 PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT
I will strive to be a kind, caring, loving person who is a role model for my children, an inspiration to my family and a source of motivation for others. I will see the beauty in life and work toward inner harmony for myself without disturbing the harmony of others. I will always look forward and only glimpse over my shoulder at the good of the past, leaving the bad under the footsteps of my path forward. I will always look ahead with anticipation and not fear, and at the climax of my life I will understand the meaning of success. ~ Pennie Hunt (2001) This is my personal mission statement. I wrote it in 2001, forty thousand feet in the air, while on a flight home from Chicago. In ten minutes, the words paddled out of my mind and onto my keyboard as the clouds puffed past my window. I have read it hundreds of times over the years. It outlines the way I want to live my life, the way I want to love others and the way I hope to be remembered. Most companies have a Mission Statement that explains what they do and why, so why don't we all have a Personal Mission Statement? By putting this down on paper you will give yourself a guide for how to live your life, what actions to take and what results to expect. You will know yourself better, understand what you value and live by what you believe. Once you have a clear understanding of your personal mission statement, you will hold yourself accountable. You will become uncompromising in your willingness to go against your "self mission." You will live life the way you want to live, you will love others the way you want to love and you will be remembered the way you want to be remembered. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Know who you are, what you believe in and how you want to love and be loved...then hold yourself accountable." All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 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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 DECISION FATIGUE Are you tired of being in the decision parade? Every day we make decisions about: What clothes to wear; should we walk or bike to work or school; do we stop to get coffee and once there do we want coffee, latte, cappuccino, one shot, two shots, decaf or regular; what meetings do we attend; which project do we work on; which applicants do we hire; which emails do we respond to; which Facebook posts do we read; and should we Tweet? Take a breath. And then. . . After work do we exercise and what does that look like? A walk, Yoga, do we use a home gym, do we join a gym, do we Bow Flex, Crossfit or go straight to Insanity? And then it is time for dinner, but wait! Are we Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw, Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, or should we be in the Zone? After all that we just want to relax and watch T.V., but how do we decide between the 800+ channels, thousands of movies, and hundreds of shows available at the push of a button. Take another breath. And then... If that doesn't give us decision fatigue, step back and look at the big picture of life decisions: What school to attend; what degree to get; what career path to take; who to date; should we get married or stay single; should we have kids and how many; should we buy a house- which house or should we rent; what car to drive; what friends to associate with; which charity to support; which sport to like and which team to cheer for; how much money to save; and where should we retire? WHEW! No wonder we live with our mind swirling so fast that we need small computers that fit in our hand to keep all of these decisions organized. And yes, we have to decide which one of those smartphone computers will work the best for us! STOP! What if we just stopped! Sit still. Sit quiet. Don't make one decision. Close your eyes. Your body will breathe on its own- no decision necessary. Be at peace for five minutes or an hour. You may just decide to make this part of your day. Give yourself permission to disengage from the decision parade. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Allow yourself to disengage from the decisions of life and breathe in the presence of being here now. ” All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 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!  I DRIVE HIS TRUCK It sits in the garage. Everyone wonders why I keep it. The dust and dirt of the seasons covers it. I walk by it every day as the months and years come and go. Twice a year I drive it. I slide in the seat. The smell of him is fading and the air freshener he tucked in the vent is beginning to crumble. I carefully back down the driveway. The gear shift is tight with age. The windows rattle and the water seeps in as I drive it through the car wash. The repair shop asks me why I want the oil changed when there has only been 50 miles driven since the last service. I don’t tell them. When I drive I feel his arms blend with mine as our hands in unison hold the steering wheel. I push in his Bob Dylan cassette and it crackles loudly through the speakers. Our hands drum to the beat. And we are off. We drive together, he and I, through 22 years of memories; the good, the painful, the magical and the tragic. We find ourselves in a place where here and there - now and then doesn't matter. A place where love binds us back together. When I carried him I wanted to experience and remember every moment of my pregnancy and every un-medicated contraction during his arrival. It would be my last passage through the process. I re-live these now. His first steps, his first words and his first day of school blur into the yellow lines of the road we travel. We drive by the baseball field where his Little League Tournaments were played and the skate park responsible for his first stitches.  We stop at the gardens where the stone holds his name and the saying by Rumi. We pass the gas station where I bought his last tank of gas. The wind whistles as we drive through town by his apartment and onto the interstate where we drive fast as our thoughts and pain escalate I hear his fishing poles and baseball equipment rattle in the back. The speed is cleansing. Together we sing, we laugh, we shout, we cry. We say prayers of gratitude for his life, our life together, his brother, his sister, family, friends -- and his daughter. I hear the echo from so many years ago when the phone rang with a voice telling me he was gone. Carefully I position it back in the garage. Bob Dylan stops. Time is put in park as I feel his beard brush against my cheek and, “I love you, mom,” hums in my ears. I answer, “I love you too, honey. I love you so.”  Another anniversary of that phone call comes to an end. His birthday will be here soon. Until then it sits in the garage. Everyone wonders why I keep it. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Love binds us together no matter what separates us." All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 Pennie Hunt Jameson Tanner (J.T. ) Lindemann - 1985 - 2007
 MAGNIFICENT MOMENT OF THE DAY
What was your golden moment of the day? That moment when just for an instant life is quiet and the spectacular happens. Can you think of one? Magnificent Moments occur all the time -- right in front of us. They happen when we least expect it in soft miniature ways and grand glorious ways. They happen as bold aggressive attention grabbers and as mystical whispers. It may be the unexpected bonus at work; the call from a friend you haven’t heard from in months; or the crisp perfume of morning as you water your garden in the early hours of dawn. It may be the breath of a baby as they lay sleeping on your shoulder; the excitement of your dog’s greeting when you walk in the door; or the sun as it ripples diamonds across the ocean. You see, Magnificent Moments are everywhere and given to everyone. When we are children we live in the time and space of Magnificent Moments where everything seems magical. As we age we are blinded by commitments and responsibilities. We hurry through time and space tripping and stumbling right over the magic. Begin watching for your Magnificent Moment of the day. Catch that one moment when magic moves you to a place of still; a place of awe; a place of wonder. When spectacular happens stop to breathe it in. Savor it and at the end of the day remember how delicious it tasted. When you are on the lookout you will begin to notice that you are surrounded by golden moments. The challenge will become choosing the one that is the most magnificent! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Be aware of and grateful for Magnificent Moments.” All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 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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