It’s a state of awe. One of the deepest and most powerful aspects of the human experience. It changed their self-concept, their connection with others, and the way they see the world. These are examples of how this overwhelming experience of emotions and feelings is described.
 
This phenomenon has been experienced by astronauts when they see the Earth from the distance of space. It has been named the Overview Effect. It is an experience that shifts the perspective of what the Earth is and makes the viewer feel interconnected with the planet and all who live there.
 
I try to visualize what this would be like. What it would feel like to see our Earth from that distance. It must look amazing to see it as an entire sphere where every country, every ocean, and every person is joined. Where everyone and everything is connected. The feeling of how everything affects the other must be powerful.  From that distance, you wouldn’t notice the small things- the issues and problems that don’t matter.
 
Most of the time we only see our world from a very small view. We see what pertains to us. What will benefit us? What will create profit for us? We don’t look past our own feet.
 
What if we could step back from our life and look at it from a distance? What would we see?
When we are close, we just see ourselves and feel our feelings. With every step back the picture would become larger and we would become smaller. We would see our families and our friends. We would feel how our thoughts and reactions affect them. We would realize how the little things we worry about or struggle with seem to fade.
 
Take another step back and we would see our homes, our streets, and our communities. Another step to see our state and our country. Keep moving back and see the entire world. We would see how our actions affect all who live there.
 
A few more steps and soon we see what a small speck we become in the whole picture. We would see how we all connect to create the puzzle of our lives. We would notice how each speck creates the picture and if a speck here and there disappears the puzzle would have missing pieces. This is how, even without knowing it, we all work together. We would see how the actions of each person affect the entire picture.
 
What if this new view changed our self-concept, our connection with others, and the way we see the world?
 
Maybe we would work better together. Maybe we would release the anger, resentment, and disagreements we carry. Maybe we would drop the small, petty problems and work to be the best puzzle piece we can be so that we connect in a complete picture.
 
I don’t live in a bubble of fantasy. I know that life isn’t all rainbows, glitter, and unicorns. But maybe we need to listen to the astronauts. The ones who have seen us from the distance of space. The ones who have seen the magnificent puzzle put together in a glorious sphere of beauty. Maybe we all need to feel connected in that state of awe.  
​                                         ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                        Step back from yourself and see bigger view of life.
                                               Stand in a state of awe.
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

#CornerofSpiritandBrave #loveyourlifenomatterwhat #journeythrough #PennieHunt
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 © 2013-2023 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. ​

I am curious. I ask a lot of questions. I want to know how things work. I want to know the story behind the story. I want to know what others think, how they think, and why they think the way they do. I collect information.

We watch the news and read the papers for the top stories. We go to the library and read books to find out how things have happened in the past and learn new ways of doing things. We spend hours searching the internet to learn, verify and satisfy our desire to absorb more, know more, and see more.

Information surrounds us. It is easy to feel bombarded by it. Have we become too involved in the bells and whistles of how information is presented to us? Does this cause us to miss what is right in front of us? What if we slowed down and listened to the information that is being given to us in quiet and unspoken ways?

Are you searching for a life partner or a friend? When you meet someone, you may instantly connect the dots of commonality. You both like to travel. You both like football and share a favorite team. You both love sushi! You quickly think it is a match made in heaven. However, this is not all the information you need. Watch for the unspoken information. Watch how they treat the server when you are out to dinner. Pay attention to their kindness in difficult situations. Does their temper flair with road rage? How do they treat their family?

You may be hiring a new employee and their resume is outstanding. On paper they are amazing. Maybe they are, or maybe they just know how to write an amazing resume. When you call them to set up an interview how do you feel talking to them? Are they polite, enthusiastic, and happy to hear from you? When you interview them, do they tell negative stories about their past jobs, or do they seem grateful for all their experiences? Does their persona fit with the culture and environment of your workplace?  

All these unwritten cues are free information being laid right in front of you. Information that speaks to their character, values, and personality. These are qualities you cannot train or teach a new employee. And if you are the applicant, it goes both ways. What information are you being given about this future employer?

If you are fired from a job don’t look at it as failure. You have just been invited to find success elsewhere. This experience gives you information on how to do better or act differently in your next job.

If you find yourself exhausted, ill, and unable to function you are receiving information. We humans have an incredible body system, but if we allow it to be abused, overworked, and overstressed it will break down. Headaches, fatigue, sleeplessness, weight loss, or gain is your body’s way of giving you messages. You may be stretching yourself too far. Pay attention when your body is signaling information to you - before it becomes a serious health issue.

If someone is abnormally quiet or is uncharacteristically short-tempered, you are receiving information. If someone emotionally hits you the wrong way, take a breath. Listen and watch. Look into their eyes and into their hearts. Hear what they aren’t saying. You may not know what is happening in their life, but there is more to the story. Don’t judge until you have all the information.

Be an information gatherer, seeker, and collector. Be curious. Ask questions. Watch people when they don’t know you are watching. Pay attention to the information that is right in front of you. Find the story behind the story. Don’t label the experiences of life as good or bad. It is all information.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Everything that is said, done, and happens in life gives you information.
                                                             Listen to it.
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

It was the best hug ever! It was long, filled with meaning, and cut right to my heart. The hug was saying things that went way past words. I was surprised by it, which is odd because I am a hugger. I hug everyone. I hug friends every time I see them. I hug people I meet. I hug strangers. This hug was initiated by one of the people I love the most in my life. One of the people I am closest to. One of the people I cherish. I was surprised by it because this person and I rarely hug.

The hug stayed with me for days. I relived it over and over and each time I enjoyed it like it just happened. I savored the feeling.

If you research hugging, you will see the same bullet points repeated.
Hugging can reduce stress by reducing the hormone cortisol. High levels of this hormone can cause health issues like sleep problems, obesity, low immunity, and more. Hugging can boost our mood and make us feel happier and supported.
 
Hugging can improve heart health. Frequent hugging can lower blood pressure, which may reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.

Hugging can boost self-esteem. The power of touch can convey feelings of safety, love, and connection. When we are feeling lost or depressed, a hug can help ground us and give us a feeling of belonging.

Hugging can improve all types of relationships. Hugs express an intimate connection that goes deeper than words alone. This type of physical touch causes the release of oxytocin. This “love hormone” or “cuddle hormone” as it is called, creates a feeling of closeness.

Hugging can reduce pain. When we hug, our bodies release hormones called endorphins. These endorphins are natural pain-relievers that just make us feel good.

I know all of these facts and as I said, I am a hugger, but what this special hug made me realize is, sometimes I overlook the people I care about the most. I feel like this happens often in life. We are more polite to strangers than to our own family. We volunteer our time to worthy organizations when maybe we need to be spending time with loved ones. And maybe for me, I miss the opportunity to hug the people closest to me.

That special hug made me feel warm and loved. Why wouldn’t I want to show this kind of physical touch to the people I love the most as often as I can?

I believe physical touch is essential to our well-being. I remember sitting for hours holding my babies as they nestled in my arms feeling safe and secure. As they grew, I held them as they cried with scraped knees from bicycle accidents and the pain of young love and broken hearts. When I would visit my mom in the last years of her life, she wanted nothing more than for me to hold her hand. When the visit was done, she would hold me tightly never wanting our hug to end. It doesn’t matter what age we are, we all need hugs.

From the moment we are born until our last day, it is an essential form of physical touch that we all need to give and receive. We all need physical connection and the feelings of love, trust, and comfort that a hug gives. When we hug energy is given and received. We need this transfer of emotional energy.

I read once that humans need four hugs a day for survival, eight hugs for maintenance, and twelve for growth. I don’t know if that is true, but it sounds good.  Maybe it is a guideline we should all follow.

Who can you hug today? Make it the best hug ever!
​                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                A hug is something you give and almost always receive in return.
​                                                     Make hugging a habit!
​                                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

#CornerofSpiritandBrave #loveyourlifenomatterwhat #journeythrough #PennieHunt
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 © 2013-2023 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. ​

I love to paint. I am far from a professional. I am more of a hobby painter. I can lose myself for hours in my art room mixing colors and creating my idea of masterpieces. The good ones I give away as gifts. Many of the not-so-good ones are stacked in the “lessons learned” pile in the corner of the room.
 
It is the process I love. The quiet. The alone time. The thinking space. I love seeing the image in my mind of what I want to paint and watching it come to life on the canvas. I have learned a lot in my little art room. About painting and about life.
 
I have learned that color adds emotion, mood, and energy to a painting. It can create a sense of calm serenity or excited energy.
 
I have learned that too much of anything can muddy the painting in a hurry. Too many colors mixed together in one spot can create a dirty brown that covers the brightness of the intended brush strokes.

I have learned that at times less is more. There must be white space for contrast to show the shadows from the highlights. A space of nothing. A space to take a breath. A break to show depth and dimension.
 
I have learned that one stroke of white for a highlight or the darkening of a shadow can turn an OK painting into a good painting. It is the tiny adjustment that makes a difference.
 
I have learned that the up-close perspective of the painter can be limiting. It is when you stand back and look at the painting from a distance that you see how each stroke of paint comes together. You see how the layering, texture, color, and even the small unintentional spots of brown work together to create your masterpiece. It is only from this perspective of distance that you see the harmony and balance in the full life of the painting.
 
Life is not much different.

In life, you need a little fun or color to create calm serenity or excited energy.

In life, trying to do too much can lead to a dirty layer of stress that smoothers the happiness you are meant to feel.

In life, there are times when less is more. You need quiet time to do nothing. You need alone time. You need space to breathe.

In life, tiny adjustments make a difference. Kindness to others. Appreciation. Gratitude. These don’t take much time and are easily given. They make a difference.

In life, perspective can be limiting. When you are standing in the middle of the busy action of living, you may not see the whole picture. You need to stand back and look at your life from a distance to see the full view. Then you can see how the layering of years adds experience and wisdom. You see how the texture of the joys and heartaches adds the contrast of depth and dimension to your life. You see how even unintentional mistakes and missteps moved you forward. It is only from the perspective of distance that you feel the full meaning of your life.

Every day you are given is a blank canvas waiting for you to paint it. The masterpiece you create is in your hands. Draw it with magic and paint it with colors of vibrant feeling. Fill it with words of wonder and questions of curiosity. Sprinkle it with compassion and splash it with kindness. Generously spread love. Always, always leave space for joy.

When you stand back and look at it all together, your perspective will change. The strokes, mistakes, challenges, lessons learned, and the successes you experience in life will make sense. You will see how every event worked together to create harmony and balance.

Every day, you are given a new canvas. You create the masterpiece of your life!
​                                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                 Pennie’s Life Lesson:
           You hold the vision and the power to create your day and your life.
                                                  Make it a masterpiece!
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​#CornerofSpiritandBrave #loveyourlifenomatterwhat #journeythrough #PennieHunt
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 © 2013-2023 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.