said it would be easy, just that it is worth it. Together we can make a difference in learning to live with a forgiving spirit in an attitude of gratitude.