Pennie Hunt
  • Home
  • Blog~Writings From The Corner of Spirit & Brave
  • Love-Life
  • Pennie's Store
  • Presentations
  • Pennie's Ponderings ~ Quotes
  • Pennie's Life Lessons
  • Videos
  • Pennie in the News
  • Meditations
  • More About Pennie
  • Testimonials
  • Connect with Pennie
  • Contact Pennie
  • UPCOMING EVENTS
  • New Page

BUSY

4/21/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
“How are you?” –
​   “Oh, I’m so BUSY!”

“Hello there, how ya  
     doin?” –
“I am swamped, I’m too BUSY!” 

“What are you up too, want to …..
 "No, no, no, I can’t I have too much going on- I’m too BUSY!”

 “I’m busy” has become our response to any greeting.

Busy has become our natural state.
Busy has become a thing- a noun – like a dark shadow that circles our lives.
 
Do you see what we are doing to ourselves?  When did we begin equating being busy with success?
Maybe it began as an attempt to seem important by verbally listing the engagements, meetings and commitments we have on our to-do-list…and ending with a sigh.  Always a sigh.  

At some point we began believing our own self talk.  After all, our mind and brain will believe our own voice more than any other voice.  And we were very convincing.

We began to believe that we had to have a list to keep up with everyone else.  We had to be busy! 

We began to believe that the level of busy-ness was the measure of our own self-worth.  So the list became longer.  We foolishly became filled with distracting details of our activities.  The exchanged expression of ALL we have to do became expected.  And exhausting.

But, we didn’t stop there.  We began adding things to our lives.
Remember being busy = success!

Yes, life moves fast. New age electronics have increased this speed at an astounding pace.  It is frightening to ponder.   We all have work, families, responsibilities and commitments.  Do we have to make ourselves even more overwhelmed with the continual documenting of our busy-ness to everyone we interact with?
Secretly we just want to scream!

What if we began answering greetings with, 

      “I’m well, I’m happy and I am thrilled to  
       see you today!” 

What if we greeted others with,

     “What is making you happy today?” 

And then, shut up and smile.

Possibly, just possibly, the response may be more engaging than the level of overloaded activities filling the pack on their back.
They may just share a joyful story or expression of happiness.  The way greetings are meant to be.

Here is mine to you:
     “Hello there, how are you?
      What brings you joy today?”

And your response is???
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Stop telling yourself and others how busy you are.  Instead speak of the joy and happiness that fills your life!” 
​              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
 I shared this with you  to encourage you think about how many times you tell others how busy you are. 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

WHO IS YOUR BACKSEAT DRIVER?

4/13/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are you letting stories that you repeat over and over again define who you are?  Do you allow them to drive your life?  If you don’t know what I mean read:
WHO IS CHAUFFEURING YOUR LIFE?

Maybe you have your stories under control but have another problem… other PEOPLE who want to (or you allow to) chauffeur your life.  You know, that back seat driver that is always telling you where your life should go at every turn.  As you read that, did someone immediately come to mind?  Did you see their face and hear their voice? If so, you know what I am talking about.

Humans need human contact to survive.  People need people.  We need time. We need touch.  We need connection.

What we don’t need is to feel like we are powerless or controlled.  We don’t need to feel like our emotions and happiness are totally dependent on pleasing someone else.  We don’t need to feel like our actions are being controlled by the demands of another person.

I do have a caveat here -- I am not talking about a mutually loving relationship where there is reciprocity of respect, kindness and love.  It is healthy when we give of our self and do acts of love and kindness for others and in return receive feelings of love and self-satisfaction.

I am talking about the sponges that soak up all of our good intentions and acts of kindness without returning any level of thoughtfulness.  Oh, occasionally they may throw a sweet gesture your way, but for the most part, they hold an expectation that you will always be there, always support them and always give, give, give.

We believe the control is created by the other person, but the reality is – WE create the situation by giving away our control.  We allow the back seat driver to steer our life and control our actions.  Let me say that again- WE create the situation by giving away our control.

By doing this we give away our happiness. We cheapen our value by letting others push our buttons. We feel tied like a puppet with no way to cut the strings.  And yet, we are the only ones who can.

It is even possible that the other person is not aware of this situation, but it has been going on for so long that it has become a habit that holds no consequences or responsibility on their side.  After all, they are in the cushy seat, the comfortable place, the receiving end.

We must create boundaries. 
Boundaries around what we will or won’t do. 
Boundaries around our self-inflicted guilt when we believe we are responsible for the other person. 
Boundaries around our hearts as a protection from the invisible force of expectation we feel from the other person. 
And boundaries around our minds that have been trained to create the illusion of obligation to this person.

Isn’t it time to put the brakes on?
If you are always giving family members or friends money to get them back on their feet, but never see them grow up and take control of their own life --Stop writing checks expecting this to change.

If someone is always late, wait an appropriate 10-15 minutes and then leave- they obviously feel their time is more important than yours. Don’t cheapen your value.

If you are the one who tries to make everything perfect for others in hopes of making them happy, but it is never enough-- it probably never will be enough and they will probably never be happy… and while doing this, neither will you.

If you are under obligation to continually take care of or give to a person, evaluate if the obligation is real or is it just your perception that you “owe” someone your time and talent.  Evaluate the situation for codependency.  Are you getting something from being a martyr?  Even if you feel like you are being used and taken advantage of, have you become dependent on being needed?

If you are continually trying to stop giving your resources of time, finances, energy and control of your emotions and life to someone else, but only break free for short periods of time. Then you slip back into the old pattern again of one-way giving.  Chart how long you have been doing this pattern. Where has it gotten you?

If you are following a life path because someone told you it was the road you should take, but you hate the scenery, you feel lost, or you know in your heart it isn’t the way you should be going, it is never too late to stop, make a U-turn and let your soul’s GPS recalculate to guide you on YOUR path.  There isn’t time to be controlled by a backseat driver. Be your own navigator on this road of life.
Take control of your own steering wheel.
                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
    “Take control of your own thoughts,
                      time and talent. 
         Don’t allow a back seat driver to
​                     steer your life.”
                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Pennie Heart to Heart
WHO IS YOUR BACKSEAT DRIVER?
           All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

WHO TAUGHT  YOU HOW TO SMILE?

4/6/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
 I’m a natural smiler.
I smile all the time. 
Some people don’t. 

At 6’5” my husband’s size is intimidating.  His natural serious expression adds to this intimidating appearance and can unintentionally make him appear angry, annoyed or uninterested.

Recently, when I was encouraging him to SMILE, he responded with,
     “I am smiling on the inside.
       No one ever taught me how to smile on   
​       the outside.”

As babies, we are taught to walk by repeatedly being stood in front of open arms and encouraged to move our feet in clumsy toddler fashion until we move across the room.  If we don’t succeed, we fall and are reinforced that it “feels better” to walk than to fall. 

Were you taught to smile in the same way? Were you taught how to raise the corners of your mouth to form one smile after another like putting one foot in front of the other to walk?

We aren’t taught that even the slightest lift of the corners of our mouths lessens the creases in our foreheads, removes the heaviness on our face, and allows our eyes to sparkle. 

We aren’t taught that a smile is a gift we give ourselves and the easiest gift to give to others --It is almost guaranteed that if you give one you will receive one in return. 

We aren’t taught that smiles have the power to change someone’s day; to lift a heart; and to share love in a spontaneous way.

We aren’t taught that a pleasant resting face with the hint of a smile creates a welcoming persona when others see you and a full out smile when you meet people makes them feel important and ‘seen.”

We aren’t taught that a smile opens doors, opens opportunities and opens hearts.”
We aren’t taught that it “feels better” to smile.

I am giving you the SMILE CHALLENGE.  For one week practice smiling like you do any other health routine like exercise, brushing your teeth or sleeping.

Three times a day stand in front of a mirror and lift the corners of your mouth.  At first you may have to use your two index fingers to push those corners up, but I promise you they WILL move!

Try variations of how you smile.
A pleasant grin.
A happy beam.
A full out show-all-your-teeth smile.
Then throughout the day, let yourself smile.  Smile at strangers as you pass them.
Smile at the sunshine.
Smile to and for yourself when you are alone. 
It just Feels Better to smile! 
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“A smile opens doors, opens opportunities and opens hearts.” 
                        ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
 I shared this with you  to encourage you share your smile with yourself and others. 
It really does FEEL better to smile! 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

ARE YOU MAKING WAVES OR SAILING YOUR SHIP?

3/30/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Do you argue just to be right when the outcome is of little importance?

Do you walk in happiness or do you live in the shadow of anger?

Do you demand for the sake of being in control?

Do you create kindness or cause cruelty?
 
Do you judge when you could observe and accept?

Do you force your opinion to prove you hold power or do you listen to all sides?

Do you feel jealousy or do you celebrate the success of others?

Do you take when you could give?

Do you spend more time being helpful or harmful?

Do you fear and hate when you should love?

What if all of these choices were guided by one magical thought?

Close your eyes with me now and see yourself as the captain at the wheel of a beautiful ship.  The sun lays warmly on the side of your face while with every breath the crisp air circles your lungs with fresh energy.

The diamond sparkling water that surrounds you is the sea of your life. Your goal is to safely sail your ship, enjoying the sun, fresh air and adventure without causing danger or damage to yourself or others who are navigating their own ships. 

Your navigation system tells you there are rough waters ahead. Will you increase the speed to aim towards them risking damage to your ship and the cargo you hold close to your heart or will you turn to search for a calmer, safer route?

The radar shows a small vessel to the left. Will you blow your horn demanding they move and then stay on your course causing a wake that is certain to overturn the small vessel or will you slow the engines and adjust your route to avoid making waves?

You see a flair rocket into the sky...a clear indication that someone is in distress and needs help. Do you set your course to help them and gently guide them to safety or do you steer the other way as quickly as possible-- after all what you don't see won't hurt you, right? And by doing so cover them with a spray of water as you avoid their cries for help?

Here is where the one magical thought comes in.
If you were the captain of a ship would you put more emphasis on making waves or would you concentrate your energy on the smooth sailing of the ship. 

That's it!
The one magical thought that serves as the lighthouse flashing in front of us, guiding us through the storms, frustrations and challenges to reach the other side of life with ourselves, our ship and our cargo feeling safe, loved and honored. 

There are times on the voyage that there is no choice but to batten down the hatches and go full speed ahead into the sea of uncertainty that life creates for us, but most of the time we have a choice. Do we want to make waves or smoothly sail our ship? 

With every decision and action in life ask yourself this:
"Will this action I am about to take make    waves or will it safely sail my ship?"
             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Pennie's Life Lesson:
         "Every moment in life we choose to
             make waves or  sail our ship."
           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie Heart to Heart
ARE YOU MAKING WAVES OR SAILING YOUR SHIP?
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about your actions and how they affect you and others... use the concept above to gauge how you make your decisions.
Share thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

BLOCKING YOUR BLESSINGS

3/29/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Have you ever noticed how people struggling with grief are in protection posture?
 
Protection posture is when shoulders curl forward, the back is hunched and often the hands are clasped together in front of the chest. They have been hurt so deeply that this stance feels like it is protecting the heart from feeling more pain.  This kind of stance also blocks blessings that could feed healing.

Have you ever been in a sad space where you don’t feel good about yourself? 

You stay home. You say no to invitations.  You don’t return phone calls or emails. You isolate from the world believing that if you just rest and sleep you will feel better.  You dread family dinners, birthday parties, and sporting events to the point of anxiety at the thought of being surrounded by people you care about and who love you.

This type of rejection of family, friends and activities creates rejection in return.  When people hear, ‘no’ enough times they give up.  The phone stops ringing.  Invitations stop. By blocking the blessings of family and friendship you get what you want.  You are left alone.

Have you avoided dating or meeting new people because you are waiting for the image of perfection you have created in your mind?
 
Days, months and years go by and you remain alone blocking the blessing of someone new coming into your life. Maybe you are too busy looking for the right person, and not trying to be the right person.

Have you turned down opportunities because you were afraid?  Afraid to try something new?  Afraid of embarrassment? Afraid of failing?

Fear is a powerful force that creates a barrier between where you are and where you want to be.  When you allow fear to control your decisions and actions you are blocking blessings from your life.

Have you felt at times like all you want to do is hide behind a screen?

You can just sit on your couch in front of the TV, but that’s not living. When there is a screen of any kind, whether it is electronic like a phone, tablet, computer or an invisible energetic screen you put up between you and the rest of the world it blocks the blessings you could be enjoying and sharing.

Have you been in any of these spaces or know someone who is? 

Practice straightening the back, opening the shoulders and allowing the heart to breathe again.  This forces your head up to see the world and people around you.  It forces you to open your heart so that you are not living internally but instead, feeling and living in the amazing wonderful world of blessings that is open to you.

Practice moving out of your comfort zone.
Practice saying, “yes!”

The world is full of lonely people afraid to reach out, take the first step or make the first move. Don’t be afraid to join in the adventure of life. 

Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
     "Stop blocking your own blessings.
   Open the gate to your heart  allowing                        blessings to fill your life."  

​YOUR TURN...         
How often do you block your own blessings? 
My intent in writing this is to encourage you to open your heart and your mind to the blessings that are right in front of you.    

​Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

BREATH OF GREEN

3/17/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
So often I hear people saying they are rushed, tired and overwhelmed.
They are running from one meeting to the next, stressed about paying bills and worried about keeping others happy.

What they are ultimately doing is living in fear.
Fear of being late.
Fear of not having enough money.
Fear of disappointing others.

And the BIG one -fear of not being good enough.

Do you see yourself in that scenario?  If so, here is something that always works for me. 

Your mind cannot live in fear and love simultaneously.  Therefore, the answer is to increase love. You must begin by increasing the love inside of You!

Begin by understanding a new concept. Green is the color of love. Yes, Green! I know what you are thinking - wait a minute, what about red; the color of valentines, hearts and roses? 

Chakras, or energy centers, are located at strategic points in the body and are aligned with a color value.  The heart Chakra is Green and corresponds with unconditional love, compassion and healing.  Imagine a beautiful glowing emerald Green circle that radiates around your heart.

To increase love in yourself, for yourself and for others, you must fill this energy center with love.  This will in turn multiply and fill you with love.  Love will then spill outwardly - to others and to every aspect of your life.

This is where my "Breath of Green" comes in.  How often do you see green? Green is everywhere!  When you see Green, take in a slow deep breath.  As you do, visualize breathing in Green; breathing in love. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself,
     "breathe in love." 

As you exhale, imagine pushing out fear. Visualize fear as black, dirty, and ugly.  At first you may even say out loud or to yourself, 
     "breathe out fear."

This only takes a few seconds. Breathe in fresh, clean love. Exhale painful fear.
With every breath you will feel calmer.  No one will even know you are doing it, but they will notice a change in you.  YOU will FEEL a change in you. 

Soon you will begin to see Green everywhere. Your eyes will begin searching for it.

A woman will walk into a meeting wearing a Green sweater.

A dog with a Green leash will walk by you on the sidewalk.

The menu at the lunch deli will have the special outlined in Green. 

The junk mail you are throwing away will be in a Green envelope.

You will see a Green light as you are driving -Go Now- breathe in love!

Make an effort to try this for one week.   Once you experience the cleansing of fear and feel the new calmness of love take over, you will want to continue this practice.   
             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
   "Love and fear are not compatible.
   Fill yourself with love,  in order to  
   diminish fear." (Click here to Tweet!)
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
YOUR TURN...
 I shared this with you to give you a tool to relax and calm your busy life-- in a quick and easy way! 
How many times did you see and think Green just by reading this.  Tell us how this concept worked for you! 
​
 Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

I CAN SEE FOR MILES

3/9/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture

I hadn’t seen her in over 10 years. Occasionally her name would appear in a comment on my social media posts. 
A smiley face here -A thumbs up there - Once in a while asking me to call her.  When I tried to call the number she posted, it was incorrect, and I was met with a recorded message that the number had been disconnected. 

Months went by and she again posted the correct number and asked me to call.  I did and left a voice mail with my phone number in case she wanted to call me back.  She never did.

A couple of weeks ago another familiar name caught my eye in a comment under one of my posts.  This time from her sister that simply said, “I don’t know if you heard but….”
My friend had passed away.

I was stunned.  I sat back in my chair reading the sentence over and over. The sentence that took me back to 7th grade when we were best friends.  When we spent summers swimming at the local pool and talking about boys.  The nights we would walk around our neighborhood and look at the stars.  The shopping, movies, phone calls and giggles. 

One day we were at a park and I climbed to the top of the playground slide. I held the sides of the ladder, looking out across the countryside and sang a song by The Who,
     “I can see for miles and miles and miles 
       and miles and miles…. Oh yeah.”
She laughed and laughed – partly at my horrible singing and partly because we really could see that far across the never-ending field and that far into the lives we had ahead of us.  


It was her laugh that I heard as I sat back in my chair not believing what I had just read.

Interestingly a month earlier, I had been contemplating how friendship can be deep and yet time, location, and so many circumstances can change the dynamic of the relationship. I wrote about the ebb and flow of friendships and how difficult it is to keep these deep connections through the years. 
            (Read that writing here.)

​I regret not trying harder to call when she asked me to.  I regret all the disconnected years since we ran through that playground.


I feel the loss.  The loss of a person who knew my teenage secrets. The loss of the person who stood up with me at my wedding in 1976.  The loss of a friendship. The loss of that laugh in my life

I hope my sweet friend is in a place where she can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and miles…. Oh yeah.
            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Make the phone call.  It may be the last chance you get to hear your friend laugh.”(Click here to TWEET!)
             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
**If you don't know the song make sure to listen tot he audio above- you will hear it. 

Pennie Heart to Heart
 I CAN SEE FOR MILES AND MILES

​YOUR TURN...         
How often do you communicate with your friends?
Do you ever have a little nag in your heart that is telling you to connect with someone?
Have you ever not returned a phone call?
 
My intent in writing this is to encourage you to make the phone call.  Connect with your friends.  Share stories, heartaches and laughter.  Do it today.  You never know when you won’t have the opportunity to do it again.
It happened to me.  

​Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

CAREFREE

3/3/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
​Where are you on the Carefree Scale? A quick dictionary search on the word carefree stated -
 free from anxiety or responsibility, with the following words added: happy-go-lucky, free and easygoing, casual, relaxed, serene, cheerful, happy, merry, jolly, joyful, bright, sunny, bubbly, bouncy and breezy.
From 1 to 10 where would you rate yourself on a carefree scale?

Although I hope many of those words describe me, I don’t often 
​feel free from responsibility or carefree so I would rate myself low.  In fact, I wouldn’t use the word “carefree” when describing myself.  When I dig deep into my life backpack, I think there are many reasons for this. 

I was raised in a family where productivity and accomplishing were expected. I think this may be a common trait in military families. Both of my parents worked and my siblings and I were expected to set our alarms, get ourselves up, dressed, fed and have the dishes done before we walked to school.  All this at a younger age than would be acceptable today.  There was no sleeping in, no laying around the house, no video games or computers.

I was the baby of the family and the ‘accident’ that was never planned.  The joke of Pennie being an accident became a common family story. Although I felt loved and had a great family, I think in my very core I felt like I needed to prove that I was good enough to be here. I became a people pleaser, a peacemaker and never, ever, never said, “NO” to requests of my time.

I am also a Libra, the sign of the scales. I am always weighing what I should do when I should do it, if I am doing it right, if it is fair, if I should do more… to the point of exhaustion.

Recently I have been studying the Enneagram system and I am a 2- The Helper who is sensitive, supportive and fulfilled by giving to others even if it is at the expense of my own needs. Oh, and I am also a sensitive Empath.  I can’t walk through the grocery store without feeling the emotions, fear, anger, and hopelessness of others- often draining my own energy.

Whew!  When I look at the combination of all of this I wonder where would being carefree ever fit in.
Well, the answer is, it must!

I don’t think I am alone in this.  You may not have the bucket full of situations I outlined above, but you may have your own unique list.

I talk all the time about the importance of self-care.  The danger of worry and guilt and the damage it can do to your mind, body and soul. I believe a feeling of carefree bliss must be squeezed into the fiber of our lives.  When was the last time YOU felt carefree? Even for an hour or an afternoon?
​
I believe we must first find our own definition of what the feeling​ of being Carefree means to us and then practice it like you would yoga, meditation or any exercise routine you do. Incorporate time to be Carefree into your life as a ritual.  Give yourself breaks during the day to take a walk, watch the sunrise, sunset, (or both), without a mind filled with responsibilities or worry.  Build your carefree muscle to allow the time and strength to be FREE of CARES!  
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Practice being carefree. Work your carefree muscle into a ritual of being Free of Cares for a committed space and time each day.” 
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to practice being Free of Cares.  Incorporate time into your day as a ritual to give yourself a break from the responsibilities and worries of life 
​Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

THREE ABILITIES THAT DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS

2/23/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Are you searching for the secret to happiness?

Do you wonder why other people seem to be more successful than you—even if you believe that you work harder than they do? 

It comes down to three attributes. 
Here it is 1 – 2 – 3! 

1. The ability to accept and adapt to change.

2. The ability to believe you are Good  
     Enough to  love and be loved.

3. The ability to express gratitude.

Let me break these down for you.

I learned as a little girl growing up in a military family to make friends on the playground or stand alone.  I learned that I needed to accept the changes that occurred when my father received orders that moved us to a new community and that I needed to adapt to my new environment, make friends and enjoy the new normal.

This has served me well through career changes, divorce and grief.  While others live in the Who-Moved-My-Cheese stagnation unable to accept that their life has changed and unable to adapt to the new adventures ahead of them, successful, happy people hone the ability to accept and adapt.  You may not always like the event that spurred the change, but cultivate the ability to bloom in the space you find yourself – no matter what!

We are bombarded with the message that we are Not Good Enough!  We all protect that space inside where we believe we are not thin enough, smart enough, rich enough…the list goes on and on.  The newest guilt inducers verified by the over 300,000 self-help books on the market are that we are not happy enough, healthy enough or holy enough.

Here’s the thing – WE ARE ALL GOOD ENOUGH!!  Just by the pure biological chance that we were created proves this –it is no accident!  We were all meant to be here! I can tell you this all day, but YOU must do the work on this one.  YOU have to believe right down to your inner core that YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!

It doesn't matter what trauma you had as a child or what wrongs you have committed, you must come to a place of knowing that you are Good Enough to love and be loved.  If you don’t believe it no one else will believe it of you.  Relationships, love, happiness and success will avoid you—after all you are sending off the vibe that you aren't Good Enough and don’t deserve it!

Lastly, you must express gratitude.  You will never receive more if you are not grateful for what you have.  If all you have is a pair of shoes and a burger to eat, be grateful for that! Be grateful for every step, every breath, and every moment you are given and for all that your life is filled with.

Don’t just say, “Thank you,”  feel gratitude with every cell of your body.  Tell others why you are thankful for them.  Write thank you notes, make phone calls, journal, pray, sing, dance – whatever moves you to a loving place, do it!

You cannot hold on to a negative like hurt, anger or fear when you are filled with gratitude.  Practice the ability to express gratitude until it becomes your DNA. 
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pennie's Life Lesson:
“To be happy and successful cultivate these three attributes:
The Ability to accept and adapt to change; The Ability to believe you are Good Enough to love and be loved;
The Ability to express gratitude.”
                                            ~ Pennie Hunt 
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~
​YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to practice these three attributes until they become part of your daily living! Monitor how this positively affects your life!
​Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments

THE BIG "W"

2/15/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
It can run your life.
It can wear you out.
 
I am talking about the BIG “W!”
WORRY!
 
How often do you worry?
How much of your life do you waste?
 
A friend told me once that good people worry.  Of course, we do. We have concern for our kids, family, friends. That is natural.
When occasional concern turns into manic worry, red flags should wave. Worry is really a negative form of meditation.  Meditation is training your mind to let go and be open to a space of peace.  When you fill your mind with worry, it fixates on negative thoughts- quite the opposite of peace.   
 
Ask these questions about the situation you are worried about:
   Can I change it?
   Can I stop it?
   Is it mine to worry about?
 
If you can change something you are worried about, then change it.
If you can stop a situation you are worried about, then stop it.
If it is yours to worry about, meaning it directly involves you and only you, then give it deep thought as to how to do the above- change it or stop it.
 
But if the worry is about another person, or an event that does not involve you – then it is none of your business to worry about.  You cannot control another person’s life path.  It is not your place to interfere. It’s almost rude on a soul level.
 
When you have no power over the situation then all the hours of worry you are donating are hours of negative meditation that only damage and stress you.
 
When you are worrying about the “possibility” of what may happen - another red flag. What are the odds of something that isn’t even reality turning into the event you are conjuring in your mind? And if it did, would it be as bad as you are visualizing? Probably not.
 
Even worse - after a life event happens, do you stir your mind with the worst scenario of what “could have” happened?  Do you relive the event, imagining a much worse outcome than what it actually was? Stop worrying about the ‘what if’s’ in life.
 
Here is a tip- find a “W”.  Yes, a “W.” It can be wooden, plastic, gold or a “W” you cut from a piece of paper.  Place it in a prominent spot in your home.  By your computer, on your kitchen counter, in your shower or on your nightstand - wherever you see it often.  This “W”  will remind you that anything you have ever worried about in your life has been resolved.  It may not resolve in the way you like, but it is in the past and you have lived through it.
 
The time you are giving to worrying is holding space that could be held by joy, laughter, fun, kindness, love or anything much more positive and productive than worrying.
 
When you see your "W"  take a deep breath and let go of the negative meditation on what you can’t control.  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Worry is negative meditation.
Everything you have ever worried about has been resolved and you have lived through it.” 
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie Heart to Heart
 THE BIG "W"
YOUR TURN...         
 My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to stop negative meditation.  STOP WORRYING!   
​Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.​
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    There is a certain magic about where I live both physically and spiritually – on the crossroads of Spirit and Brave. 

    It seems appropriate that my writings be found under the sign that locates my life.  I wish for all of you the ability to live in your Spirit to experience a life filled with love and gratitude and be Brave in the learning of your life lessons. 

    Enjoy!
            Pennie

     

    Archives

    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Addiction
    Beginnings Endings
    Beginnings & Endings
    Beginnings & Endings
    Change
    Failure
    Father
    Father's Day
    Fear
    Forgive
    Forgiveness
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Happiness
    Healing
    Hope And Cope
    Hope And Cope
    Judgment
    Kindness
    Life Lessons
    Life Lessons
    LOVE
    Meditation
    Mindfulness
    Opioid Epidemic
    Risk
    Success
    Trust

    RSS Feed

PLEASE NOTE: This page does not provide medical or legal advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and links to other sites, Pennie Hunt provides general information for inspiration, encouragement and educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through links to other sites, is not a substitute for legal, medical or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call or the advice of your lawyer, physician or other healthcare provider.                              
Picture
Picture
Copyright © 2012- 2019 Pennie Hunt -  All Rights Reserved
Photographs by Pennie Hunt and Materpiecebysarah.com