When my grandkids were toddlers, they would reach their arms up to me. What do you do when a child does this? You lift them up, right? Toddlers can only see at the level of our kneecaps, so they want to be lifted to see the big, amazing world that we see. My grandkids also wanted to see if ​I​ had cookies on my kitchen counter.

When children are that size, parents and grandparents lift them. We teach them about life and show them what is right and wrong. We lift their minds and their hearts. As they grow, the lifters increase. When one of my grandsons went to first grade, he asked me if I knew what a cafeteria was. That was a whole new world for him. ​He had new lifters- cafeteria workers and teachers.

Soon they will have coaches and bus drivers. Then comes college, jobs, and employers​ --more lifters. As parents and grandparents, we hope that all these new lifters are showing them good things about life. Healthy things about life.

Then something changes. A shift happens. The kids grow up, and instead of being lifted, they become the lifters. They become the parents, the employers, and the bosses. They start doing the heavy lifting of raising children, supporting, and mentoring others.

Today, I would like you to think about lifting. Who did you lift today? Did you raise someone’s spirits? Did you find someone who is down, sad, or lonely, and did you lift them up? Did you encourage someone who felt discouraged in life, in their career, or in their relationship? Was it a child that you helped? Did you encourage them and lift them up? Was it someone older, like a parent, that you lifted?

Whenever you interact with someone who needs to be lifted, take the time to stop and talk with them. You have the power to lift them up. Don’t ever miss an opportunity to lift someone’s mind and heart. Helping, car​etaking, and lifting others makes us a good person, right?

Yes, it does. But, in this process of growing and lifting that we all go through, WE stop being lifted. We are busy being good people and lifting others. We believe it is a selfless act to help others.​

We are too busy and too tired to lift ourselves. We believe it would be selfish to spend time caring for and lifting ourselves. Maybe we never learned how to practice self-care, or if we did, we have forgotten how. Maybe we believe that everyone else deserves to be lifted, but we are not good enough to receive that kind of attention.

Today, when you are thinking about who you can lift, look in the mirror and lift yourself. Don’t criticize the person you see. Give yourself kindness and love. Notice all the good things about who you are. Appreciate all the good you do for others and say to yourself, “I am good enough!” Take time to spoil yourself a little. Take time to have fun and enjoy life.
Be your own lifter!
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                          Never miss an opportunity to lift someone else and
                           never forget to look in the mirror and lift yourself.
                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
​
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt  #IAmGoodEnough  #grief  #Love  #Joy  #HowToBeHappy  #Happiness 
**Love Your Life**  **Finding Joy**  **Gratitude**  **Mindset Shift**
**Positive Energy** **Mindfulness**  **Self-Care** **Resilience**
**Stop Comparing Yourself**  **Life Challenges**  **Happiness** 
**Authentic Life**   **Create a Life You Love**

I have a reminder on my phone that says,
“I’m going to look for things to love today.”
This reminder pops up every morning at 7:00 am. It is a gentle nudge first thing in the morning to look for the good in my day and my life.

Today, when my dogs woke me up at 5:30, I was still half asleep when I got out of bed to let them outside. I walked outside with them, and as I felt the fresh air tickle my face, I knew spring was coming. I fell in love with a new day - the day ahead of me filled with adventure and the unknowns of life.

I made a cup of coffee and settled into my meditation chair. My dogs took their morning position on my lap, snuggling in for their complimentary massages. As their sweet eyes looked at me with the deepness of love that only dog lovers understand, I fell in love with them again.

With the dogs sleeping happily on my lap, I enjoyed my coffee. I fell in love with the smell and taste of vanilla, and the foamy cream swirled on top,​ all created by my coffee machine that I lovingly named Gloria. Her glorious coffee is the way I begin each day. I love her for that gift.

The only sound was the trickle of water from the small fountain in my home office. I fell in love with the quiet peace of the morning​. My meditation was on finding things to love.

As my day went on, I fell in love with the warm water of my shower, the protein shake I had for breakfast, and the morning chat with my husband.

I sat at my computer to do some writing and fell in love with the technology that makes my work easy and doable. I fell in love with all the people who read my words and send me emails and comments. I fell in love with the connections I make through social media and the ability to touch others far away from the chair I sit in.

I fell in love with my car as I ran errands. I fell in love with my friends who sent me texts and called me to plan lunch.

I fell in love with the thought of my family and how my love grows for them with every breath.

I fell in love with every bite of food I had for dinner as my mind traveled through the path it took to bring each item to my dinner plate. From the earth and farmers to the factories and grocery stores- I fell in love.

When I went to bed, I slid into the crisp sheets and fell in love with the safety and comfort of the feeling of home. ​My nighttime ritual is to create a mental list of people, places, and things that I love. As I went through this gratitude list, I fell in love over and over again.

I reached to plug in my phone,​which was on the nightstand. The screen reminded me,
 “I’m going to look for things to love today.”

If I don’t check my reminder off as done, it will continue to pop up on my screen every time I pick up my phone. I smiled as I stared at the reminder. I didn’t have to look far today. It was all the simple things in my life that I loved. The things I usually glance over and take for granted. The things that made me slow down to enjoy and appreciate in my life. The things that I may not have forever, but today I do.

I checked off my reminder as completed for the day.
Today I fell in love.  
​                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                     Every day, look for things to love. 
​                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​Last night I watched the movie, “The Life List.” Yes, it is a romcom. Yes, it is a bit predictable at times. And yes, oh yes, it made me think.

As the trailer describes, it is the story of how a young woman embarks on a journey of self-discovery, working through a list of goals she wrote as a teenager. At the request of her late mother, she confronts her grief while finding the courage to live a full life.

I have been thinking about this movie all day. I am not sure if the term bucket list was a thing when I was young, but I am sure I had ideas in my mind that I wanted to do, things I wanted to have, and expectations I held for my life. Unfortunately, I never wrote them down. At least I have never come across the list if I did.

I did write back then. I wrote a poem when I was 16 about how I wanted 3 kids – Jimmy, Johnny, and Angela Dawn. I still have the poem written on hot pink paper. I was close- I had Jeremiah, Jameson (J.T.), and Sarah. My poem didn’t include divorce or the loss of a baby (Jake) and the loss of my 22-year-old son, J.T.  I didn’t expect or predict the hard times that we all inevitably have in life. None of us do.

When I was young, I thought I would be a teacher. I look at my life now and I think I am. I teach through my writing, speaking, and the life lessons I share. Today, ​I​ ​tried to remember what else I wanted. What didn’t I do on my young life list?

I wanted to play piano. When I was a child, we had an organ. I hated the organ lessons I took and would dream of my hands dancing across the keyboard of a beautiful piano. I wanted to be a wonderful singer (you don’t want to hear me sing.) I wanted to ice skate like Dorothy Hamill. (I was pretty good at this.) I wanted to dance with John Travolta – this goes back to the Grease movie. What teenage girl didn’t want to dance with John Travolta?  

What do I want now?

I have always wanted a house with a front porch big enough for a porch swing like my grandmother had.​ A safe place to daydream, drink coffee, and write. I still dream of this.

I would love to take painting lessons at the Bob Ross studio. ​Again, spurred by my grandmother, who spent hours duplicating his painting​ style as she watched him on TV. This was my inspiration to learn and enjoy painting.

I want a photo of me standing in a field of blooming sunflowers. I want to be able to make cinnamon pecan rolls like my mom did. I want to spend as much time as I can with my family and people I love and care about. I want to see every sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand and my dogs on my lap​ - preferably on a porch swing.

​As I write this life list today, what I want now are simple things. Although I do want to travel more and London, France, and Ireland are on my list. But taking that sunflower photo would not be difficult. I could find a place for that porch swing. I have my mom’s pecan roll recipe. It all requires me putting in the effort and allowing the time to do it.

What did you have on your life list when you were young? What would you put on your life list now? When will you begin putting in the effort and allowing the time to do these things? If not now, when?

And now I am off to the kitchen. Flour, cinnamon, pecans, and a rolling pin are waiting for me.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                Create your life list and do the things you want to do.
                                                   If not now, when?
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Recently, I was traveling and found myself in a hotel where a skin care company was holding a conference. I stepped into the hotel elevator, and a couple squeezed in just before the door closed. Ten seconds into the ride, the woman said to me,
“I can help you with those bags under your eyes.”

She then handed me her business card.

Ouch! The door opened and I exited without responding to her. Now I do realize, when I am over-tired, I can carry around undereye puffiness. I am always open to trying new products for this, but her sales delivery during a 30-second elevator ride was not going to win my interest or business.

In that micro moment, her comment clouded my entire day. I felt self-conscious. ​I looked in every mirror that I passed to see if my eyes looked that bad. I battled all the unkind thoughts I was thinking about her. I fixated on that one negative micro moment. I allowed it to take away my joy.

Our lives are made up of micro moments.​ Seconds that add up to minutes that add up to hours, days, years, and a lifetime. Most of the time, we are looking at the big picture of our lives. Are we successful in our job? Are we fulfilled in our retirement? Are we happy with our relationship?

When we look at it in this broad spectrum, we miss the micro moments. Let’s bring it down to that level. The moment a stranger smiles at you. The moment of finding a lost $20 in the pocket of an old sweatshirt. The unexpected phone call from a friend. The first snowflake of winter or the first sign of a tulip in the spring. These micro moments of joy can become lost in the bustle of our lives. We walk right by them on our way to building that big picture of our life.

But wait, we notice the negative micro moments. These snippets of time can instantly deflate our mood and lodge in our mind, ruining our entire day. The burn of a curt email. The car that cut in front of you on the way to work. The computer glitches when the internet temporarily goes out just as you are ready to send an email. And yes, an off-hand comment in an elevator that hits as a criticism.

These small negative moments are often magnified in our minds, creating a much larger impact than they deserve and spirals us into the darkness of negativity. A negative moment holds a much stronger emotional meaning to us than a joyful one. It becomes personal.

To get life back in balance, we need to give more meaning, more attention, and more power to the micro-moments of joy. The glimmers of happiness that happen all around us. The fleeting bursts of positivity add texture to our days.

We need to flip our attention from the negative moments and be mindful of the positive moments. We need to reframe our perspective and reframe our thinking to search out the micro moments of joy. When you are looking for the small moments of joy, you will find them, and the negative micro moments will not matter.
                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                         Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                               Shift your focus from negative moments to the
                        small moments of joy that truly shape your happiness. 
                                        ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ​

Do you remember your favorite high school class? What made it your favorite? Was it the teacher, the classmates, the subject, the time of day, or something else?

For me, it was my sophomore year, and I took a Humanities class. I will admit that at the time I did not know what that word meant. It was in a group of elective classes, and I needed to pick one.

I am guessing the description for the class looked something like this:
HUMANITIES: Exploring Human Culture
This course provides an introduction to the major ideas, artistic movements, and literary works that have shaped human civilization. Students will study a variety of disciplines, including history, philosophy, literature, music, and visual arts, to gain a deeper understanding of cultural development and human expression. Through reading, discussion, and creative projects, students will explore themes such as individual identity, ethical dilemmas, and the role of the arts in society.

I had already taken fun electives, like photography, interior design, and art, so I thought I would take a chance on humanities. After all, it seemed a bit off the beaten path of math and science (not my favorites), and I liked the idea of ‘creative projects.’ I was all in.

I received the syllabus on the first day of class. I was pretty intrigued by the areas we were going to study, but I stopped at the date scheduled to visit a funeral home. What? Nope. No way. I was sure I would be home sick that day.

Every day in class I was increasingly intrigued with what we were learning. It is interesting what stays embedded in our minds. I can’t tell you the teacher’s name, but I remember the concepts we learned and the day at the funeral home. At 16 I had only been to one funeral home. It was a deep memory of being with my grandmother when I was about four. During a shopping day she took me to a visitation. I remember walking by the casket and seeing a woman lying in it. I will never forget her bright red lipstick and the uneasy feeling I had.

That feeling came right back to me as our class walked through the door of the funeral home. I remember the discussion while we were there. It was about death and the process of grief. Our guide then took us downstairs to a room filled with display caskets. I thought it was so odd. Assorted colors of wood. Different linings. Different chrome and gold handles. I am not sure I took a breath the entire time we spent in that room, but I do remember deeply breathing in the fresh air when we left the building.

That semester in Humanities class made me think. For years I thought about how we are all connected as people. How music and art play a deep role in history and the culture of time. How communication connects human to human – no matter how the communication happens. And that day at the funeral home left me thinking about life- how we arrive, how we depart, and everything in between and after.

I had no idea that one Humanities class would be so interesting and impactful.
It spurred questions and critical thinking to continue throughout my life. I have experienced and carried with me personal journeys through grief, which have taken me to many funeral homes. I have a degree in Communication because I believe everything that happens in life (good and bad) comes down to communication. I feel deeply that all humans are connected. I believe if we hurt, others feel our pain. It shaped my values and beliefs. It spurred my compassion and empathy for others.

I had no idea all of this would play out so profoundly in my life. The word humanity is from the Latin humanitas for "human nature, kindness.” Humanity includes all humans and refers to the kind feelings humans have for each other.

We all should take a refresher course in Humanities.
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                         When the world feels off balance,
                   look for humanity- kindness, and compassion for others. 
                                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

My best friend’s mom bought me my first pair of jeans and they saved my life. Well, it seemed like it at the time.

As a military family, we were living in California when the Air Force gave my dad orders to go to Thailand. While my dad was in Thailand, my mom, brother, sister, and I moved from California back to South Dakota where we would live after my dad’s time overseas.

I was in 7th grade and I wasn’t unhappy about the move. California wasn’t my favorite place to live. Even though I had adapted to the California way of dressing- the wide-legged high-waisted pants with bold colors of stripes or plaids that cascaded over my white socks and platform shoes, I never really fit into the California lifestyle. I was anxious to move back to South Dakota.​ A place I remembered happily living years before.

We bought a new house in my old neighborhood. I was excited to go to school and I hoped that I would find old friends. I didn’t. Everything was different. Or maybe it was all the same, but I was different. Wearing my flashy pants and platform shoes was far from the style of this place I had returned to. The style was jeans. Only jeans. And not white socks. I was called a sosh.

I struggled for a few weeks until my best friend convinced her mom to take me shopping. She bought me my first pair of Levi’s. Tight Levi’s. Lay-down-on-your-back-to-zip-them-up tight. I was thrilled! I wore them every day. Day after day. They were long enough that they covered my platform shoes and I​ convinced my mom to buy me new socks that weren’t white.

My new look must have worked. The jeans saved my life. I made it through the rest of junior high and high school without being laughed at or called a sosh ever again.
I became an expert on keeping up with the kind of jean brands that were in style. Back then it was Levi, Lee, or Wrangler. Now, all these years later I am feeling lost in the world of denim. I don’t have a clue what kind and style of jeans I am supposed to be wearing.

I made it through the bell-bottom era and reluctantly adapted to skinny jeans. That took a while, but I did learn to love, love, love skinny jeans.

Now I don’t know where I fit or what is right for me to wear. There are more brands than I can list. There are skinny jeans, straight-leg, bootcut, wide-legged, bell bottom, flare, and boyfriend jeans.

Once you pick one of those, then you must decide if you want high-rise, mid-rise, or low-rise. And what color do you like? Dark denim, navy, mid-wash, light wash, stone wash, acid wash, faded, indigo, … And they aren’t just blue jeans anymore. They are black, white, teal, pink, and any color you can imagine.

Do you want them normal length, ankle, petite, cuffed, stacked, capri?
Then don’t forget the choice of vintage jeans, patchwork jeans, embellished jeans, distressed jeans, and various tummy control and stretch jeans.

And the price can range from $10 at discount stores to close to the price of a weekend away at an Airbnb. 

I could go on with this game, but you see where I am going. How do I know what is right for my life, my style, my age and shape? It is overwhelming! Shopping for just the right pair of jeans is an adventure of fear and determination. I will admit that I have given up the search more than once.

Last week I walked out of my closet wearing (what I thought was) a pair of cute teal jeans. My husband chuckled and told me they looked like pajama bottoms. They are currently in the donation bag. I am beginning to feel the insecurity of being a 7th grader again and wondering if people are whispering about me and if I did a social media “fit check’ I would be a bit off.
Is there anyone out there that has the answer to this dilemma?
It just might save my life!
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                                  Sometimes less is better.
                                   More choices can create more confusion. 
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Whenever I visited my mom, the battle would begin. She was always cold. Even though she would wear layers of clothes, and I would gift her with lap blankets, sweaters and jackets, she was never warm enough. She kept her thermostat set to 80 degrees. Year round- 80 degrees.

I understood that aging brings slower circulation, slower metabolism, thinner skin, and the loss of ability to generate enough heat to be comfortable. I was sympathetic to this – hence the gifts of lap blankets, sweaters, and jackets.

Visiting my mom was like being in a sauna you couldn’t escape from. I couldn’t argue enough to persuade her to bump it down a bit. My mom was a tiny four-foot-nothin little powerhouse of a woman who wasn’t afraid to stand her ground. There was no compromise. She wanted it set where she wanted it set. That was that—​ end of conversation.

So, the silent battle would begin.

Every time I walked down the hallway, I would stop at the thermostat and inch down the number to where it was tolerable for a human to survive.
Every time she walked down the hallway, she would bump it back to her sweatbox number of 80.   

We didn’t talk about it, we didn’t scold each other, we didn’t even make eye contact. We just slyly changed the temperature back and forth. Back and forth.

I look back on those days with humor in my heart like I am remembering a Sunday night sitcom on TV. I wish my mom was still here to battle with, but I​ ​realize that the ​Battle of the ​Thermostat didn’t end with my mom. It has become the same in my home.

My husband and I are rarely at the same climate-controlled body temperature. I can become overheated while cooking in the kitchen, and he can be chilly sitting in a chair reading. I like to sleep with the windows open and a ceiling fan on, and he likes to snuggle under layers of blankets, closed windows, and no fan. In the summer, I freeze if the AC is too cold, and he likes the house to feel like a meat locker.

The silent battle has begun.

We have this fancy thermostat that can be controlled on our phones. I can sit in my home office and inch the temperature up or down to where it is tolerable for MY idea of human survival.

He can sit in his reading chair at the opposite side of the house and adjust the setting to his comfort level. We don’t talk about it, we don’t scold each other, we don’t even make eye contact. We just slyly change the temperature back and forth.

I am pretty sure this is a common family battleground. After all, we are all different ages, shapes and sizes and have different set points for our preferred temperature of comfort. I am certain that even with our work families, there are varied opinions of what the desirable heat and AC adjustment should be.

Recently I noticed two new warriors in our ​Battle of the ​Family ​Thermostat. Our dogs. Zenee just turned 8 and loves to sleep on her back to cool off her tummy and lay her head on the cool wood floor. Gracie just turned 9 and insists on wearing her lightweight coat in the house and sleeps with her paws tucked under her as if she is freezing.
They don’t have their own phones, or the four-way battle would begin. Our thermostat would probably blow up!
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                 Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                            None of us feel life at the same temperature. 
​                                          ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sometimes I hear a concept that forces me to think. A thought, a phrase, a word that makes me ponder about how it relates to my life and mistakes I have made.
I was with a group of friends talking and someone said,
“It is hard to tell when help isn’t helping.”

Woah. ​Let that settle into your brain for a minute. How many times in life do we think we are giving help, but it really isn’t helping?

When my children were learning to walk, I was terrified that they would fall and bump their heads on the corner of my coffee table. I would hover over them as they took their wobbly steps and caught them right before they lost their footing. I thought I was helping, but the reality is, when they fell, they learned how to get back up on their own. Their balance improved. Falling was a lesson they needed to learn.

When they were school-age, I could have been considered a helicopter mom. I would run the lunch box or homework to school when it had been forgotten and left on the kitchen counter. Was I helping them or keeping them from learning the consequences of their forgetfulness? Maybe one day of missing lunch, or a zero on an assignment would have taught them not to forget the next time.

It took me parenting my 3rd young adult before I learned this valuable lesson… I would see things I felt he needed to do differently and give my advice on how his life should be lived. Of course, I would write a check to fund the steps needed to carry my advice through. I thought I was helping, but I was keeping him from making his own decisions, living his own life, and making his own mistakes. It took a few years (and a lot of checks) before I realized if I stopped giving advice, I would stop writing checks. I can’t say this any clearer – When you stop giving advice, you stop writing checks!

There have been times in life when family members and friends have formed a relationship with someone, I didn’t feel was a good match for them. Expressing those thoughts didn’t typically change their feelings for the person. Relationships will work out, or not work out, in time. In the process, lessons are learned. In most cases, it is better to be an outside observer and watch the process. Telling them what you feel about the relationship doesn’t help.   

In life, there is something to be said for letting a man be a man and letting a woman be a woman. We all need to feel empowered to get up when we fall – even if we bump our heads in the process. Falling is painful, but it teaches us how to get back up. We learn how to be resilient. People need to stand on their own feet and walk their own paths.  

We will all have setbacks when we make a poor decision, lose money, or find ourselves in the wrong relationship. A bad decision has consequences, but it creates a foundation for better decision-making in the future. Losing money is painful but teaches an appreciation for earning more and self-respect for paying our own way. Relationship breakups hurt but it teaches us what we don’t want in a future long-term relationship.

From the outside, it is difficult to watch a friend or family member go through these lessons. It is easier to step in with advice, proposed solutions, and financial support to correct the failures. But… are they failures? Maybe they are stepping stones in their path of life. Lessons they need to learn to become stronger. Experiences they need to have to become the person they are meant to be.
                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                  It is hard to tell when help isn’t helping.
                                    Sometimes what you think is helping
                            hinders the intended path of someone else’s life.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Do you get irritated when you see happy people? You know the ones​ —​ the people who are always smiling. Always upbeat. Always humming as they work. You think sunshine and rainbows must hover over their home. You are certain they have a perfect life. The kind of life you want but just seeing them so unrealistically happy annoys you.
 
I teach people how to be happy. I give them tips and techniques to Love Your Life- No Matter What. I believe living with joy and happiness is a choice. I am one of those optimistic, look-at-the-bright-side happy people. It takes a lot to get me angry and even more to get me down. But it occasionally happens. Here is my point … even happy people get sad.
 
A couple of days ago I had a bad day. I couldn’t decide if I didn’t feel well, if I was sad, if I was lonely, if I was feeling sorry for myself, if I was tired, or if I was… well, a big combo of all of it.
It was a bad day.
 
So, I did the only thing I could think of. I put myself to bed. Like an over-tired 2-year-old, I needed to just close my eyes and let everything lift off my mind. I took a 2 ½ hour nap in the middle of the day – something I rarely do.
 
When I woke up my first inclination was to go back to sleep. Go back to that place of a blank mind, but instead, I stayed in bed and had a talk with myself. Of course, I went through my gratitude list of all the people and reasons I have in my life to be grateful and happy. I gave myself a stern, quit-feeling-sorry-for-myself lecture. I closed my eyes and began taking deep breaths. Not to go back to sleep, but to try to clear out the negative junk that was in my mind.
 
Then it came to me. No one is going to rush in and make me happy. No one is going to come to the rescue, wave a magic wand, and make me feel great. NO ONE CAN CREATE JOY FOR ME- except me! Joy is an inside job. My job. No one is going to do that for me.   
 
I teach happiness, but I still have an occasional bad, sad, no-good-rotten day. I have days when I need to listen to my own writings and practice my own tips and techniques.
 
I tell others, when you don’t know what to do – do nothing. For me, it was a 2 ½ hour nap to get me through my overwhelming confusion. What I do know for sure is being in stillness has a way of clarifying everything. Sometimes a nap and realigning how you look at things can go a long way to healing your heart and mind. It opens space for the answers you need and the guidance you should follow.
 
What I know to be true is that even happy people get sad. Sometimes those unrealistically happy people who annoy you are just better at covering their sadness with a smile. Sometimes those are the people you need to check in with. None of us get through life without times of sadness. For some people, times of sadness, grief, depression, and tragedy require professional help to walk with you through these times. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
 
But when you do have an occasional sad day, a down day, a rotten day, remember​ - joy is an inside job. No one can create joy for you except you.
                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                            Even happy people get sad.
                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I bet you have felt it. You aren’t motivated. You feel drained and exhausted. The enthusiasm you once had for your work is gone. You have lost interest in productivity or performance. You are stressed, overwhelmed, and you feel hide-in-the-closet hopeless!

You might add to that list physical problems like headaches and insomnia. You see yourself stepping away from social activities, procrastinating, and the person you see in the mirror is moody and irritable – even to you!

You have lost or gained weight because you are so busy and pressed for time that your diet has suffered. You skip meals or grab easy food and eat on the run. You may notice that food, caffeine, or alcohol has become a closer friend than it used to be.
You wonder if you are depressed, but you don’t have the energy or the power to concentrate long enough to research what is wrong, so you convince yourself that it is just YOU, and if you move faster and do more it will get better.

Here is a news flash. It isn’t YOU. All those symptoms can be bundled into one word- BURNOUT!

This state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress can be caused by work stress, family stress, caretaking of aging parents and/or children, or a combination of all of it. In our fast-paced world, “life” can cause burnout. Symptoms can vary but may include those I mentioned above – and more.

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. A recent article in Forbes stated that burnout is at an all-time high with 66% of America’s employees experiencing some level of burnout. I also wouldn’t leave out students, stay-at-home parents, and retirees. Burnout can strike all ages and stages of life.

So how do we balance our lives and begin living in bliss instead of burnout? How do we move from stress to simplicity? From havoc to happiness? From chaos to calm? How do we pursue the path from pressure to peace in our lives?

This is where you might be thinking I am ready to give you the golden ticket, the perfect solution, or the map that will guide you to reach that place of peace and bliss. I am sorry to say I don’t have a one-size-fits-all answer.

I have many decades of life experience. And yes, I have had more than one pocket of time that I experienced being frazzled or overtired – the words used years ago before burnout became popular. What I have learned is that some situations will change with time. When I was a stay-at-home mom with 3 young children, I had times when I thought I couldn’t change one more diaper, stay up one more night with a sick child, or manage one more fundraiser for their school. But I did and my children grew up. I look back at those days with love- it still makes me tired to think of it- but I cherish the sweetness of that time.

I also remember almost ten years of leading an organization, traveling, working 60-hour weeks, and commuting almost 2 hours every day. My burnout became real. When health issues and life tragedies hit me, I decreased my work time, decreased travel, and commuting, and began practicing self-care. 

What I stress to you is this- you must do what works for you. Pay attention to your body. Very little in life is worth giving up your health for. Make time to eat right and exercise. If you cannot cope or deal with depression, see a professional if needed. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and put yourself first.

Cut down your “Hafta” list. We believe we are indispensable and hafta do everything. There is very little in life that you hafta do! Yes, I realize most people have rent or a mortgage, so you hafta have an income and if you have babies – you hafta feed the babies! But take a deep look at everything on your hafta list and chisel it down!

Look at your job or career. Are you doing what you love? Is there a way to improve your current situation? Is your boss open to conversations about change? If none of this works, refresh your resume- it may be time to find success elsewhere.

It takes time to create a life you love, but it is possible. Finding the right balance between what you hafta do and what you enjoy doing is attainable. Burnout can make you feel like a failure or imposter, but you are not. You are just on the path from pressure to peace as you leave burnout behind.
Enjoy the journey!
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                            Focus on what matters in life.
                                        Create a life of balance and peace.
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I hear the word, era a lot lately. Most of us know that word as indicating a segment of geological time or describing a specific historical event.  

Maybe it was Taylor Swift’s Era Tour that had everyone thinking about the modern definition of era which is - a personal phase in your life characterized by a theme, behavior, or circumstance. The fluidity of this can last for minutes or a lifetime. A new era can begin when you embark on a new mindset or activity that embraces a particular lifestyle. This is often spurred by a significant life change, challenge, or achievement.

You may currently find yourself in a Lazy Era, a Boho Era, a Sporty Era, or A Boss Girl Era. If you are on a health plan it may be a Protein Shake Era. If you have suddenly found a love for a new hobby, it could be your Yoga Era or Artistic Era. If you end a relationship, you could find yourself back in your Single or Dating Era. You can name your era whatever you like, so be creative.

There is one era I am noticing that many people are falling into. The Worry Era. In the world we live in today uncertainty surrounds us. Change is happening at an accelerated speed.  Every day there are new advancements in AI and technology, so you might worry if they are good or bad.  

Weather changes, fires, floods, and blizzards may have you worrying about the devastating ramifications of these disasters.

Changes in leadership at your job, or on a governmental level may make you worried about what changes may affect your income, financial security, or life.

Add into this the common life worries of keeping your kids safe, ​your aging parents cared for, ​your health and the health of others, paying bills, etc.

The Worry Era is a dangerous one to be in. This kind of layering of worry on top of worry, on top of worry, can destroy your happiness and your health.

I have an idea. You have heard of the 80/20 rule where 80% of your productivity comes from 20% of your work. A twist on that is an example of dieting. If you eat healthy food 80% of the time, then 20% of the time you can splurge on sweets or not-so-healthy foods.

Let’s use that example for worry. What if you fed your mind positive, healthy upbeat, happy, and controlled thoughts 80% of the time and allowed yourself only 20% of the time for worry? If you are in the Worry Era, I suspect you are currently worrying much more than 20% of your time now. You are probably running a worrisome scenario through your mind constantly. Even if you are concentrating on work or an enjoyable event, there is a smaller area of your brain that is simultaneously running wild with thoughts of worry. Even this back burner of worry is detrimental to your health and well-being. It steals your joy!

Try to control your thoughts. Set a small amount of time aside to worry. Sit down and let your brain worry about everything for that small, restricted amount of time. Then shut it off and go back to living in a calmer, more content environment. When you control this worrying time, I think you will see just how much of your life you were spending on worry.

Get out of the Worry Era! Stop now and pick a new era that is much more fun and exciting. Can I interest you in a Pickle Ball Era or a Walking Era? Maybe an Adopt-a-New-Puppy Era or a Learning to Cook Era. A Dancing Era.
The Era’s are endless! What’s your pleasure?
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                     Don’t allow yourself to worry more than 20% of the time
                       and watch the other 80% of your life become more joyful. 
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Have you had a boss who made an impression in your life? I have. This person wasn’t my favorite boss, we didn’t work together long, and we didn’t become lifelong friends. But in our short time together, this boss gave me something I will never forget – one question.
 
At the end of every workday, my boss would ask me, 
“Did you make progress today?”
 
There was rarely an inquiry as to what I was working on, how I was completing tasks, or what successes I could tout. Just one question that spurred a yes or no response- 
“Did you make progress today?”
 
Every day I would smile and simply say, “Yes.”
 
Decades have passed since we have worked together, but that one question embedded itself in a wrinkle of my brain. For years that question has popped into my thoughts when I need to hear it the most. When I am working on something that doesn’t seem to be moving fast enough or isn’t creating a sense of accomplishment or success, I ask myself that simple question- 
“Did you make progress today?”
 
It has become a wonderful version of positive self-talk. Instead of feeling like I have failed at something it creates a positive space for moving forward- even if it is a little at a time. Every movement forward is progress.
 
Wouldn’t that be a great concept to adopt for yourself? So often in life we are pushed to do more, be more, and accomplish more. No wonder we carry so much stress. No wonder the 2024 burnout rate of workers was the highest number ever with 40% of employees reporting feelings of burnout. No wonder in 2024 nearly 60 million Americans reported experiencing mental health illness. 
 
We are pushed to be perfect. Pushed by our companies, our bosses, our world, and ourselves. When will enough be enough? When will the search for perfection stop? When will we stop trying to be 100% perfect 100% of the time and just try to be a better person than the one we were yesterday? Let the magic of the compound effect work. A little better every day creates progress every day and will move you to the outcome you are reaching for. 
 
By thinking this way, we will make progress without living a life filled with damaging stress. We will be moving at the speed we need to move at and making the progress we are supposed to be making. It might turn out to be more progress than you thought you could make.
 
If you are a boss, try this with your employees. If you are a parent, try this with your kids. Most importantly, begin trying this yourself. At the end of every day look in the mirror and ask yourself this question,
“Did you make progress today?”
 
All those years ago I doubt that my boss knew what an impact this one question would make on my life. But little by little, day by day it did.
And yes, I made progress!
​
                        ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                     Pennie’s life lesson:
                         "Today don't try to be perfect.
               Just try to be a little better than the person
                                 you were yesterday."
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~​

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Weird things come to my mind when I am in the shower. Sometimes amazing ideas hit me.
Sometimes it is an errand I must remember to do or a call I need to make. Sometimes it is memories of things that have happened in my life – yesterday or decades ago.
 
These thoughts can play out in odd, quirky little rhymes that don’t rhyme well or make much sense, but they lock my brain on a snapshot of time, like…
 
We built castles in the sandbox and
    washed them away with the garden hose.
 We traded wobbly training wheels and scraped knees
     for first love and butterfly feels. 
Life teased us with promises and possibilities,
     that we never took seriously. 
Life was simple, time was slow,
    we didn’t know what we didn’t know.
Life was quiet and like the sand,
    time slipped quickly through our hands.
 
If you are like me, we recreate memories the way our brain wants us to remember them. From our perspective, ​it i​s enhanced with a bit of imagination that makes the memory better or worse than it really was.
 
For example, if you went to a new restaurant and had the best meal of your life. You can’t stop thinking about that steak or bowl of pasta. You can still smell the sizzling steak. The sauce on the pasta was worth the stain it left on your favorite shirt. The meal was perfect!
 
A month or two later you go back to enjoy it again. It isn’t as good as you remembered it to be. It was good but you glorified the memory in your mind- making it better than it was.
 
We are also good at making bad memories worse than they were. Every time we run it through our mind it’s worse and more painful. Our mind loves to make bad situations more dramatic. 
 
When we remember good memories of having a pleasurable experience with people we care about, we feel happiness. So, emphasizing the memory of pleasure increases our happiness during the time of remembering.
 
In the same way, emphasizing the feelings of pain when we relive difficult memories increases our sadness and devastation. ​This can keep us stuck in anger or despair.  
 
We can manage our memories. First, we need to realize that we can’t erase or change the memory bank in our minds. All deposits are there for a lifetime- there is no withdrawing them.
Simple childhood memories may be remembered very differently by siblings. We all have a vantage point and perception of how things happened in the past. This doesn’t mean that one person is right or wrong – we just all have individual, personalized memory files.
 
Next, we need to pay attention to how accurate our memories are. Have we glorified and enhanced the good ones?
 
I will never discount how devastatingly painful memories can truly be tied to tragedy. These will forever break our hearts. This is the holy ground of memories. The memories of grief and loss that are yours to hold as sacred to your heart. But be realistic about many of your bad memories… has your mind enhanced the drama by taking them (unrealistically) from bad to tragic?
 
Lastly, we control how often we visit memories. It begins in our mind- what will you give power to and what has power over you? If we are in a world of constantly reliving things that happened in the past, we are missing out on living life now. Enjoy the feeling of good memories. Don’t allow the bad ones to cause you to live in a constant journey from one pain point to another pain point.
 
Visit your memories. Let them wash over you as a quick trip to the past. Trying to change or erase them is like trying to hold water in the palm of your hand. It won’t work.
 
Maybe my little nonsensical poem makes more sense than I thought. Maybe life does tease us with promises and possibilities that we don’t take seriously. Maybe as I watch decades of memories drift through my mind and down the shower drain, I realize I didn’t know what I do now… life is like sand and slips right through our hands…memories and all.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
                         We can’t erase or change the memory bank in our minds.
                All deposits are there for a lifetime- there is no withdrawing them.
                                             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Today would have been his 40th birthday. I say, it would have been, because it has been 17 years since I have celebrated a birthday with him. Seventeen years since I have seen my son’s smile, touched his beard, or felt one of his famous hugs.

I remember that day 40 years ago. It was Monday. I vacuumed the house. I watched Back to the Future on a VHS tape rented from Blockbuster. I packed a pale green terrycloth sleeper to dress a baby in. I wore a purple jogging suit to the hospital. My parents came over to stay with my other two children at 5:45 pm.

A sports game was playing on the television in the delivery room. It was basketball or football, I don’t remember for sure- I was busy having a baby.

“IT’S A BOY!”

This was a different time. There were no ultrasounds to predict what color to decorate the nursery months in advance. The excitement of hearing whether I had a new son or daughter was saved for that moment.

He arrived at 9:30 pm weighing 6 lbs. 14 oz and measuring 20 inches long. His name was Jameson Tanner. That was very quickly shortened to J.T.

He didn’t cry. He looked at me with wide-open eyes that twinkled as if he was back- not new to this world, but back for another visit to a familiar place. He was calm, but his eyes looked around as if he was ready for an adventure. An adventure that I wasn’t sure I was ready for.

I remember that day in colorful detail. I feel like birthdays are a joyous celebration of a new life and anticipation of what is to come. Year by year we celebrate who this person is, who they have become, and the progress they have made moving through this life. We bake cakes, blow out candles, and unwrap gifts.

I also feel like this day should be a celebration and recognition of the momma who carried this baby within the protective space of her own body. The mom who labored and birthed this soul. It should not only be a celebration of the safe delivery of a baby, but also a celebration of the mom’s birth-ing day. The day she gave birth to another human. The day she released a part of her soul into this world. A part that is never fully disconnected from her.

I can easily remember each of J.T.’s years on this earth. Each celebration. Each cake. Each blowing of candles and opening of gifts. I remember each one from the first to the 22nd. That is when the images and memories stopped. 

Today would have been the 40th. I can’t see him at 40. My mind tries to imagine him with a little gray in his beard and a few wrinkles around his eyes. I try to imagine what job he would have and how much he would still love playing his guitar. I try to imagine him laughing with his brother, sister, and his daughter. I try to imagine 40 years of his famous hugs.

But I can’t.

Today is a quiet day like every day. A cup of coffee while my dogs slept on my lap. A little reading and my morning meditation. Today I hit 1,000 days of consecutive mediation sessions. I don’t believe it is an accident that my guided meditation topic today was about addiction.

I don’t believe it was a coincidence that today I saw a young man walking down the street wearing a black sweatshirt, black baseball cap, and baggy jeans. As he talked on his phone I could see his auburn beard and curly hair reflecting the sun. A twin of J.T.

I don’t believe that it was an accident that when I started my car this morning, my music app began playing a song by one of his favorite artist, Bob Dylan. A song I had never heard before titled, I Will Be Your Baby Tonight. Interestingly, this song began playing on its own after I had spent the morning thinking of that day of birthing my baby 40 years ago.

I looked up the lyrics. It is a short simple song, and I realize it is meant to be about a couple, but today, for me the lyrics fit. Today it was about the day of J.T.’s birth. About how J.T. will always be connected to me and how he will always be my baby.
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                       Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                  From birth to death, everything in between, before, and after…
                              a mother will always be connected to her child. 
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Did you know the second Friday of every January is​ Quitters Day​? I didn’t. This was brought to my attention this week. By the second week of January, most people who set a New Year’s resolution have given up on their big audacious goal.

The target they wanted to hit seemed exciting. It sounded good at the New Year’s Eve party when they announced their resolution. They were going to make a change and stick to it!

 At first, they were determined. But the shiny ring they hoped to grasp lost its luster quickly. It is hard work to change. Instant gratification didn’t happen. The resolution plan was flawed. So that was that. They quit.

Does this sound like you? Resolutions are hard to keep.​ Motivation wains. The glory of the idea deflates. Statistics vary, but around 88% of people who set resolutions fail by the end of January. Hence “Quitters Day” was born.

I haven’t made resolutions for years! I do like picking a word for the year. For the past 12 years I have picked a word that guides my thoughts, actions, and intentions. I write about it and share my word every year. I place the words in spots that I notice like my desk and bathroom mirror- to keep it front and center in my life.

I thought of some great words​ for this year, but then I began reviewing my word from last year and how it worked for me.  
My 2024 word was “CREATE.”  I announced this last year in my column, so I pulled my writing out to review what my plan for the word was. This paragraph hit hard: 
 
“This year I hope to create more of this calm beauty in myself, my life, and my world. I will do this by making time for things I love doing. Time for painting more, sewing more, cooking more, reading more, writing more, and speaking more. All the things that put me in that space of creative calmness. I do have a few things in mind that I plan to create this year that I expect to be fabulous. But I won’t be pushed by a list of goals or an outline of projects and steps to completion. I will be guided by the gentle journey of creating.” (Pennie Hunt 1-2024)

I love the intention. I felt calm reading it until I realized I hadn’t done a good job at most of it. I hadn’t painted more, sewn more, tried new recipes, or read more books than normal. Was I a quitter? Do I need to join the 88% and admit to failing?

I reread the lines, “… I won’t be pushed by a list of goals or an outline of projects and steps to completion. I will be guided by the gentle journey of creating.”

I don’t think I failed. I didn’t quit. I just needed more time to work on my word.  I decided to do something I have never done - repeat last year’s word again this year. I decided to give myself more time to create. More time to paint, read, cook, sew, write, speak, and do all the things I love doing. More time to be guided by the gentle journey of creating.

It isn’t about a day that marks failure or quitting. It is about learning lessons. I need to work on the lesson of making creating a priority in my life. Check in with me next January to see how I did.  
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                           We all have the ability to create beauty in life.
                                       Allow yourself the time to create it. 
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

My mom was having her kitchen remodeled and I was helping her box up her dishes and small appliances in preparation for the contractors. I opened the door to the bottom of the china cabinet. It was full of never used dishtowels. I began pulling them out and stacking them on the floor next to me.

                    “Mom, why are you keeping all these towels?
                    The tags are still on them. Why haven’t you used them?”

Her response was four words, “Martin gave them to me.”

My brother, Martin, was always mom’s golden child. He was the only boy nestled between me and my sister. In our sisterly opinions, he was mom’s favorite. She always took his side and she spoiled him. 

I began laughing.
“You are saving them because Martin gave them to you?”
Again, she had a short answer, “Yes.”

I sat back against the wall. I was circled by towels.

“Mom let me share something with you. For all the years since Martin graduated from college and moved away, he has sent me money to do his gift shopping. I have purchased your Birthday, Mother’s Day, and Christmas gifts for him. I have wrapped them and given them to you with tags that say from Martin. He probably doesn’t remember what most of the gifts were. Whenever I had a few dollars left I used it to buy you dish towels from him because yours always looked worn out. Martin would not even know these are from him.”

I couldn’t stop laughing at the thought of her using the old worn-out dishtowels while all these new ones were tucked in the china cabinet. She looked at me in disbelief. In her mind my brother had thoughtfully picked out each towel specifically for her. She loved him for that and she had attached that love to each square of terrycloth fabric. She had carefully placed each new towel (and the emotions it carried) in the cabinet to be kept safely with the others.

How many times have we connected feelings and emotions to things or places? We all do this. I am a sentimental person. I have the original recipe for oatmeal cookies that my grandmother wrote on a piece of lined paper. The paper is yellow and worn after decades of unfolding it to make those special cookies. I have attached my memories of her to the recipe, her cursive writing, and the taste of those cookies.

I also have my dad’s hat and tubs of my son’s things. These items bring me true memories and warm my heart. I believe these emotions are reasonable and rational.

This can work in a negative way too. I was in a hotel when I received the call that my son had passed. I associate that hotel with pain, tragedy and the death of my son. For years I could not drive down the street where the hotel was located. The thought of ever staying there again gives me a visceral reaction. I hate that hotel.

Did the hotel have anything to do with my son’s death? No. Is it logical for me to attach such hatred to a building? Probably not.

After I stopped laughing and my mom stopped giving me her, mom look, for making fun of her, for once again favoring my brother- we packed all the towels and her feelings into a box. I reinforced that my brother had never seen these towels or knew about them. That in fact I was the one who picked them out with her in mind.

I told her that she should put them to good use in her newly remodeled kitchen.
She agreed that if they weren’t from Martin she didn’t need to save them and would use them in the new kitchen. I silently laughed inside at her thought process that because I had picked each one out for her was not a reason to keep them as a special possession.
Did I mention my brother was her favorite child?
                                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                         Be careful what you attach emotions and feelings to.
                                           Make sure it is for the right reason. 
                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I remember looking at the jungle gym of chains that hung over the hospital bed. My grandfather would roll his wheelchair next to the bed, reach up to grab the triangle handles and using only his arms to lift himself out of the chair, swing back and forth until he landed in the middle of the bed. The handles would continue to swing the chains after he released them making a clanking sound until the chains and my grandfather rested in silence.

In photographs my grandfather was a vibrant man dressed in overalls standing next to his prized horses. He loved horses. I vaguely remember the pony he had for us grandchildren. He would put us in a small wagon and the pony would run in circles around the property as we giggled and squealed with delight. I struggle to remember this version of my grandfather.

I am not sure when it began, but diabetes attacked him. First, a toe was removed, and eventually, he became a double amputee. Most of my memories are of this grandfather. The one in the wheelchair with the jungle gym over his bed. The one that was not supposed to eat sugar but would occasionally wheel his chair to the kitchen and sneak Oreos from the cookie jar – only to be scolded by my grandmother.

The words sugar and diabetes were overused in my life as I grew up. Because of this, I was raised on artificial sweeteners. We never had candy in our house. But I craved sugar. I am a girl who believes ice cream should be a food group. I believe everyone has an addiction and for me it is sugar. I am not sure if it was because I rarely had it or if the artificial sweeteners made my brain want more of the real stuff.

As with everything in life, it seems the studies and recommendations change over time. Artificial sweeteners used to be a miracle. You could have the taste of sugar without the side effects. Then we were told the chemicals in artificial sweeteners are dangerous. Stevia became the natural answer -until it wasn’t.

Sugar is bad so we lessen it. Artificial sweeteners are bad, so we avoid them. So how do we enjoy the sweetness of life?

Maybe the answer ​I​s in the way we live. If we were in a constant feeling of joy and happiness, we may lose the appreciation for the feeling of happiness. If we are on a constant sugar high, we may not notice the sweetness of a cookie – we just eat it. I have gone through long periods of not eating sugar- zero, nothing, not one taste. And, I have gone through times of bingeing to excess. I will say neither situation makes me feel great.

I remember watching my grandfather eat a forbidden Oreo.​ The joy on his face. I understand the danger of too much sugar. I can appreciate the natural sweetness of an apple. I also believe that the occasional taste of ice cream satisfies a sweet craving. It teaches me to enjoy the special taste of sweetness as a luxurious treat.

I have lived through joyful times that filled my heart. I have suffered the deepest tragedies, which made those joyful times even sweeter. It is in the up and down, the ebb and flow, the balancing of life that we realize and feel the difficult times and appreciate the good times. It is noticing the small, sweet moments in life that make us appreciate the joy.
This is how we enjoy the sweetness that life has to offer.
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
      Appreciate the balance of life and enjoy the sweetness of each moment.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Gracie and Zenee rule the house. They are scheduled and demanding. They want to get up at a certain time, nap at a certain time, and put to bed at a certain time.

Breakfast is at 7 am, followed by doing their tricks. Sitting, spinning in a circle, rolling over, and shaking. A treat follows each trick. Once they have performed, they go to the cabinet where the biscuits are kept and they each get a biscuit. This system of treat-giving used to be spread between breakfast and noon, but the little princesses have decided it is all an extension of breakfast.

Mid-afternoon is vitamin time. You know, those fancy dog vitamins that are all over social media and claim to cure everything? Yes, they love them and at exactly 2 pm it is vitamin time. Earlier if they are successful at talking us into serving them sooner. Just so you know- they have their own Instagram account, and they direct us to post adorable photos of them.

Dinner is at exactly 5 pm. It is time to go downstairs and watch T.V. at 7:30. A special treat waits for them when the T.V. is turned on. They go to bed at 9:30. Their dog playpen (they prefer to call it their condo) is in the corner of our bedroom. They love to sleep on the soft cushion, with their favorite small blankets and their best buddies, Lovey and Snuggles - two stuffed dogs that make the sound of heartbeats.

When we go to the store or out to dinner, they expect an explanation of where we are going, what we will be doing, how long we will be gone, and who is in charge while we are away. Gracie is always told she is in charge and Zenee is second in charge. (Zenee hates being second at anything, but she is the youngest so…)

The world revolves around dog meals, grooming appointments, veterinary appointments, monthly allergy shots, dog sitters for the times we are out of town, and the general care and comfort of the girls.

Our family teases us about how spoiled our dogs are. We don’t think of them as dogs. They are our fur babies and part of the family. At times we wonder why we seem to be human butlers to our dogs. How did we lose control?  Then I read about an interesting concept.

In Hawaii, pet ownership is very different. In Hawaii, you are not the owner of a pet. You are known as their Kahu. Kahu translates to guardian, protector, steward, beloved attendant, (yes, a human butler) basically someone entrusted with the safety of a precious and cherished thing. In Hawaii, a dog is not your property. You are their caretaker.

Hawaiians believe dogs are connected to the gods and goddesses. Dogs bring good luck.

After learning this, I realized we might be doing it right. We cherish our precious girls. We protect them and pamper them. We do everything we can to keep them happy, healthy, and safe. We would do anything for them.

Unfortunately, time goes too fast in dog years. In January Gracie will turn 9-years-old and Zenee will be 8. It feels like we just brought them home yesterday. Two sweet fluffy puppies who healed our hearts when we were grieving the loss of our 16-year-old Shih Tzu, Yogee. They brought life and movement back into our home. They taught us that there is no end of love after loss and gave us a place to share it again.

They brought meaning and purpose into our world. They have given us more than we can ever repay. For as long as we are lucky enough to have these sacred creatures in our lives, we will be honored to be their Kahu.
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                       Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                                      Dogs are not just dogs.
                                            They are sacred creatures of love. 
                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2024 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I do not remember every detail, but I do remember that I did it. I remember the fear—the tears. And getting caught.
​
One of my first life memories is of the nativity set. My mom would carefully put it out every year. It was her favorite Christmas decoration. I would look at it for hours. It was like a doll house filled with the magical story of Christmas.

​I loved the shepherds and the wise men, but the angels and baby Jesus were my favorite. My hands wanted so badly to touch the baby lying on the tiniest whispers of hay in the little wooden manger. This was forbidden. I am sure my mom told me hundreds of times, “Don’t touch, just look.”

It was hard. Standing in front of it my hands would lift and be on target to pick up the delicate baby, only to hear my mom’s voice… Don’t touch!

I am not sure how it happened. My mom must have been busy and didn’t notice. I scooped the baby out of the cradle. I closed my hand around him as tightly as I could and ran with him to the bathroom.  The only room I could close the door and not have anyone follow me.

I just wanted to hold him. See him closely and feel like he was mine. I opened my tightly held fist and there he was - broken into two pieces. His head and his body separated.

The moments between picking him up and running to the bathroom are blurred. Did I kiss him too hard or hold him too tight in my chubby little hand? I am not sure what caused his head to break off, but somehow it happened. I do remember instant fear. Instant panic.

I looked around the bathroom trying to figure out what to do. I did the most logical thing a 4-year-old panic-stricken girl could think of- I hid him in the crack between the wall and the toilet.

Tip-toeing out of the bathroom and down the hall I went into my room and crawled on my bed holding my dolls as if I had innocently been there the entire time.  
My memory feels like it was days, but I am sure it was only hours before my mom noticed the empty manger. She called my brother, sister, and me into the living room to stand in line in front of the nativity set. Pointing to the space where baby Jesus had been, she demanded a confession.

My memory is dark at this point. I am not sure how the truth came out, or how the dismantled baby was rescued from behind the toilet, but it was.
My memory comes back with me once again standing in the bathroom, door closed, sobbing and blubbering, “Nobody loves me but my daddy and he’s not here!”

My dad was on TDY, (a military term used when the Air Force sent my dad on temporary duty away.) This was my go-to phrase every time I was in trouble when my dad was gone. Occasionally it garnered pity, but not this time. My mom was way past any outpouring of sympathy for me.

Today I carefully opened the box and one by one unwrapped the white tissue paper that wrapped each character of the nativity set. Every year I place it on a small table covered with a doily my mom embroidered. The sheep go next to the shepherd. One angel kneels behind the cradle and one to the side. The three wise men are walking up to the stable. And baby Jesus is laid on the whisper of hay in the manger. His golden halo glows under the small blue light.

You can barely see the circle of glue around his neck. The circle that reminds me every year of my childhood. Of my mom and my family. The tradition of setting up this magical scene every Christmas. And reminds me of the circle of life that has glued my love for family and tradition together.
                             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                     Remember the small traditions in life.
                                     The ones that circle your life with love.
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2024 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

​When you are in the time of life when you are working a job, you probably look forward to having enough money saved to retire. You believe if you work hard now, you will enjoy years of relaxation during retirement. Life will be easy.

Conversely, if you spend most of your life believing that you don’t need to save money or prepare for retirement, life may be easy for you now, but retirement may be less than relaxing. Life will be hard.

Life works both ways. Life can either be easy now and hard later or hard now and easy later. This concept plays out in many ways during many circumstances.

College can be a fun and exciting time. It is easy to enjoy all the social activities, skip classes, and not be dedicated to studying. This kind of college lifestyle may lead to failing exams, failing classes, and failing college. Easy now, hard later.

Attending class regularly and missing a few social activities so you can study is hard. But, when you put the effort in, passing the exam, passing the class and graduating becomes easy. Hard now, easy later.

Making time to exercise, committing to a workout routine, and sticking to it for a lifetime is hard. When you are in the middle of a 10-mile run it is hard. Once you have done this for years your stamina and fitness level will be worth the hard work. Movement and flexibility will be easier as you age. Hard now, easy later.

If you never take time to commit to exercise the aging process will be hard. Easy now, hard later.

Eating fast food every night on your way home from work may save you time, be convenient, and be easy now. But what will the ramifications be on your body in the years to come? The health issues may create a hard life later.

Life is either easy now and hard later, or hard now and easy later. It is your choice which path you believe is right for you. Do you want to pay now or pay later? This takes some intentional thinking. Is the immediate gratification of fun, avoidance, or slacking worth the consequences it will bring in the future? Are you willing to pay the future price for your earlier actions?  

None of us do the right thing every time. We all make mistakes in life. We all fail occasionally. These missteps are hard. If we continue to make them over and over life can be really hard. This can create a situation of hard now AND hard later.

But if we learn from failure or mistakes, it can make our lives easier in the future. We learn how to live better, be better, and do better. Hard now, easy later.  

The next time you think you are too tired to work out, you don’t want to do the work to pass the test, or driving through to pick up fast food seems appealing, think about this concept. Will this action make your life easy now and hard later, or hard now and easy later? It is your choice to decide which path you believe is right for you.
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                        Life is either easy now and hard later,
                                                  or hard now and easy later.
                                                      The choice is yours.   
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2024 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

When I am around people, I pick up their energy. I don’t just think they must be happy, sad, or angry… I know it.  I feel it! If they are in emotional or physical pain, I can feel their pain in my body. Because of this, I am not a fan of being in crowded areas. A quick trip through the aisles of a grocery store can be a roller coaster of up-and-down feelings from everyone I walk by.  It can be exhausting.

I have a ritual that I do before entering a crowd. I take a few deep breaths in my car and I imagine a bubble around me that will keep all the feelings from others at bay. It helps.

If you are not someone who is highly attuned to the emotions of others and can sense and experience their energy and emotions on a deep level, (an empath) this probably sounds strange to you.

The reality is, we all do this on some level. You may not deeply feel the emotions of strangers as you walk by them like I do, but you still feel the feelings of others. When was the last time you came home from work and your wife was angry at someone and you immediately became angry at that person too? Or did someone tell you great news of happiness and you became happy too? Or did you receive tragic news from someone, and you hugged each other circled in the same cloud of grief?

I bet you can see yourself in those scenarios. Some of that is normal, natural, and can’t be avoided. Of course, if your family is expecting a new baby, everyone will join in joy for that happy event. And of course, if a loved one passes many who cared about that person will share grief together.

The problem comes when you just automatically feel someone’s feelings as if they are your own. If you dislike someone just because your friend doesn’t like them that is a problem. Don’t let their anger become your anger. Don’t let their hate become your hate. Don’t let their fear become your fear. Don’t let their skepticism, jealousy, mistrust…. or fill-in-the-blank with whatever feeling it is… don’t let theirs become yours.

Before you take that easy​ step of jumping in with both feet and letting theirs become yours, try taking a difficult step back. ​Stay outside of their bubble of anger, skepticism, hate, fear- or whatever emotion they are projecting. Stand in a clear space far enough away to understand and see the whole picture. Evaluate the situation from a nonjudgmental stance.

After you have looked at the situation from all angles and made a clear judgment for yourself, then you can feel the appropriate emotion. Your emotion. Maybe the situation is accurate as it was presented to you, and you will become angry or disappointed too. Maybe the situation is a little more two-sided, and you need to take a middle-ground approach. Maybe you need to walk away from the entire situation. But never allow someone else’s anger to become your anger.

The bubble technique works. If you know you are walking into a troubling situation, sit for a few minutes. Take a few breaths. Build a bubble of protection around yourself. Your feelings should be your feelings. The feelings and emotions of others should be theirs. Don’t let theirs become yours.
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                            Learn to understand the difference between
            your feelings and emotions and the feelings and emotions of others.
                                                       Don’t blur the two.
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2024 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

What if you could do one thing that improved your mental health, created positive relationships, boosted your feel-good hormones, and increased happiness?
Would you do it?
What if there was a day dedicated to doing this one thing? Would you celebrate it?

The good news is, there is one thing that does all of that – kindness.
The act of being kind can reduce stress and anxiety. By being kind to others and doing acts of kindness you can increase your optimistic attitude and self-confidence.

Practicing kindness can support positive friendships and nurture trust in relationships. Acts of kindness can increase your body’s production of dopamine, oxytocin, and serotonin – the feel-good hormones.

Being kind to yourself can encourage a space of inner peace and security in your life.
Kindness is contagious, and one act of kindness can lead to more. You may have been in the drive-through line at your favorite coffee shop and the car in front of you paid for your coffee. You in turn paid for the car behind you and so on. For that brief moment in time, those who participated in this paying-it-forward activity became joy builders by spreading kindness.  

All of this together builds to increase happiness and joy in your life and in the life of others. It creates a world with more meaning. And it may surprise you to know that yes, there is a day dedicated to celebrating kindness. Every year, November 13th is World Kindness Day. Since it began in 1998, World Kindness Day offers an opportunity to intentionally increase the common thread of kindness.

Don’t you agree that the sound of that is lovely... a day dedicated to kindness? As you read this the day has passed, but why not intentionally be kind every day? It doesn’t take much to make the world a happier place by making kindness a part of your personality. Part of your daily routine. Part of your life.
 
Offer to help someone when you see a need. Say a kind word to someone you don’t know or normally wouldn’t talk to. Share a smile, let someone go in front of you at a checkout line, and say thank you. These types of little gestures count. Start small and watch your ability to be kind grow. Once you realize the benefits of being kind you will become kinder.
 
Today, do that one thing that can change so much in life for the better. Be kind
What will you do to spread the joy of kindness?

Can you do at least one kind thing today? And when you do, pay attention to how it makes you feel.

We can (and should) normalize kindness. Can you imagine the ripple effect if everyone in the world intentionally practiced kindness – not just on World Kindness Day, but every day?

Kindness can make a difference.
Kindness does matter.
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
             Kindness is contagious, and one act of kindness can lead to more. 
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2024 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Have you lost your joy for life? Have you experienced so much pain that you feel like joy is impossible? Does the idea of the holidays spreading joy make your eyes roll? Is it time to strengthen your joy muscle? I wrote a book on joy, but at times, I still need to work on my own joy.
​Here are some ideas that we can all use to pump up our joy.
​

1. BE AN OBSERVER OF JOY - If you need a refresher course in joy, spend time with a child. Act like them. Watch an ant carry a tiny crumb or a ladybug land on a blade of grass. Jump through the sprinkler, eat ice cream, and enjoy puppy kisses. Relive the magic of childhood and join in the joy.
2. BE A JOY FINDER - Find one small thing you can do to find joy in your day. It doesn’t have to be flashy acts of indulging. Reading a book while you sit in the sun on your lunch break, stopping for a skinny vanilla latte at your favorite coffee shop, taking a walk after dinner, meeting a friend for lunch, sleeping in or staying up late on the weekend, or taking a luxurious afternoon nap may bring you joy. Be creative. Add simple snippets of joy to your life. Be a joy finder!
3. COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY - Comparison will skew reality and steal your joy. Learn to like, live, and love in your own home and your own heart. The more time you spend liking yourself, the less time you have to compare yourself to others. The less time you spend comparing yourself to others, the more you will like yourself. Don’t allow comparison to steal your joy.
4. JOY OF LAUGHTER- Any day you laugh is a great day! Laugh at yourself. Share laughter with others. Laughter flushes the body with joy! Don’t go a day without laughing.
5. DEFINE YOUR HAPPINESS - To find joy and happiness, you must know what you are looking for. Can you define “happiness” for yourself? We need to relearn what our hearts and souls already know. Contentment, joy, and happiness should be our natural state. Once you define what will make you happy, you will have the roadmap to find and create joy in your life.
6. LOVE IS THE ANSWER TO EVERY QUESTION! Being here in this body, on this Earth, and at this time is a privilege. Be humbled by the magnitude of it. Do not take anything for granted. The basis for all of life’s lessons is LOVE! Life begins and ends with love. Love yourself. Love others. Love animals. Love nature. Love your life. Love your heart out! A life of gratitude, joy, and happiness is created by love
7. GRATITUDE COMES FIRST - Once life becomes filled with joy and happiness, we will be grateful, right? It doesn’t work that way. Gratitude comes first! The more gratitude you feel, the more you will receive in life. The more gratitude you show, the more happiness and joy you will feel. Be grateful for every moment, every breath, every experience, and every lesson learned. It is not happiness and joy that makes us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us happy and joyful.

 
Don’t waste your time wishing for and wanting joy. You must work for it. You must exercise and strengthen your joy muscle. Through the steps I outlined, set your mind on practicing intentional joy. Pump up your joy muscle. It is possible to increase the joy in your life.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
             You hold the power to strengthen and increase joy in your life.
​                               Fall in love with the process of joy building.
​                                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2024 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

​Have you had one of those days? You know the ones. You wake up late. You stub your toe as you hurry to get dressed, and then on the way to work, you are stopped at every red light. You realize you forgot your notes at home for the presentation you must give at work. One thing after another seems to be going wrong.

You are in a bad mood and want to begin the day over again. Or rush through it and get it over with. It is a no-good rotten terrible day!

It is easy to become the victim and believe that the day is out to get you, everyone is against you, and the world is a terrible place. You are just an innocent bystander in this calamity of a day because you think, “Everything always happens to me!” Then one day turns into two and then a week goes by, and you are in total victim mode and slowly you believe your world is falling apart. And then it does.

When a day begins like this, it is human nature to lock in on all the bad things that are going wrong and how nothing ever goes right. Reticular thinking takes over. Our brain begins noticing and directing our attention toward what matters most to it. In this state of expecting everything bad to happen, what matters most to our brain is bad things happening. So, our life is going to give us more bad things.

Let’s look at reality. There are many days when one or two unfortunate things happen. That does not mean we should just check the day off as a bad day. We have more control over how our day turns out than you might think.

What if we took control of our thinking pattern and allowed reticular thinking to work in a positive way? If we stop at the first or second inconvenient experience and begin looking for the good in the day, we can control what our brain is noticing.

Maybe you overslept and stubbed your toe, but the coffee is hot and tastes great!  On the drive to work when you are stopped at red lights, notice the sunrise or the beautiful blue sky. Be grateful for the car you are driving. When you arrive at work smile at everyone you see – they will smile back. Be grateful for your job.

With every interaction and experience, continue looking for the good in the day. It won’t take long for you to forget about how the day began. Your mind is too busy concentrating on seeing the good in your day. Your brain is clicking through the day frame by frame, moment by moment, interaction by interaction searching for happy situations.  

You begin to think, “Everything good always happens to me!” Then one day turns into two and then a week goes by, and you are in total control of your life. Slowly you believe your world is an amazing place. And it is!

When you are having one of those days where everything seems to be going wrong… remember, it is never too late to change the ending of your day. Until the day is over there is always time to create a good memory and forget the bad. There is always time to change the pattern. There is always time for everything good to happen to you!  
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
                  There is always time to change the ending of a bad day.
             Until the day is over there is always time to make it a good day. 
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2024 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness