The Corner of Spirit & Brave

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

5/25/2018

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

We are all on a search for "Emotional Benefits."
We all freely give
"I love you's" with the expectation that we will receive an I love you in return.

Everything we do, say, act on or experience is with the expectation of making us feel good, feel happy, feel important or feel loved.

Our need to connect and belong is a driver in life.  Emotional benefit is attached.

Why do you think our world is so dependent on the buzzing of our cell phones? Because with every vibrational Tweet, every chiming phone call and every new friend request on Facebook we feel loved, needed, and wanted. We act with our heart and grab the phone!
Emotional benefit is attached.

Unfortunately, we do very little in life without the expectation of reciprocity. We have learned this mutual give and take expectation throughout our life.

If I pick you for the volley ball team, Iexpect you will pick me next time.
If I invite you to lunch, I expect you to invite me to lunch.
If I FRIEND you on Facebook, I expect you to Friend me.
If I tell you I love you, I expect you to tell me you love me.
We expect this mutual exchange.
Emotional benefit is attached.

Imagine if we took the expectation out of the equation. Imagine if we friended, liked and loved just for the joy of friending, liking and loving.

Imagine joyfully giving without the expectation of an obligatory comparable response.

I believe the real law of reciprocity should be based on our intent.
If your intent is ~
I will do this in order to receive that in return -- then you are living your life in a self-centered way.

If your intent is ~
I will do this with no expectation of return -- then you are living your life in an other-centered way.

You are making more deposits in the bank of emotional benefits than you expect to withdraw.

Then the magic happens.
By changing the expectation of reciprocity, the Emotional Benefit we give to others will increase. The conditions of the game will be removed. Your own Emotional Benefit account will begin to overflow.

It will become clear that by acting with our heart in an other-centered way the search for our own Emotional Benefits will begin and end with making others feel good, happy, important and loved.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
  “Unconditionally give and love
for the joy of giving and loving.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pennie Heart to Heart
EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to rush out there into your life and spread joy and love --expecting NOTHING in return and see what happens!

YOUR TURN
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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MEMORY MAKER

5/19/2018

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THE MEMORY MAKER

One hand carried my bucket
while the other grasped the largest stick I could find to swish away the foliage and shoo away the bugs.

I would follow my grandmother trying to match my small footprints with hers. We were on safari in this land of wilderness.

Reaching the creek, we searched for a rocky entry to the water. Stepping in, the mud squished between my toes as my feet and legs quickly became red and numb from the cold. I took deep breaths as the crawdads snapped at my feet and the sunfish brushed their thorned backs against me.

We would hike back to her house with treasures in our buckets – magnificent rocks that sparkled in the sun like diamonds and gold; crawdads to watch as they pinched and squirmed; snail shells; and flowers.
All were the riches of life and the secrets of nature.

Her property bordered a state park.
She didn’t take me in her car to the paved parking lot to play on the sand filled playground.
She didn’t take me to the groomed pebble lined paths with arrows signaling points of interest.
She took me on a quest-- trekking from her yard to the thickly wooded seclusion where trees were curled with the bending of age and the over grown creek bed was the land of nature in full celebration.

Even today, I remember the sounds of the crickets, the smell of the muddy creek water and the constant swatting of mosquitoes as we ate our picnic lunches while discussing how the flow of the water smoothed and polished the rocks.
Nothing my grandmother did with me was average or normal. It was always an adventure; an artistic creation; a moment of learned love.

She was a Memory Maker.

Making memories is the experience.
The gift of an experience is worth more than any item we can give.
The gift of an experience can even make legs covered in mosquito bites a joyful memory!

Who can you be a Memory Maker for?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
  “Give the gift of time and experiences.
Be a Memory Maker!”

Pennie Heart to Heart
MEMORY MAKER

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to create those moments in life you AND others will always remember. Be a Memory Maker!

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.

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THIS KIND OF LOVE

5/12/2018

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THIS KIND OF LOVE

Every bump in the road caused me to hold the door handle tighter as my contractions grew stronger. A few short hours later my young 19-year-old self is syphoned into a whirlwind of new experiences. A washcloth is put in my mouth to muffle my expressions of pain and my legs are strapped into stirrups.
I hear,
      “The baby’s heartbeat is dropping,
   we have to move fast.”

Pushing, forceps, fear – these were not covered in the prenatal classes. The cry of a tiny soul and the tears of his mother are ignored as he is swept away.

My bed is wheeled to the hallway for a makeshift recovery room. I watch every face as it passes and in a foggy drugged daze I wonder where he has been taken.
Several hours later I hold the most beautiful gift I have ever been given. I understand for the first time this kind of love.
His name is Jeremiah.
~ ~ ~

Two years pass-- I wake up to a sharp pain. Grabbing my swollen belly I stand as warm red fear flows down my leg. In a blink, I am on the maternity floor.
There is no heart beat and yet my body contracts in the effort of labor. I am alone in the sterile room as the tiny baby leaves my body.
I squeeze the emergency button calling for help. Stopping at the edge of my bed the doctor puts his arm around my shoulder and says,
     “Some ladies take this well and
   some have a hard time.”
I am numb… which would I be?

Twenty-four hours click by. I walk by rooms where new moms are snuggling their babies. I hear their newborn cries as I ride the elevator down, empty handed.
I reach to pick up my beautiful toddler. Someone stops me saying,
     ‘Be careful…
  it’s like you had a baby."
My heart bleeding, I swallow the words I want to shout – I DID HAVE A BABY – His name is Jake.
~ ~ ~

She is an angel. Her round cherub face landing in my life through a sweet, simple birth. The room glows with happiness. The 9 month fear and worry about this pregnancy is now covered with everything soft and pink. She fits in my arms as if she has always been there. Together we are happy and content.
It’s my 22nd birthday and I bring her home. Her name is Sarah.
~ ~ ~

Five years later football is on the television in the birthing room. The process is different from the first time. I’m an expert now, wanting to experience and remember every contraction, every moment of birth, as this will be my last. His eyes twinkle with a warning of who he is… an impish let’s-get-this-party-started boy joins my life. I hold him in fierce protection to keep him in this moment forever.
His name is Jameson.
~ ~ ~

Motherhood arrived for me four times over eight years. In easy and difficult ways.

Jeremiah and Sarah are now grown with children of their own. They are adults with successful resumes, education, and accomplishments.

Jameson hit the world ready to have fun and for a short 22 years brought love to all who knew him. As a toddler, he played endlessly with his imaginary friend, “Jake.” I believe the two were a prearranged team who now watch us from the magical space we all come from and will all return to.

Mothers are celebrated one day a year, but mothers celebrate day by day, moment by moment, breath by breath We celebrate the moment we give birth and every moment we have with the special souls we call children. We cry at preschool graduations and cry when college diplomas are awarded. We celebrate their success and accomplishments and hold pride for how their lives grew. We hurt when they hurt and are painfully scarred if they pass before us.

The title of “Mother” and the gift of motherhood should not be taken lightly. Mothering is not a finite venture. The love we feel for our children is one of powerful connection. Whether they are with us for our lifetime or leave this life ahead of us, the love and connection is of equal strength. We are bound to our children through magical golden cords that are not separated by age, by distance or by death.
Mothers understand THIS kind of love.
  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Motherhood should be celebrated day by day, moment by moment, and breath by breath.”
     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pennie Heart to Heart
THIS KIND OF LOVE

YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about your mom, what motherhood means and how you can celebrate Mother's Day every day!

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information.

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HOW I BECAME A THIEF AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

5/6/2018

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HOW I BECAME A THIEF AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

The ring was silver with cubic zirconia stones. She flashed it around as if she was a queen wearing a royal treasure. I was hypnotized by the sparkle of the tiny stones. It didn’t matter to me that she had ordered it from the back of a magazine for $5.99, I thought it was stunning.
I wanted it.

In the ladies dressing room of our local pool, as we changed from our swimming suits I saw it on the floor below the changing bench. Reaching with my eight-year-old hand I snatched it quickly and buried it in my towel shoving it deep into my swimming bag.

My older sister, her friend and I scurried to get dressed. We giggled and ran to our bikes for the ride home.

My sister’s friend didn’t mention her ring until the next day when she realized it was missing. She was mildly upset- not distraught. I secretly held it, tried it on flashing my hand up to my face to watch it glitter in the bathroom mirror.
It didn’t seem as sparkly.
It didn’t seem as glamorous.
It didn’t feel like the treasure I thought it was.

I swam in the guilt of my eight-year-old conscience. Panic set in.
What if she suspects me?
What if she finds out?
Running out of the house and onto my bike I peddled to a nearby field. Tossing the ring with all my strength I hoped it would carry my guilt far into the tall grass never to be found.
It didn’t work.

Although, the ring was never mentioned again and my sister’s friend was misplaced from our life, now over 50 years later, I still feel the guilt of that little girl.

The silencing of my stealing secret has worn on my soul. There is no way now to make amends, but I do know that by sharing this story I share the lesson I have also carried.
I was a thief.
I got away with it.
But, at the moment that my small hand grabbed the ring I learned that it was wrong, that it didn’t feel good, that there was a consequence for my wrongdoing and that living with guilt isn’t easy.

If I hadn’t been a thief that day, I wonder if I would have learned this lesson as deeply.
Sometimes the lessons of a little girl are carried for a lifetime. All that glitters is not golden.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“A treasure gained by deceit
will always be tarnished by guilt.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pennie Heart to Heart
HOW I BECAME A THIEF -
AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to remember the lessons you learned in childhood - they may be some of the most important lessons of your life.

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to see the lessons in all life altering events-- good and bad.
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!

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EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Pennie Heart to Heart
EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

MEMORY MAKER

Pennie Heart to Heart
MEMORY MAKER

THIS KIND OF LOVE

Pennie Heart to Heart
THIS KIND OF LOVE

HOW I BECAME A THIEF AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

Pennie Heart to Heart
HOW I BECAME A THIEF -
AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

Author

Archives

Categories

​EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Pennie Heart to HeartEMOTIONAL BENEFITS

MEMORY MAKER

Pennie Heart to HeartMEMORY MAKER

THIS KIND OF LOVE

Pennie Heart to HeartTHIS KIND OF LOVE

HOW I BECAME A THIEF AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

Pennie Heart to HeartHOW I BECAME A THIEF - AND GOT AWAY WITH IT

Author

Archives

Categories

EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Pennie Heart to Heart
EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

Pennie Heart to Heart
MEMORY MAKER

Pennie Heart to Heart
THIS KIND OF LOVE

Pennie Heart to Heart
HOW I BECAME A THIEF -
AND GOT AWAY WITH IT