 TURN ON YOUR BLIND SPOT MONITOR
My car has a feature called theBlind Spot Monitor. When turned on, this life saving invention warns you when a vehicle is detected in your blind spot. You know, that spot to your side and just over your shoulder that you can’t see. When a vehicle is detected a warning light flashes in the side mirror to indicate a potentially hazardous lane change. The light stays on until the vehicle in the blind spot is safely ahead or behind you leaving you free to change lanes. Wouldn't it be nice if we all had a Blind Spot Monitor? Think about all of the things we don’t see that are hidden in our personal blind spots. You know, that spot to your side and just over your shoulder that you can’t see; OR choose not to. This spot is probably overflowing with items in three categories: actions or failures to act, tolerations and grace. Actions or failures to act. When was the last time you did something, even unintentionally, that caused direct or indirect pain? This is the cause and effect syndrome. Examples of this include: not following through on promises, telling small untruths, or arriving late to an appointment or event. Hidden in our personal blind spot is the hurt we cause others by our broken promises, untruths, and undependability. All of these type of actions that we either take or don’t take fall into this first category. Tolerations. Yes, I may have just created a new word. Definition ala Pennie: Tol-er-a-tions: the people, places, circumstances or things that cause us to participate in the act of tolerating. This could very well put us on the opposite side of the scale from the first category. We permit people to take advantage of us by breaking promises or telling lies. We tolerate laziness, sloppy work products, and misbehavior by ourselves and others by pushing it into our blind spot and telling ourselves it isn’t a big deal. We ignore our own health, fitness and happiness. All of these tolerations fit nicely into our blind spot. Grace. This may be the saddest and most important category of all. The idea that so much love, laughter and goodness in life slips into our blind spot where we don’t appreciate them. They become wasted grace. Close your eyes and feel hugs from your partner, the laughter of a child, the smile from a stranger, the smell of morning coffee and the wag of your dog’s tail. Yes, I said feel because I want to intentionally stir the emotion these examples of love and grace create. How many times does grace go unnoticed in a day and huddle in our blind spot? Now imagine with me what life would be like if we turned on our personalBlind Spot Monitor. It would flash a beacon in our mind to indicate a potential hazard and guide us into the lane of safety. When we came close to not following through on a promise the beacon would spark to warn us to change course. When we tolerated our slipping health or unhappiness the beacon would remind us that loving ourselves is a priority. And most importantly with every act of grace we encountered the loving light would spotlight the event so we wouldn’t miss it. Yes, I believe we all have the capacity of this personal life saving feature. We all have a Blind Spot Monitor. We just need to turn it on and watch for the flashing beacon. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: “Turn on your personal Blind Spot Monitor to enjoy all of life through open eyes.” YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to be aware of all that goes on in your life...little and big. Do not allow your blind spot to cheat you out of the wonderful moments of grace that surround you. Turn ON your blind spot monitor! 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 © 2013-2014 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: [email protected] Thank you!
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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!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 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: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 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: [email protected] Thank you!  WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS TO? Recently, I heard a question that made me ponder: “What do you attribute your place in life, your success, to?” Of course I thought of defining moments in my life, graduations, marriage, and the birth of my children. But this was asked in a deeper sense than that. It is one of those questions that should be given careful thought. For me the answer came swiftly. I was raised in a military family. When the word “ORDERS” was mentioned around my house it meant we would be moving. I remember waiting for my Dad to come home from work and running to see if he was carrying the yellow envelope; the one that held the name of the location of our next home. He would walk in, cocooned in his military green uniform and black shiny boots, whistling and smiling as if he held the secret to the universe in his hand. Once the location was revealed my small bare feet would jump on his shiny boots. He would dance me around the kitchen while the family chattered about dates and logistics of the move. My Mom, a tiny powerhouse of a woman, was a working mom at a time when most moms weren’t. With every new set of orders she orchestrated movers, house sales, school transfers, 3 unhappy children and travel. She was tuff, strong and not afraid to stand up for what she believed in. For me, dancing with my Dad was the only fun part. Orders meant leaving friends and starting over. I thought for sure that this was child abuse. I remember cleaning out my desk at school; walking to the school office with my Mom to fill out separation paperwork; and saying goodbye to teachers and classmates. I can still breathe the smell of the manila paper and packing boxes the movers used to wrap our belongs before loading them into the moving van. I can still feel the place in my stomach where fear boiled as I walked into a new school, met new teachers and filled a new desk. Yes, I was certain this was child abuse. It taught me a valuable lesson--- make friends on the playground or stand alone. I attribute the place I hold in life and any success I have to this lesson. I may not have a best friend who has held my hand from preschool to midlife. I may not have a house to visit where I was raised with a wall chalked with my height measurements as I grew. But, I learned that some lessons come wrapped in pain and discomfort. I learned how to accept change with a whistle and a smile. I learned how to be tuff, strong and not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. I learned how to talk and communicate. I learned how to tell my story. I learned that relationships are important. I learned friend building. Now here is the question for you to ponder: “What do YOU attribute your place in life, your success, to?” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Make friends on the playground or stand alone." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to remember those moments in life where you learned a defining lesson...one that added to your success in life. Is there someone you need to thank for that lesson? 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 © 2013-2014 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: [email protected] Thank you! THE SUNRISE IS GONE
 I am a morning person. I love the magical darkness right before the sun appears to wake up the world. I sit in my office, coffee in hand, watching through my window as the sun opens my day filling it with a slow painting of pink, yellow and orange. My coffee cup warming my hand and the steam teasing my nose as the spectacular painting of color fills my heart and wakes my soul. The painting is different every day. Some days a little more orange, some days a little more pink, but every day I watch the masterpiece unfold. Until now. The sunrise is gone. The building began last fall. First it was one house- then another and another. With each one I adjusted my position to see a different angle of the sunrise. Then I realized I was down to a one small sliver between two homes where I could still see the bright colors of my morning. Now, the last home is being built. The wedge of space which held my morning ritual is filled in. The sunrise is gone. Normally I like change. I love to experience the way life rearranges itself like the furniture in my living room. Every so often the couch looks better under the window than it does in front of the fireplace. My difficulty comes when adapting to the movement of out-of-sight change. Is the sunrise really gone? No. No more than the blue sky is gone on a cloudy day. The sky is still blue behind the clouds. No more than a friend who moved across country has disappeared. They are still there even though they use a different zip code to be located. And I believe no more than a loved one is gone from our life, heart and spirit even though they have passed away. All of these things require an adjustment of the way we see them; the way we enjoy them; and the way we allow them to warm our souls. I don’t think a walk at daybreak is a bad thing. The sunrise waits for me past the new houses at the end of the street. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “The sun rises every morning even if it is hidden from your view.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you notice the areas of life you believe are gone just because they are not in your line of sight. What do you need to adjust in your life to be able to see them clearly? Don't be afraid to do it! 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 © 2013-2014 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: [email protected] Thank you!
 It seemed like a giant step to the front platform of the church. When the piano began playing it was our cue to begin singing. Each time we visited our grandmother who lived states away, my brother, sister and I sang, This Little Light of Mine, at the Hurricane Baptist Church. When we sang my body swayed back and forth – mostly from nerves. My eyes linked to the glowing face of my grandmother. Her smile encouraged me to sing loud and strong. I loved her and would do anything to make her proud and happy – even overcome the fear I felt standing on a huge stage in front of a crowd to sing the same lyrics year after year. Not long ago I was back in the Hurricane Baptist Church. As I stood in the pew looking at the one small step to the front platform I realized the passing of time had shrunk the size and scale of the space I stood in as a little girl. Decades of events skipped through my mind. This was the church where my parents were married. This was the church where I cried at funerals. And this was the church where I learned the song that I could hear as it circled my memory now. Occasionally, a life lesson is a long time in the learning. Standing in that pew I realized the lesson my grandmother was very intentionally teaching. We could have sung a different song every year, but it was always THAT song. She wanted us to sing it over and over again until we understood the meaning. We all have our own unique spirit inside; a one of a kind light that needs to shine. We must bravely allow our individual personality, our talent and our joy to be seen and shared. We must have the courage to stand up in front of others and hold up our light. And, never allow anyone to smother it. What a bold and bright lesson in one little song. This church was my grandmother’s space; a home where she felt love and joy. This is where HER light shinned. This is where I followed her encouragement and love to take that giant step as a little girl. This is where I held up my little light and allowed it to shine boldly, brightly and bravely. This is where I now understood the power of my spirit and the importance of bringing it out into the open space for others to see. Yes, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Allow your light to shine boldly, brightly and bravely…only then will you know the power of your spirit.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to shine the inner spirit of who you are to the rest of the world. It is in this light you will find fulfillment and happiness. How do you let your light shine? 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 © 2013-2014 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: [email protected] Thank you! |
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