 Settling into seat 8F, I pulled my jacket off and tucked it into my carry-on bag. I would not be needing that in Phoenix. I looked forward to the sunshine and warmth ahead after the negative-number temperatures of the last week. In went the jacket. Out came my reading glasses, iPad, magazine, headphones. Headphones! Where are my headphones? I always travel with them. They are the noise canceling kind that block the roar of the plane engines, the voices of the passengers visiting, the cries of babies in the back, and the intercom messages from the cockpit. I block these so that I can enjoy the time to read, sleep or meditate in the headphone secluded space of rain falling, ocean waves, or the tweeting of birds; whichever seems to be my pleasure of the moment. With a sigh, I felt the aggression of the engines lift the plane into the sky as 9F, (who obviously had a hearing issue), began to explain to 9E, in his best not-so-quiet voice, why he was selling his home in New Jersey to move to Phoenix. I had a hearing issue too - for this hour and forty five minute flight my headphones were happily next to my meditation chair at home. Hummppfff! After reading an article or two in a magazine I laid it to the side, closed my eyes and began breathing. The deep in and out rhythm my body sensed as the call to meditate. To enjoy calm. To go within to the space of quiet where the outer world drops away. Where the deepest thoughts of my soul mix with the messages from the energy both in and out of my body. I guard this time of meditation as a mother guards her child. This is more than just a happy place. This is my sacred time. My daily ritual of flowing into calm serenity to a place which is more than one foot here and one foot there, but more like all there. All-in, as they say in Poker, to an out of this body and fully in peace space. The engines' roar became a soothing hum which muffled the voice of 9F. The ping of the pilot's bell seemed to whisper the message of safety that floated by my thoughts of awareness without stopping to take residency in my space of peace. I was there! Not here, not asleep, but there. Almost an hour passed when my breathing returned to the shallow breath of normality. My eyes fluttered open as my senses returned to the awareness of my surroundings. The engines below my seat continued to spin as the mechanical dropping of the landing gear engaged. "And in Phoenix the homes are a STEAL right now, so from what I clear on my Jersey home, I'll pay cash for the new one." Seat 9F had not stopped his elaboration of his relocation. I realized that I had successfully enjoyed the flight. I had enjoyed a time of meditation and for a brief period blocked the outside forces of noise, chaos and distractions. I smiled at the reminder that calm serenity can be accomplished any place. Any time. The noise of the outside doesn't have to detract from this. The outer world we cannot control. It is the Quiet Within that we search for. It is the Quiet Within we can find... Even without headphones. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Searching for tranquility does not require a vacuum of silence. Real peace is found within - even during the distraction of life." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to understand that no matter what chaos you are feeling in your life YOU have the power to feel peace within. 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 © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information.
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 DON’T CONNECT THE DOTS! Have you ever experienced a meltdown…the kind where you find yourself in a messy puddle on the floor? I have a concept called, "Pennie’s DOT Theory", that states: “Any event that happens to us, around us, or concerns us is just one tiny DOT in the grand adventure of life. If we over-think one DOT it becomes magnified and joins with other DOTs to form a mass of stress that creates imbalance and unhappiness.” If we blow one DOT out of proportion it can consume us, make us irrational and ultimately we end up in that messy puddle. The problem is we over think a little DOT allowing it to become a big DOT. Remember this- D--O--T- DON’T OVER THINK the DOT! It happened to me. It began with a flu shot. Well, the flu shot is not responsible for the entire meltdown, but it is the DOT that began the snowball rolling. For three days after the shot I felt tired, drained and far from the perky, optimistic, personality I am known for. My fatigue turned into a colossal cold. Another DOT. I stopped working out, stopped meditating, stopped eating right…DOT… DOT… DOT! As the days continued my snowball began rolling faster. More stressful DOTs showed up. The imbalance grew. I broke dishes, forgot things and my blood pressure went up. As the DOTs continued to connect, overwhelm sets in. I began allowing the profanities of human emotions to marinate with the DOTs…. You know the ones… words like, jealousy, resentment, anger, insecurity, and ultimately the BIG four letter word - FEAR! Then it happened. It doesn't matter what the “IT” was… it was just another DOT, but the most dangerous kind for me… my feelings were hurt. The snowball aimed right for that DOT rolling around in it until every dirty bit of it was connected to the DOT party forming in my head. It was just the DOT to heat up the snowball enough for it to come to a full stop, a complete meltdown and a DOT EXPLOSION! The pity party wasn't pretty. The meltdown was ugly. The DOT explosion was epic causing a massive heart attack. You see, when you over-think little DOTs they join with other DOTs in the same way blood cells stick together to block your arteries. You don’t function well and it eventually leads to a heart attack. Thank goodness DOT heart attacks don’t send you to the hospital. Yet, they have the power to do just as much damage. Accumulating and over-thinking DOTs stifles your happiness. Fear takes over attacking your heart and breaking down its protective covering until an explosive meltdown occurs. A crack is formed and your heart is scared in hidden ways. Finally, I stepped back from the dirty puddle I was sitting in and realized I had broken my own DOT rules. By over thinking every little DOT I had given them the power to become huge in my mind. I allowed them to connect one, by one, stripping me of my calm, my contentment and my happiness. They blinded me and I couldn't see around them. I carried the huge DOT mass around like a collection of boulders in a backpack. Only as I dropped the backpack did they tumble out before me and I could see the tiny pebbles each of them really were. Just tiny DOTs in the grand adventure of life! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Any event that happens to us, around us, or concerns us is just one tiny DOT in the grand adventure of life. Don’t Over-Think the DOTs!" YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to simplify your concerns and the way you handle experiences in your life - good and bad! 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 © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information.  Before he said, Hello, I blurted out, "Do you have any coffee over there?” This was our code for – I need to talk, can I come over? I drove the 6 blocks to his office. He was sitting at his desk, happily surrounded by pictures of his fishing adventures. These coffee conversations began with the same ritual. First, he would show me the photo of his most recent “biggest catch.” The fish always looked huge in the photo. Once he told me how he had mastered the perfect angle and focus of his camera to make it look larger than life. I oooed and awwwed and called him the mighty fisherman. Next came the pouring of the coffee. It was thick, strong and served in a cup from his mismatched office collection. No cream. No sugar. No asking if it was too strong. It was the expectation that it was to be enjoyed- as is. Finally, with the ritual complete, he would sit back with his cup, his hair framing his face, and with a familiar silence stare at me. His eyes locking on mine without words said, --What do you need to talk about it? This was a scene we played out many times. The problem of the day was hashed out with laughter, at times tears, but consistently with his calm and clarifying wisdom. I walked away feeling stronger, smarter, and grateful for having him in my life. His name was Dan. One day during a work meeting, Dan was exceptionally quiet. Not his quipping, sharp witted, entertaining self. While chatting during the morning break, Dan mentioned that he had a headache that wouldn’t go away. Soon the black moleskin calendar that he carried in his chest pocket, once filled with meetings, appointments, and deadlines, began to mean very little. Painfully I watched my mentor, colleague, coffee mate, father, brother, teacher, friend slow down with the ending of life. I would call his wife to arrange a visit and drive to his home to talk. Our talks were shorter now with fewer words. No fish photos, no ooing, no aweing, no…. ritual. One sunny day we walked slowly to his front yard patio. Silently we sat with the sun on our faces, listening to the birds and looking at the sky. His wife brought us coffee. Like Dan, the coffee was thinner, weaker and held in a smaller container than I was used to. Breaking the silence, he said, “Are you happy?" Before I could respond his weakened voice followed , “You need to go fishing!” I started chattering on about how, yes, I was happy and all was going well with me. I told him I wish I could slow down and enjoy the sun more like I was doing with him right now. He said, "Oh, I don't know if you need to slow down like me, but I want you to relax. I want you to have fun.” And adamantly ended with, “I want you to go fishing!" Again, I began talking about how I had fished as a little girl and had taken my kids fishing when they were young, but really didn’t think it was something I would do now. His piercing eyes stopped my chatter. I have learned life lessons in many ways; through experience, through suffering, through joy, but this time it was sitting on a patio with the sun on my face through the locking of eyes. Silently his determined eyes told me Wake up! This isn’t about baiting a hook or holding a fishing pole. This is about finding what you love...coming alive with joy…. Being happy… this is about Living! The stare down continued until the communication of the moment was solidified. He knew. I knew. I got it! I understood. He loved fishing. Fishing was his worship, the river was the sanctuary for his soul. Fishing was where he found joy, peace, and contentment. That is what he wanted for me. I never forgot the lesson. And the amazing part is…. I found it! When I write, when I speak and look in the eyes of someone touched by my words and when I help people I am fishing. I feel it! I feel the contentment. I feel the peace. I feel the joy. I have found what I love to do… and I am doing it! Yes, Dan, I am fishing! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Find the river in life that brings you joy, peace and contentment. Swim in it, splash in it and fish in it!”  YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about what would bring you this kind of passion and joy. What is your fishing? 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 © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information.  She is a four year old, blonde, blue eyed student of life. The evening sunset was long gone and dinner had settled in our bellies. Just as most of us sat down to relax, she jumped in the middle of the room to demonstrate the dance moves she was learning in ballet class. She kicked off her worn pink western boots and transformed from a chatty whirlwind of activity into a seriously composed tiny dancer. Her voice whispered, “Tap, point, tap, point,” as she awkwardly rotated through her toe points and pirouettes. After several methodical demonstrations of her talent, the group began clapping. Her irritation was obvious when she loudly stated, “No! I am still doing it!” The clapping hushed immediately as the understanding was clear -- she was not done yet! How often in life do we interrupt someone else’s dance? We are so rushed, busy and preoccupied that we don’t notice their dance or take the time to let the moment unfold. When we see a fellow soul loving life, enjoying the moment and singing their heart song, we should hold the space of delight with them. We should let it last for them (and for ourselves) as long as it can. We should stretch it into as much absolute pleasure as possible. She may be a four year old learning her way, but for that space in time she was a teacher of life. The lesson was clear; the meaning was firm. We need to recognize another’s dance, whatever form it takes and celebrate it as much as we do our own. Allow it to last until the music of their heart stops and the dance is complete. Don’t interrupt. Let them dance. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Every soul has a dance to dance. Celebrate everyone’s heart dance.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie Heart to Heart LET THE DANCE! YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to applaud everyone's dance. Let them dance for as long as they want. Be in the moment of JOY with them! Let them dance! 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 © 2013-2019 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. |
AuthorThere is a certain magic about where I live both physically and spiritually – on the crossroads of Spirit and Brave. Archives
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PLEASE NOTE: This page does not provide medical or legal advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and links to other sites, Pennie Hunt provides general information for inspiration, encouragement and educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through links to other sites, is not a substitute for legal, medical, or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call or the advice of your lawyer, physician or other healthcare provider. |