Set Your Mind On Good

Set Your Mind On Good
by Annie Tornabene



Set your mind on good when you are facing trouble all around. If your mind keeps finding negative thoughts, it is because more negative (stinking thinking) is surrounding you. So if you find more good to input your mind, more good will be created around you and in you.

If you live with perpetual hope, then you will notice peace, joy, love and tranquility are dwelling more with you. Set your mind on good.

Stinking thinking only creates more worry, fear, anxiety and depression. So set your mind on good; surrounding your life with peace, joy, love and tranquility. You will find more treasures than your mind can empower your life.

Together we can make a difference with understanding depression and healing the tears and hurts by setting your mind on good. We can live our best life now.

Memories Of The Heart

Memories Of The Heart
by Annie Tornabene


Locked in between the creases of our mind are memories of the heart since before we were born. Research shows us that we can remember things while we were still in the womb. Seldom do we acknowledge that memory and our early life that had a hand in shaping who we are today. Phobias, fears, anger, anxiety, self-limiting beliefs, creativity can manifest itself in your life without you knowing why.

One man that I knew had a fear that no one else in the family had. In therapy, he realized his Grandfather had the same fear. His Grandfather had been around most of the time while his Mother was carrying him. His Grandfather died just before he was born. Through therapy, it is believed that his Grandfather made audible statements that were heard by the unborn child and transferred those beliefs and fears. Discovering those can help you release those fears, phobias, anger, anxiety, etc. and begin to make your own life. Memories of the heart can be mended.

Envision your body being filled with a healing white light, love, joy, tranquility and peace. Remember that nothing you see or hear will harm you. Ask yourself what you hope to achieve through you discovery and connect with your inner vision. Observe what you see without judgment. When you are done, think about how what you experienced relates to your present life. There may be beliefs from your memories of the heart that you are still operating under but are now ready to let go of. The significance of your memories of the heart may not be immediately obvious until much later.

Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and living our best life now by letting go of unnecessary memories of the heart.

Online Friends

To My Online Friends
From Annie Tornabene

From my computer to yours.

Sometimes this place gets to be a pretty lonely place. 'Tis the season to be jolly. But with all the hustle and bustle, people barely pass the time of day. If by change you run pass an offline friend they nod with a quick "I'll call you later!" and dash the other way. Seldom do you ever hear another word from them unless you pass them again before they could drop into the shadows without being seen. They say they know you well but they don't know you at all. When was the last time they took the time to say hello or ask your opinion? Or took the time to hold your hand knowing you were facing a major operation or crisis?

It's not the same with my online friends. My online friends share a part of me that my offline friends will never understand. My online friends know me best. After all they take the time to read what I have to say and answer back. Sometimes they send me a joke or two or leave a comment on myspace ... just enough to let me know they care about me.

People ask, "How can you be friends with someone you've never met?"

I tell them, "You've never been online I bet!" It's something people offline will never understand. You open up your heart to friendship with your typing hands. It's a world full friendship at your finger tips, there is so much online, it only takes a heart to reach people with your touch. Your heart found mine. Thank you for being an online friend.

First you start out online, surfing all around. Next thing you know a great friend will be found. You will chat a lot and surf cyber space. Soon it will be your second home, a comforting, special place. An online friend to share your dreams and your tears and to help each other wipe away life's fears and be with you until the day is brighter. You will share life together and help each other along the way.

You will make it thru bad days because friendship is so strong. When you cry, I cry. When you laugh, I laugh. No matter how far apart you go, your keyboards will keep you together, and in your heart you will know you don't need a face to be a true friend forever. :) Hearts talk to each other.

So, how do you explain this to people who've never been online? I guess it takes a gesture of friendship and a little bit of time. So let's start by sending this around and passing our special touch. A smile, an online hug, a website, a gesture starts it all; becoming friends doesn't take much...

RIDE SAFE N STAY WARM...


Hugs, in an attitude of gratitude,
I'll always be here for you.

Annie

Say Hello

Say Hello
by Annie Tornabene



Loneliness is just a crime that doesn't need to be in this world any more. Are you lonely? Take a walk...see a smiling face... say hello.

To say hello may be the most frightening thing you are facing in a world of loneliness. So you feel your skin start to tighten.. your heart beats fast and your start to hyperventilate... Would it be better to experience a little anxiety and find a friend or experience a lifetime of loneliness?

Maybe you are one of those lonely people who do not fully comprehend how much you mean to the world...your sufferin is shared with the world. Rejoice and the world will joyful chime in and feel the impact of they great mysteries of your life...the happiness...the sorrow...the tears...the cheers...the debt of despair and the loneliness of sorrow without relief.

Try saying hello with a positive thought in mind. See what happens to your grief and woe. Look for the good and you will find that happiness and love are sitting beside you.

Sometimes we have to see things through the eyes of a child to realize all we have to do is say hello and maybe we find a friend. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and learning to say hello.

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.

• 
  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.

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.

Take Action

Take Action
by Annie Tornabene



Fumbling through some old books, I found a book called Adrift 76 days lost at sea by Steven Callahan. It caught my eye and I began to read it. Adrift and lost at sea is much like being in the mist of a dark fog of depression ... at least I saw the similarities.

In 1981, Steven was sailing by himself from Spain to Antigua. (Ok, so it wasn't a ship as big as this one ... it's the only picture I could find.) Somewhere west of the Canary Islands, he notices that termites have eaten into the mast. He takes action and lowers the sails. It was a good thing that he lowered the sails because a storm came through. If the sails had been up, the boat would have been toppled and most likely sank at that moment.

After the storm past, he noticed the boat was sinking. So he had to take action. He managed to grab the life raft, a knife, his emergency duffel bag, a piece of the mainsail, and a sleeping bag. Luckily he had read other books about people being lost at sea such as, Staying Alive, 1974; Survive the Savage Sea, 1973; and Sea Survival Manual, 1975. He took action and was prepared before he started his journey. He followed the advice of others that had gone before him in similar journeys. This was the first account of anyone surviving alone for so long of a time.

He endured hardships, depression, anxiety, loneliness, cramped living space, hunger, pain and thirst, yet he creatively had determination and perseverance to take action to survive. Sharks, barracudas, doradoes and storms faced him daily. If he hadn't gone through this hardship, this storm, he would have never discovered the treasure. How many of us could survive under these conditions in stormy waters?

Many of us are having difficulty doing the same thing on dry land much less stormy waters. It is no different. Not to say that he didn't bravely face and take action or discredit his experience. Depression is much like facing stormy waters on a lifeboat lost at sea. The only difference is that nobody knows you are lost at sea in the mist of a dark fog of depression. They think because they can see you that you are not battling for your life. They don't see the stormy waters.

They don't see that you are adrift in your mind and lost at sea. They don't see you struggling to find your way in the misty dark fog of depression. They just see you sitting there. I know, I've been there. The more we sit, the darker the fog becomes until all about us is darkness. I don't know how long I sat there before I noticed a tiny pinhole of light. I didn't know if it was a light at the end of a tunnel or a tankard coming to blow me away. A key to understanding depression is to take action. Get up. Take a walk. Turn yourself around. Do anything even if it means just wiggling your little finger. A little wiggle today means two little wiggles tomorrow. Each step of the way is a day of victory. One baby step at a time.

I know something compelled me from within to take action. Get on up. Go toward the light. It was a lighthouse that guided me safely in. The Lighthouse of Halo is here for you too. Do you have your SOD Emergency Kit? If you don't, contact me and I'll help you get one. For those who don't know what a SOD Emergency Kit is. . . it is Survival of Depression Emergency Kit. Together we can make a difference in battling the stormy sea of depression and take action.

What A Difference!

What A Difference!
by Annie Tornabene


















What a difference a day makes! Last night I was in such pain that I wanted to die. Have you ever felt like that? It seems like everything you do just isn't enough.

I didn't say anything to anyone because I knew they wouldn't understand. Depression hurts. When I looked at my family and thoughts of you, I knew I had reasons to keep fighting...to keep struggling to live another day. When I went to the dentist office today, my heart sank when he told me it would be another four months of agony before everything would be complete. I came home and cried. No one was around. I felt like I couldn't handle another four months of this. I could not take another day. It was just too much! My anxiety kicked in...I started sweating...my heart started racing...suddenly I couldn't breathe...you know the feeling...you know the reaction. It was a bad day. I'm sure you've had those days. If not, be very thankful.

Today ... what a difference! Today is not a day of defeat but a day of victory. In the strings of life, storms are part of life; it's part of being alive. It's not the storm that affects us, it's how we react to the storm that makes a difference. Obstacles can become opportunities for stepping stones for a new day. What a difference my attitude ... my way of thinking is.

It doesn't matter what kind of storm you are facing... failed relationships...failed financial crisis... physical ailments... decisions made that turned sour and affect others. It can change and be better. The only thing that can't change is ending it all. (Those of you with thoughts of suicide, know what I'm talking about. You can't fool me, I've had them too.) Just because we have had storms in our lives or because we have made mistakes in our lives, it doesn't have to be like that forever. Our Creator isn't finished with us yet! Our Creator still has a plan or a blueprint waiting for us to get back on line - what a difference!

If you think you are having a bad day, think or look at this picture ... he was rescued by a helicopter that took this picture.

Together we can make a difference in understanding depression. What a difference a day brings.

Recovery

Recovery
by Annie Tornabene


In the heat of the night the power came on. The cool breeze from the air conditioning felt good for a change. I had forgotten how nice the luxuries of life are. . .temporarily.

Even during turbulent times, the body adapts to its environment. When we first lost power it was an adjustment as we were having heat waves of 90 to 110 degrees. The storm brought in cool relief. (That's one reason to be thankful for the storm.) At least, it pulls the hot weather out and brings cool weather (60 - 84 degrees) Amazing what a drop in a few degrees makes. Sure during the day we still used our old fashion hand held fans for a little breeze gust.

The sweltering nights brought people leaving their windows open for any gust of wind. The days and nights brought the realization that we were not able to take hot baths. It was starting to get...well let's just say not a pretty picture. I'll spare you the gory details and suffice it to say that we got a taste of what it was like back in the 1800s. The only difference was our horses have wheels. Well some people were riding their horses instead of their cars because the price of gas was so high and many stations didn't have gave and didn't know when they would get gas because of not having power.

Our pets were affected too. I notice my cat wasn't keeping his food down because of the stress and heat. Animals during times of crisis's are often ignored. People don't realize that during a storm or crisis in your life, they are experiencing a crisis of their own. They suffer stress too.

Two hours after the power came on, I was screaming that it was too cold! Imagine that! My body has to adjust to air conditioning again. So now we have it on a warmer temperature and will gradually adjust the temperature. Just a reminder that we are stronger than we think we are. Inch by inch anything is a cinch. We can make it by taking one baby step at a time. Together we can make a difference in facing the storms or the strings of life and understanding depression.

Hugs in an attitude of gratitude!
More pictures of the aftermath of Hurricane Ike
We had six trees like this toppled by the storm.
Trees blocking the roads

What Is Within?

What Is Within
by Annie Tornabene



Are you struggling with negative thoughts? Depression? Anger? Anxiety? Hatred? Fear? What is within you? Take a good look at what is within you.

You are like a stain glass window that you never realize its true beauty until darkness sets in and the light from within shines through. How beautiful is you stain glass window that is within you? Is the light that is within you barely a spark of light? Is it almost dark or does you light shine brightly from within?

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a present. Every day of you life should be an empowering affirmation of you best life now. Love your life. Each step you take, every though you have and every action you make needs to ring true what is within you. Love, love and laugh. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and expressing what is within your life.

Grain Of Sand

Grain Of Sand
by Annie Tornabene

Have you ever seen a pearl? Probably you have. You admire its color, its glimmer, and its smoothness. It all started with a tiny grain of sand. A little grain of sand logged in the clam. It irritated the clam but he turned it little by little (one baby step at a time) into something beautiful.

That little grain of sand became a beautiful, radiating pearl - a priceless gem. So can you. Those troublesome, irritating things that get under your skin. Those rough edges of anger, anxiety, fear and other issues can be smoothed and polished.

Don't worry if you feel that you are not finished. Just take one baby step at a time. It's the process that you are working on turning that grain of sand into something beautiful not the completed product that is important.

Be patient. Enjoy peace, tranquility and laughter. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression with a grain of sand.

Are You Weary?

Are You Weary?
by Annie Tornabene



Have you ever been in a situation where you felt no matter what you did everything was falling apart? Or maybe you found every time you open your mouth, something negative was coming out? Without even thinking you hear yourself tearing a co-worker or family member down or criticizing their work. You feel the anxiety, the anger, the fear. Then you realize what you are doing. Wow, an eye opener!

You were created by your Creator for the utmost good. You were created to give out goodness. That is why when you do something good for someone else without concern for yourself you feel good. You feel the peace and tranquility. Wow what empowerment.

When you go against giving goodness you feel weary...you feel depressed. Are you weary?

When you give out goodness you will find peace and tranquility flowing through you. Life doesn't have to be exhausting. There is a better way! Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and weariness. Live, love and laugh. Get refreshed and live your best life now.

Toxic Emotions

Toxic Emotions
by Annie Tornabene

SEXY & HOT COMMENTS



Have you ever felt the venom of anger? The bitterness of fear? Or the sting of hatred? All of these emotions are toxic to our bodies just like poison. It's like going pass a chemical plant that is releasing toxin gases into the air. It makes it hard to breathe. Have you passed a chemical plant like that? It takes your breath away.

Then why to we rob ourselves of precious moments of life with these toxic emotions? It's not the emotions that are bad for us, it is how we deal with them. These toxic emotions let us know that we are human, we all have them. These emotions are toxic subtle energy. If you hold it in, they fester in your system, eating you alive, or else exploded. I'm sure you have heard of at least one or two who have made the headlines. They were seemingly quiet people who suddenly snapped and took revenge. I remember having days like that. Maybe you have too.

I remember one day being so frustrated with insurance companies and pharmacies after my accident. I yelled and screamed at the pharmacy because my pain medicine wasn't ready. Finally I snapped and screamed, "What do I have to do to make someone notice that I have a problem? Kill someone? Or kill myself?"

Everyone in the store heard me. Everything got quiet. The pharmacist was trying to keep me calm. That was a wake-up call for me. I realized I had to start monitoring my emotions. It was not healthy to allow my emotions to get so far out of control. I had to learn to diffuse my emotions before they got to that point.

I had to learn to identify the source of my emotions. What was the trigger? On a scale of one to ten, what was the level of anxiety that I was feeling? Impulsive and unconscious emotions were ten and mildly agitated was a one or two. I had to learn to slow down my reaction.

You can 't run or hide from your toxic emotions, but you can slow down your reactions. In the heat of the emotions is not the best time to try and correct the problem. Otherwise, you're like a snake coiled to strike at it's victim. No one wins but damage is left behind from the toxic emotions. If you can avoid confrontation and allow the emotions to cool, you can calmly talk out your problems and come to a peaceful resolution.

I learned when I was feeling these emotions, I had to take a deep breath and remove myself from the situation at least by the time it got to a four. Sometimes I didn't notice I had the emotions until it got to a three. Then had to quickly rate it and realize that I had to have the courage to get out while it was on the rise. Taking a deep breath helped me slow down my toxic emotions. It gave me time to think what was the source of my feeling and what was the rate of it. Most of the time, 24 hours made a big difference. After 24 hours I could look at the situation a little different and was more realistic about the outcome. I could write about it in my journal which didn't hurt anyone or I could do a painting which again didn't hurt anyone.

Some of my paintings have become known as the suicidal paintings. My family learned when I was painting one of those to get out of my way while I was painting. After I got the emotions out, I was calm and could talk to them. If they interfered while I was in that mood, they were liable to get blasted.

Sometimes after I wrote about it in my journal or did a painting of it, I could see the humor in it. I learned to laugh about the problem and about how quick I was to coil over the problem. Does any of this sound familiar?

I learned to meditate to help me stay focused; to allow peace to enter into my life. Those two minute meditations became calming for me. They became my lifesavers. The longer meditations helped me start and end the day in peace.

I learned to drop my fears and human emotions into our Creator's hands and watch them sink from sight just like a drop of water into a pool. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and toxic emotions. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I can not change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

Hit Me With Your Best Shot

Hit Me With Your Best Shot
by Annie Tornabene

Sometimes we feel like nobody notices all that we do. We feel nobody knows how deeply we love. Nobody know how hard we try. Little acts of kindness never go unnoticed. Someone is always watching. You may not realize it, but someone is watching. They may not tell you, they may not be thankful for all that you do, but they notice. Don't worry, be happy that you are able to do those little acts of kindness, that you are able to love so deeply.

Turn your fears into little steps of faith. Trust in our Creator. No excuses, no fear, no boundaries. Forget about the past. Forget your resentment. Live in the present. Allow abundance to flow through you. In an attitude of gratitude be thankful for all that you are able to do. Be thankful for this moment to love. Don't worry about the approval from others. Live your life to the fullest. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks. It is your life!

When you least expect it, someone will notice and it will come back to you when you least expect it. The expecting it blocks the flow of abundance. Take a deep breath. Let go of your fears. Let go of your worries. Your Creator is always by your side, no matter what good or bad. Meditate and talk to your Creator--talk, laugh, cry, scream, sing. You'll discover that you are never alone on this journey, and knowing this is vital in getting wherever you want to go.

Turn those stinking thinking to positive and move forward in your life. You'll be saying hit me with your best shot. Nothing can get you down. Trust that everything you do is notice.

War Zone

War Zone
by Annie Tornabene

You feel like you've had a bad day? If you heard sirens blaring, rockets going off and people screaming, you would think you were in the middle of a war zone. Wouldn't you? You would be running to prepare for battle. Well millions of people every day are in a battle over depression. It's a battle in their mind. You may be one of those facing a battle or battles in your mind right now. I know I have felt like sirens and rockets were glaring and everything anyone said sent me screaming. Looking back at it, I wonder how I made it. Ever feel like that?

This story makes my point:
Nine year old Joey was asked by his mother what he had learned at Sunday school.

"Well, Mom, our teacher told us how God sent Moses behind enemy lines on a rescue mission to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. When he got to the Red Sea, he had his engineers build a pontoon bridge and all the people walked across safely. Then he used his walkie-talkie to radio headquarters for reinforcements. They sent bombers to blow up the bridge and all the Israelites were saved."

"Now, Joey, is that really what your teacher taught you?" his mother asked.

"Well, no. But if I told it the way the teacher did, you'd never believe it!"

Together we can make a difference in understanding depression and overcoming the obstacles that block our paths to the abundant life. Just like the song says, "so you go for a walk and turn yourself around." This could be the day that you turn yourself around. Yeah, things may look bad, but it doesn't have to. Everyone gets down sometime, it's a matter of how long you stay down. You got to get back up. Or maybe you feel like you have never been up. It doesn't have to be that way. There is a better way. Take one step of faith; just one baby step, in turning yourself around. Then keep on keeping on.

If you think about it, I'm sure you can find at least one moment in your life when things didn't look so bad. What was it? Was it yesterday? Last week? Last month? A year ago? Maybe it was when you were a child? Whenever it was, I want you to hold that thought. Remember how it felt. Remember how you felt? Remember what you said. Remember what you heard. Remember what you saw. Did you have a taste in your mouth? What were you holding? Visualize doing it again today! How would you feel? What would you do? I don't care how silly you think it is; no one is going to know but you. You grab hold of that thought and cherish it. Together we are going to make more of those happy abundant thoughts in your life.

It's easy to look at past events and see the successes in your life. Sometimes when you are in the war zone of your mind, your mind forgets about those happy, successful times. It is up to you to bring those happy moments back to life. Prisoners of war have told me that what got them through those really tough days was visualizing times when they weren't in battle. If you keep your mind on the battle, it's difficult to have positive thoughts to help win the war. If you stay focused on happy moments, then your mind starts seeking more happy moments to give you.

Think about your dreams, your hopes, your ambitions. We're all looking for a transformation in some area of our lives. I don't care how big or small your dreams, hopes and ambitions may be, if they're ever going to come to life, it will be because you took those baby steps of faith to turn your life around. The day you realize that you have the power to make a difference in your life as well as those whom you come in contact. If you wait for it, it will probably elude you like a butterfly. If you take seemingly insignificant steps, you will find that you have been empowered with a force within you that will take you places you've always wanted. Your mind is like a computer seeking the results of what is put in.

The question is how long are you going to wait to take those baby steps. Sure it may be tough at first. Maybe you fall down but you pick yourself up and take another baby step. It could be the one that leads to your breakthrough to living the life you dream. . .the abundant life. Make today the day you put away all fear and anxiety to begin empowered living unconditionally abundance in your life.

Are you ready to start living abundantly? Are you ready to get out of the war zone? If you need help, contact me. Together we can make a difference. To email me click here.

The Makeover

The Makeover
by Annie Tornabene

I was reading in Glamour Magazine and realized how much depression is like having a makeover. People who knew me a few years ago would agree. The beauty makeovers that transform a lady who thought she had no beauty transformed into a really beautiful person decked out with flattering clothes and makeup highlighted just in the right spots. That's what I'm talking about.

I was looking at some pictures of me then. I would fly off the handle at the slightest problem. I was always expecting the worst. I was always growling. My pictures show a person that was bitter and heavily overweight. I can't believe I was ever that large. lol The depression was the darkest and they said I was suicidal. I guess it's true, the darkest hour is just before the dawn.

A makeover in depression transforms the character, strengthens the integrity and purifies the motives. In understanding depression, you have to learn to trust in our Creator. Let our Creator empower our makeover. Meditation allows the mind healing. It relieves anxiety and worry. It allows tranquility and peace to enter into every fiber of your being to give you the freedom to live the life you dream and allow possibilities to appear in your subconscious mind that you can react to. Joy and laughter enter into our being. One day you wake up and find that happiness has taken over.

For me, meditation was the biggest key. Oh I had prayed before, but prayer is me asking or telling my Creator my problems. In meditation, it is our Creator communicating with us. If we focus on the light, the Light gives us strength and brings solutions along with peace and tranquility to accept what things cannot be change, the courage to change the things that we can and the wisdom to know the difference.

I start the day with a 20 minute meditation and end the day with a 20 minute meditation. During the day I may have several 2 minute meditations to help keep me focused or reclaim myself when thing seem to becoming unraveled. I was telling someone yesterday how much the 2 minute meditations have helped me. I've learn how to trust in my Creator's inner wisdom and honor my worthiness to receive this gift. I have become empowered with unconditional love, an empowering force of the law of attraction and joy and happiness have become my friends. I find every day a reason to live and laugh. Remember, I'm just like you. When I remind you, I am reminding me.

Our Creator designed the earth to be self supporting - everything is interconnected and all things were created to be of service to each other. Generosity to the poor and reverence for our Creator's wisdom is not separate from any part of our lives. It becomes us as we live in an attitude of gratitude. The makeover transforms us to see the beauty within ourselves. Enjoy your makeover. The beauty and light from within shines bright on the outer person.

Click here to hear Dr. Wayne Dyer on meditation.

Count Your Blessings

Today I started a taking a water aerobic body flow class. The great thing about water aerobic exercise is that if you are overweight or recovering from an injury or illness that has left you very weak, it is very hard to hurt yourself doing them. The water is supporting your weight instead of your lower limbs so a workout is less painful. The aerobic water exercises are increase muscular stamina and improve cardiovascular fitness in general. It can also help build strength and increase your flexibility. It is the type of exercise where you can work at your own pace. It is also up to you how hard you will work out in the water making it difficult to overdo it. It is also difficult to get overheated as the water is always cooling you off.

After class, a lady started asking me questions about how she can rid herself of depression. After talking a while, I asked her if she knew it was her last day on earth could she count her blessings. This is what she came up with:

1. I would stress less about the little things.
2. I would categorize everything as little things.
3. I would do more to escape from the pain instead of complaining.
4. I would invest the time I lose in unproductive and dangerous thoughts into planning creative outings for myself and for the family.
5. I would worry less about what others think.
6. I would make more time for coffee or tea and phone calls with friends.
7. I would visit my mom and my sisters more.
8. I would eat more dessert and not care as much about my waist line.
9. I would laugh more - make a point to laugh every day.
10. I would publish my journal online every thought I have, no matter how stupid.
11. I would spend more time outdoors.
12. I would eat breakfast with my kids, lunch with husband, and dinner with my family.
13. I would keep a mood chart that would track how I feel from day to day.
14. I would identify some possible triggers for my bad days.
15. I would invest in some friends like a support group that won't tire of me talking.
16. I would say to myself, "There is a better way. Together we can make a difference."
17. I would learn to take baby steps one day at a time.
18. I would learn to live in an attitude of gratitude.
19. I would write a journal so that I could remember my good days and count my blessings more.
20. I would learn to distract myself more so I could turn myself around.
21. I would make a bucket list and do everything I wanted to do.
22. I would make sure I made a list of the reasons I want to live so when I get down, I can pick myself up again.
23. I would thank my Creator each day for another day to live.
24. I would dance to the music.

What would say to count your blessings?

Looks Like We Made It

The storm has passed and once again, we find we made it. My nephew was disappointed that the storm wasn't any worse. After all the preparing, the storm wasn't as bad as we had anticipated. Just like our own personal storms of life; it wasn't so bad.

During the storm, I saw squirrels running in the trees and flying through the air trying to find safety. I saw these tiny little animals grab a branch and swing their bodies to the next branch. It was amazing. These little animals were really strong. You see, the greatest strength lies not in that which is big and mighty but rather in that which has the ability to flex and bend.

The mighty oak is not as strong as is the willow. When any adversarial force presses against us, the key to survival and harmony is flexibility or to resist resisting. Watch the willow in the wind. It will sway back and forth with the force of the wind, not against it. This does not mean that you just give up. It means in order to survive and thrive, you learn to bend with the strings of life not break. Check the trunk of the willow as the wind blows hard on it.... it is firmly planted in the ground. So too, can you be deeply rooted and planted firmly, yet allow yourself to flex and bend and flow with the forces and energies that come into your world. If you try to go in a certain direction with anything, and something just seems to be resisting, just flow with it and you will find another way.

Want to heal the world? Realize world peace? End poverty? Start being flexible with your life, in your world. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression, one person at a time. When we as human beings learn to share space and time with one another, wars will end and so will hunger and poverty. The problems in the world today are all the result of a lack of flexibility. Flexibility is selfless; it gives and takes a little. Stubbornness is selfish and ignorant. Sometimes we find that we can get more accomplished with learning to give a little. By being flexible, you will learn more and be happier. The more flexible you get, the stronger you will be, and the more in control of your life you will be. Who knows, maybe one day you will find that you are flying through the storms of life with the greatest of ease. And maybe one day, humanity will find itself harmonizing on one planet.

In The Mist Of The Storm

Hello there, happy Tuesday to you all. I know it’s not the best day of the week - heck, I’d say it’s probably the worst, next to Monday - but what can you do other than try and enjoy it? My sentiments exactly. Anyhoo, moving on…

We're awaiting tropical storm or hurricane Edouard to hit the shores of Texas this morning. Life for us is running in a chaotic pace with much anxiety of the approaching storm. Even though I have weathered many storms during my life, each one that approaches the Texas Gulf Coast is waited with baited breath. People waiting in line seem to think it is taking forever. When a storm is not approaching they can stand in the same line and it doesn't seem as long. Everyone wants instant gratification.

My nephew has never been through a storm and is asking 20 questions about everything. So I've had to sit him down and show him how we get prepared. I realized it is much like the storms of life that come our way.

First we have to take priority of our basic needs. We make a list of what we have and what we need to do. Love is the most basic need in all of us. We can lose everything but as long as we love ourselves and each other, we will survive.

Then we must each find our light. In the mist of a storm, often times we find that we are sitting alone in the dark. We will stumble and fall without a light. Do you know where your light is? With a flick of the button or strike of the match our light is ignited. It provides a guide for us to find our way in the dark. You never know the beauty of a stain glassed window until the darkness falls and the light from within shines through. Is your light burning brightly?

Stay calm when chaos is all around. Staying calm in the mist of the storm is opposite of what everybody else is doing. It is choosing to stay focused, to keep your eye on the center of the strings of life's storm. Be still. Meditate. Think on good thoughts. Hold those happy moments. Take time to find your center. Take time to get control of your mind and stay focused. You will find peace and tranquility will sit quietly with you and give you comfort.

Our first aid kit needs to be near. In the mist of the storm it is common to get hurt. When we get hurt, recovery requires that we take care of the injured party - whether it is ourselves or someone we love. Just as we need a physical first aid kit, we need a mental health first aid kit. It needs to be complete with things in it to help us recover. It helps us get back on the track to healthy mental living. Do you know what's in your mental health first aid kit? Do you have one? If you don't have one, ask me.

Sometimes we get stuck in a rut. We need extra help when this happens. What invades our inner thoughts and become familiar with the way we operate on a daily bases? Whether it's being abused in a relationship, dying around food in one way or another, filling our bodies with drugs, shutting down all feelings, surrendering to violent rage, or isolating or hiding. These behaviors become our pimps, so to speak, and we jump when they beckon. What helps you get unstuck from these behaviors? Do you need someone to help pull you out?

There is a part that no one but you can do. Get up. The storm has hit. Now what? What are you going to do about it?It's not what has happened to you, it's how you react to what has happened. A few years ago when Hurricane Rita came to town, I wrote a song entitled, Get On Up. It means just that, when the storm hits, it doesn't matter how many times you've been knocked down, you have to get on up! It's the getting on up that renews our spirit and causes the passion in our life to flame again. So, just get on up! When you get on up, you find that you are not alone and there are others cheering you on. It's taking those first baby steps that are the most difficult. Taking those first baby steps makes all the difference.

Once you start taking those baby steps, you keep on keeping on! It's the trick that makes the difference. Take one day at a time. One moment at a time and you will make it. Together we can make a difference in understanding depression. Some days I may need you to walk with me. Some days you may need me to walk with you. Together we can do it! You want to keep walking and smiling until one day you notice, "Hey, we're out of the storm!" Life will be brighter then. Life will be happier then.

May peace and tranquility be with you today as we get ready for the storm!