​We are experiencing a cold winter with wild winds and heavy amounts of snow. It has gone past the winter wonderland stage with me and slid right into feeling like frigid isolation.

The combination of the letdown after the holidays and the cold winter weather typically opens to a kind of quiet, slow, sad time for me. January has never been my favorite month.

Except for January of 1985. That is the year I was gifted with my son, Jameson Tanner, - J.T., as he preferred. 

That January I relished the cold winter that kept me bound to my home and my baby. I remember the delicious days of holding him bundled in my arms, rocking for hours in the same chair I had rocked my other babies. I would sip hot tea and stare at his tiny face, in awe of the miracle I had been given, knowing it would be the last time I would step into the arena of motherhood.

As the wind and snow whirled outside, I hoped the moments of grace and innocence would be frozen in that rocking chair. I hoped the winter of 1985 would last forever. It didn’t.

The calendar pages turned, and Jan. 14, 2022, is J.T.’s 37 birthday - and it is the 15th January I will have celebrated without him. Since his passing, I have learned to count. In the beginning, it was the weeks since he left, then months, and years. I count holidays. I count how many of his friends have married. I count how many babies have been born and how many people have passed. I count events he has missed. The number is always followed with, “since J.T. passed.”

This cold January wind reminded me of two years ago when I was thinking of his 35th birthday. I was talking to him as I often do. I tell him about what he has missed, how I miss him, and how I need to feel his hugs and hear his voice. Over the years, I believe, I have received messages from him in magical ways. These come in the form of smoke alarms and electronics going off, finding guitar picks in odd places, license plates, and music. He was a musician, so music was large in his life. He loved the Beatles, the Eagles, punk, and hard rock. If there were drums or a guitar in it, he loved it. During the time of his passing, he was in a Bob Dylan phase, so of course, we played a Bob Dylan song at his funeral.

I talked to him as I prepared the contribution to his daughter’s college fund that I make every year in honor of his birthday. As I wrote out the check, I was missing him terribly. I told him how beautiful his daughter is and thanked him for giving us this lovely soul to remember him by. After tucking the donation letter into an envelope, I grabbed a package I needed to mail and headed to the post office. The line was long. I waited with unusual patience. It gave me time to think about him.

When it was my turn, I chatted with the clerk as she weighed the package. I put my credit card in the machine and saw the envelope in my purse. I said,
   “Oh, and this letter is all stamped and ready,” as I handed it to her.
Just then music began playing. The clerk said,   
   “Well, that is good timing, we are all done, and someone is trying to call you.”
 
I looked at her confused. That wasn’t my phone. It wasn’t the normal ring. I looked in the side pocket of my purse and my phone was not in its usual spot. Then I realized the music WAS coming from my purse. I dug deeper to the bottom where I found my phone playing a song from iTunes- Bob Dylan’s, “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

I thanked the clerk, silenced my phone, and ran out into the winter cold to my car. I never listen to iTunes. The phone was at the bottom of my purse and spontaneously began playing just as I handed the clerk the donation letter for J.T.’s daughter. 

I guess the clerk was right. Someone was trying to call me. J.T. was sending his approval. It was one of his perfectly-timed messages. Suddenly, the winter didn’t seem so bad. Suddenly, I felt warm and surrounded by one of his glorious hugs.

This week as I celebrate his 37th birthday, I will be watching and listening for one of his messages. When it arrives, once again, I will believe.
                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson: If you watch and listen, messages will come. I believe.
​                                       ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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                                          Copyright © 2013-2022 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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Recently it was pointed out to me that I am not 28 anymore. This message came in two ways. One from my body as I bent over during a Yoga pose and thought to myself, “Whose knees are those?”

Later, as I was questioning out loud how my knees have changed, a friend pointed out that my age number no longer begins with a 2.

When did that happen?  For that matter, how did I rush through 3, 4, and 5?  My friend’s point was, why would I expect to have 28-year-old knees when I wasn’t 28 anymore. She added that I should stop being critical and accept myself and my body for the beauty it holds, even if my number now begins with a 5…ok 6.  

Whoa! That set off some major pondering in my head. Accept myself? Accept myself?

The first thing I had to do was contemplate what my perception of me at this age and space in my life should be. What was I willing to accept? 

I will admit to being someone who over the years has had a difficult time with the perception of perfection. I have been the overachiever who wanted to be perfect.

The perfect daughter.
The perfect mom.
The perfect wife.
The perfect friend.

All my life I have held a perception of what my perfect weight should be, what I should and shouldn't eat, how much I should work out, what I should be doing for others… the list could go on and on.   

Take a minute and visualize the Perception of Perfection you hold for yourself. 

Do you have it? If you are like me it is an over-exaggerated, unattainable Perception of Perfection fueled by our own self-talk and the world we live in. The media tells us minute-by-minute how we should look, dress, and feel. We buy into this and continually believe we are not good enough. Is this realistic?
   

My pondering has brought me to a place of honesty with myself. I have eased up on my expectation of being the perfect anything. What I have come to realize is that we are who we are and that is enough and in our own way we are all perfect. Does that mean we can’t improve? No. Life is a continuum of self-improvement. The lessons we learn in the process is the reason we are in this life. It is the continual self-doubt, self-criticism, and self-shaming that sets us up for failure and unhappiness.
My new mantra is this: Pennie’s Perception of Perfection = Honesty, Health, and Happiness. I may not be the same size I was and have the stamina I had at 28, but I look and feel pretty good. I am healthy and I love my life. And guess what? My age number does start with 5… ok, 6 (dang it) and those are my knees.
Now take out your paper and pen and write the Perception of Perfection that fits you. 

Pennie's Life Lesson:
 “Our personal Perception of Perfection should be based on Honesty, Health, and Happiness.

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 © 2013-2022 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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Growing up I never lived close to extended family. I was fortunate if I saw my grandparents once a year. My grandmother passed when I was 25. This means I saw her about 25 times in my life, and yet she made a massive impact on me. She knew how to take small amounts of time and create memories that matter.

How many times a year do you see a loved one? Let’s use a mother or grandmother, for example. If they live far away, that number may be small. Now think about how old that person is - let’s use the age of 79. The average life expectancy in the US for a female in 2021 is 82.65 years. If you only visit them once a year, then you may only see that special person 2.5 more times.
Even if they are much younger than our estimate, we never know how much time they will be here – or how much time we will be here.

Looking at it this way, time becomes more important. Every time together becomes more important. How you use the time together becomes more important. It made me think about how I use time. How I waste time. How I allow time to slip away.
At the end of every year, we all say things like. How did that year go so fast? How can it be New Year already? Time flies!

Well, here we are. Looking right into 2022. Where did 2021 go?

Ten years ago, I gave up on New Year’s Resolutions. They never worked for me… or maybe I never worked intently on them. So, I began picking a word for my year. A word I could concentrate on to guide my year. A concept I would ponder and pay attention to for an entire year.
​For 2022 I have chosen the word, TIME.

I want to be intentional about how I use my precious hours, minutes, and days. I want to pay attention when I go down a rabbit hole on the internet and come out of it two hours later. I want to limit my scrolling time- scrolling screens of other people’s lives while taking time away from my own.

I want to pay attention to sleeping enough hours. I want to pay attention to allowing myself priority time to paint, sew, read, bake, sit in the sun, walk in the snow, enjoy a cup of coffee, and do all the things I love to do.

I want to pay attention to my relationships. Who I spend time with. Why I spend time with them. Am I spending the most time with the people most important to my heart? If not, I want to change that.

I found a definition of time that reads: time can be defined as the ongoing and continuous sequence of events that occur in succession, from the past through the present to the future. Time is used to quantify, measure, or compare the duration of events.

That is what I want to do. I want to be mindful of my past, present, and future. I want to measure the duration of my events and prioritize my time spent on them by the importance they bring to my life. I want to treat each visit with a loved one like the precious time it is, because we don’t know how many more visits we will have. I want to make even small amounts of time a memory that matters.
My word for 2022 is Time.  

Pennie’s Life Lesson: Make every moment of time a memory that matters.  

​Every year I make name card holders for the grandchildren’s Christmas table. It makes dinner special as they find their assigned seat and giggle over what is holding their name.
 
A few years ago, I had a grand idea of using snowman ball ornaments on top of three candy canes and the loop of the candy cane would hold the name card. My grandson, Riley, is always so excited about holiday decorations, so I asked him if he would like to help me make them. 
 
After a visit to Hobby Lobby in search of small candy canes, scouring the lights and decorations, and a stop for lunch, we went home to create!
 
We found the photo on the Internet of a similar idea and started unwrapping candy canes. I thought it would be awesome. Riley was skeptical.
 
It didn’t take long to realize that Elmer’s glue on candy canes creates something like peppermint slime. Who knew candy canes and glue don’t mix! My mind quickly began thinking of what I had in the house to improvise and save this disaster. What will look like a snowman? What will not melt with glue? What will make me look a little less like a loser in the eyes of my grandson?

Well, when all else fails, bring out the marshmallows! Big, GIANT marshmallows! I thought it would be awesome! Riley, who by now had eaten enough candy canes to have rosy cheeks and watery eyes from a little too much peppermint, was still skeptical. 
 
By the end of the afternoon, we had used toothpicks and glue to attach the bodies, stood them on a base of red and green felt, given them ribbon scarves, and added buttons. It wasn’t until I broke a toothpick in half and pushed arms in the first little puffy man that I saw Riley smile. 
“Now, that is CUTE!” he said.
We had snowmen! 
​
Once again, I had received a lesson in acceptance. My idea of the perfect card holder failed. It took a little flexibility to improvise a new concept. They were not perfect. But by the time Christmas dinner was ready the marshmallows were hard as stone. The snowmen stood strong with the name tags sitting in front of their fat bellies. My grandchildren laughed and compared who had the funniest snowman.
 
Since then, I have made gnomes out of old makeup containers, painted pinecones, and this year will be small shiny red and green bells that will be shaken and rang to the point of irritation to all the adults. What I have learned is to be flexible. Flexible with my expectations. Flexible with my creativity. And Flexible with the outcome. Peppermint slime and marshmallow snowmen taught me a huge lesson. Card holders, like the entire holiday, don’t have to be perfect. If there is laughter, if there is joy, and if there is love, there is success. 
 Pennie's Life Lesson:
                         Holidays don’t have to be perfect. 
                 Flexibility in the process may turn out to be the best part of all. ​

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

"Relax and allow the process of life to occur." 

When I said that to a friend of mine, I felt the intensity of her response ripple up her back forcing her to stretch upright and lean forward.

"Relax and allow life to occur? What about work, my kids, my husband? We have basketball games on the weekends, ballet practice after school, I volunteer on Wednesday night, my husband is out of town for work this week, and my in-laws arrive for a visit this Sunday. I have gifts to buy and wrap, cookies to bake, and my tree isn’t even decorated. Relax? The next thing you are going to tell me is to sit with my legs crossed and just be. Are you crazy?"

I could see she was desperately trying to control the pace and rhythm of her busy life. By doing this the scope of her world was overwhelming her.

I know the symptoms of overwhelm because I see them often and I have felt them many times. The symptoms are typically similar - the tired, drawn look with heavy under-eye circles from skimping on sleep; the extra 10, ok, 15 lbs that are always trying to be lost, yet increase due to eating on the run; the endless checking of emails, texts, and phone calls; the continual list-making of tasks and responsibilities required to get through the day and the week; and the quick defensiveness of why all of it is necessary and important. This causes life to be crazy and out of control. 

Sitting with legs crossed is not necessarily the answer, although the “just being” part is close.

This continual out-of-breath pace that life forces us to run is counter to what we are meant to do. When we are out of breath, we cannot allow life to occur, let alone relax to a place of enjoyment.

Breathing is important, but remember the only breath that is significant is this one; the one we are taking right now. The last one is over and the next one has yet to fill our lungs. And it won't unless we successfully inhale and exhale the current one. You see, you can't take more than one breath at a time and the only important one is the one you are breathing right now.

If you use this concept in life you will learn to slow down and experience one event at a time. View each event and experience as a breath. Just as you will begin to focus on the breath you are taking, you will also begin to concentrate on the event you are experiencing. . . not the ones on your list for tomorrow or the responsibilities you have to others. It is this breath right now, this experience right now that is important.

Life will unfold. Maybe not in the vision of perfection that you hope, but it doesn’t have to be. You may be surprised to find that you CAN relax and allow life to occur.
 
Pennie's Life Lesson:
                      "When you focus on the moment you are in, 
                               you can relax and allow life to occur."​

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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Today I donated my old Christmas tree.  For three years I have wanted a new tree. I had become annoyed with the amount of glitter and white artificial snow that fell from it. I would find it all over the house well past Valentine’s Day. I had become frustrated that I could never fit it back into the tree box the way it came out. The days that I put it up or took it down became days of dread that left me looking and feeling like a glitter-covered wrestler that had lost the match. For three years when the stores clearanced all holiday items after Christmas, I looked for a new tree. One that was easy to assemble. One without glitter or snow. One that I felt was beautiful enough to take over the role of center-of-attention for my holiday season. For three years I failed.
​
This year I didn’t wait for a clearance sale. This year I began searching the ads right after Halloween. I visited stores. I took photos of trees I thought I would like. I studied assembly options, light lumens, and branch counts.  Then I found her. The perfect 7’ 6”, 800 light, 4,335 branched tipped queen of my future holidays.
She sits in my living room all aglow displaying shiny blue ornaments and family memories. The decorations sparkle enough that I do not miss the glittered snow branches of my old tree. I am in love with her.  

I saw photos of her that first year where she reigned like a queen surrounded by beautiful packages and shiny ribbon. I saw photos of her with new babies and toddlers laying under her in awe of the magic held in sparkly lights and holiday secrets.  

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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You planned for a year. You sent out invitations, ordered a cake and said “Yes” to the dress. The day comes and it is spectacular.  It is the fairy tale wedding of the year. Even the honeymoon was perfect. And then, you came home to a new life with a partner and Now What? Now, things like laundry, negotiating finances, and toothpaste in the sink become reality and you are not adapting well.
You didn’t plan past the wedding cake. 

You brought home one or two, maybe more, sweet-smelling bundles from the hospital. You bathed them, fed them, and nurtured them through talking, taking their first step and all the steps after that right until they walked across the stage- cap and gown on, tassel dangling and your pride beaming. You help them pack their car, you make sandwiches for the road, and tuck cash in their hand. The door closes on your child as they drive off to a new life leaving you in an empty nest and Now What? Your purpose has just driven away and what will you do now?
You didn’t plan past parenting. 

The turkey is bought, or jellybean baskets are filled, or the tree is up, and presents are wrapped- whichever holiday it is, you have prepared for the fun, food, and family. The house is filled with laughter and joy. The day after comes and Now What? The house is quiet and empty. Your heart sinks from sudden loneliness. Your festive holiday adrenaline is drained and has puddled on the floor.
You didn’t plan past the holiday. 

The dreaded school reunion is 6 months away, so you work out, diet, lose those 30 pounds, and fit into that little black dress. The day after comes and Now What?  You sleep in because working out is overrated, a cheeseburger and fries sound good for lunch- after all you haven’t had them in 6 months and so it goes. Soon the little black dress is tucked in the back of your closet with the other too small clothes.
You didn’t plan past the reunion. 

It happened.  Rehab. A little too much drinking, pills, gambling, or whatever your addictive vice is. You can do the 30-60-90 days. You do the counseling, the group sharing, the journaling, and inner work. The day comes when you finish. Your mind is clear, your body cleansed, and the world looks bright and possible again. And Now What? You return to the old life, the old friends, the old habits, and you are pulled further and further away from the protection of rehab and fall into the familiar arms of your vice.  
You didn’t plan past 30-60-90 days.

This is how we do life. We look at the gold ring. We reach for it. We get it. And then what? We don’t plan the next step. We don’t plan the next goal or the maintenance of our accomplishment. Without planning past we will suffer from the slow slide back into the darkness of depression, or relapse into old habits and routines. Planning past should become as much a part of your process as your steps to success.
Plan past the wedding cake – visualize and talk about how your shared life will be. 
Plan past parenting. Do not curl into a tight ball of depression disappearing into your empty nest. Look at it as a new adventure, time for YOU to fill this newfound space with the experiences YOU want to pursue. 

Plan past the holiday, so that after the presents are gone, the tree is put away and leftovers are eaten you have scheduled what is next on your calendar to fill the quiet. 

Plan past the reunion. Don’t lose weight for a specific moment in time. Get in shape for yourself, your health, your longevity. You will look and feel great for every event… not just one reunion. 

Plan past a program. The 30-60-90-day programs might work for the time you are there, but you need a life program. One that doesn’t end when you walk out of a facility. One that is engrained in your belief system 100%.... then it becomes YOUR program. Your way of life. Your success! 

Be proactive. Look at your life in long-term successes.  Short-term goals are great steppingstones, but to be successful in life you must not look at a goal as the finale. Always be prepared and have a vision for what comes next. Only then will you walk a life-path of achievement knowing that each successful step you take creates a trail of confidence behind you and a road of determination ahead of you. 

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Don’t stop when you reach a goal. Plan past the achievement. Have a vision for what comes next.”  

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

​It’s that time of year again. You know, the time when you wear color coordinating outfits, sport fresh haircuts, display shiny smiles, and hug each other for that family photo. The photo that goes on the cover of the holiday card that you mail to your friends and family.

Who is in your holiday photograph? Is it a photo of one or a frame for two?  Is it the first photo with the new pink or blue bundle that makes you a family of three? Does it include grandparents, cousins, grandchildren, aunts, uncles, and the family dogs and cats? Is it a group picture of your circle of friends?

You may hate this tradition. The matchy-matchy uncomfortable clothes. The inconvenience. The idea of creating a Norman Rockwell portrait of a happy family just isn’t your favorite way of spending an afternoon.

However, think about the people who would give anything to have a family, or even one person, to stand next to and pose for a holiday card. They probably dream of their fantasy family. They can visualize the smiles and feel the love they wish for oozing out of the picture. They dream of who they would love to have in their photograph.

Many of us have lost a loved one we wish were still here to be in the photograph. Some of us have fractured families. Families separated by geography, illness, division, divorce, or death. If it hasn’t happened yet, there will come a time when the family photo changes. There will come a time when grandparents are gone, children move away, and change happens. When this takes place, the photographs of past years become precious possessions. A snapshot of a time that will never happen again. A moment that becomes a memorialized memory.  

Right now, if you are lucky enough to have a spouse or family that is planning a family photo shoot and they want YOU in it, stop begrudging it. If no one is planning it, jump in and be the planner for your family or your group of friends. Orchestrate the occasion. Get that haircut. Wear matching colors or crazy sweaters. Stand in front of the holiday tree, cozy up on a couch, or kick up some dirt in an empty field. Cross your fingers that the babies don’t cry, and the dog sits still. Smile the biggest smile you can conjure. Make fun poses. Crazy poses. Be happy. Be joyful. Be proud. Create a memory.

Understand how lucky you are to have someone standing alongside you in a photograph and in life. Understand how lucky you are that someone wants YOU in their holiday photo. Be grateful.
And when next year comes around, do it again.
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Don’t miss an opportunity to stand with those you love.
                                                        Take the photo!” 

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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We don’t take time to celebrate.  I know, you are thinking – What? We celebrate all the time!
​
Yes, we break out the ice cream and cupcakes to celebrate birthdays and holidays, but we need to “cupcake” the little things in life.
 
Do you take time to notice the things you are grateful for? Do you celebrate them?
Every second of every day we are surrounded by things to celebrate.  Some are obvious. A promotion at work or the birth of a baby are the green fields for the dance of celebration, but let’s dig deeper.
 
I don’t think there has been a morning of my life that the sun didn’t rise bringing with it a glorious splash of love and light.  That is cupcake worthy!
 
The first smell of spring, the flower squeezing between two rocks to find the sun, or the smile on the face of an elderly woman as she watches a toddler walk – cupcakeable!
 
The smell of coffee in the morning, the kiss on the cheek from someone you love, the note from a friend that says they are thinking of you, the tail wagging greeting from your dog and sliding into bed on clean sheet day – yep, cupcake with sprinkles!
 
Watch for these moments and even sweeter, try to turn frustrating moments into a cupcake moment.  It may be a red light that stops you when you are late for an appointment, but what can you celebrate as you take a breath?  It may be that the pause that forces you to calm down to take the breath is worth a celebration in itself.
 
A spring storm may require you to add snow shoveling to your already busy day, but those white snowflakes are crystals of beauty and the moisture will guarantee the green burst of spring in your yard.
 
Do you see how you can turn frustrations into celebrations?
 
Now, I’m not suggesting you start baking cupcakes on a daily basis.  None of us have time for that and our waistline wouldn’t thank us for it.  But imagine a cupcake celebration in your head when these wonderful life moments occur.
 
Who doesn’t like a party?  You can create one just by paying attention to these delightful moments.  The mental confetti will spill, the balloons will bounce, the champagne glasses will clink with a “cheers it” as you begin to cupcake the small things in life.
 
Begin now! Start taking time to celebrate freely.
The month of gratitude has begun. November is the perfect time to celebrate gratitude. Do you take time to notice the things you are grateful for? Do you celebrate them? I call November my month of gratitude. Every day I pick someone, a place, an experience…something I am grateful for. I talk about it, share it on social media, and publicly celebrate gratitude. Join me by celebrating this month of gratitude!
What will you cupcake today?
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
​   Take time to celebrate the small moments in life – cupcake them!
                       ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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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, Keto, 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 all 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 how- 401K, bonds, stock, mutual funds, CD’s, banks, or under our mattress?

When we accomplish all of that, where should we retire?

WHEW!

No wonder we live with our minds swirling so fast that we need small computers that fit in our hands to keep all of these decisions organized. And yes, we must decide which one of those smartphone computers will work the best for us!

No wonder we live in a perpetual state of exhaustion. This type of nonstop decision-making creates a mental fatigue that can be more harmful to our health than physical fatigue. It wears on our nervous system and pushes our emotional well-being to the limit.

STOP! 
What if we just stopped?
Sit still.
Sit quietly.
Don’t make one decision.
 
Close your eyes.  Your body will breathe on its own- no decision necessary. When that breath is complete, your body will take another and another. It requires no thinking on your part. You just need to allow yourself the time to break free from the chaos that captures your mind and spins it into the cycle of what, who, why, where, and when questions.

Instead of a question, give your mind a word. A word that you say with every breath. Peace. Calm. Quiet. Love. These are all words that work well. Breathe in your word. Breathe out your word.

Give yourself permission to relax and restore. Give yourself a break to disengage from the decision parade. Be at peace for five minutes or an hour. You may just decide to make this part of your day.

Pennie's Life Lesson:
         "Allow yourself to disengage from the decisions of life
                 and breathe in the presence of being here now.”​

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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You may have taken a career test to see what occupation would be best for you. You may have taken a personality assessment as part of a job interview or filled out a profile on a dating site.
 
All these tests and assessments are trying to find out one thing… 
                             What are you looking for?
Do you know the answer to that simple question? It is harder than you think. A version of this question is repeated throughout your lifetime.

It begins at an early age in school when you are asked, - what do you want to be when you grow up? When you register for college, you are expected to pick a school of study that will lead to your future career. Job interviews ask what you are qualified for. Salesclerks in a shopping mall might ask if they can help you. Questionnaires, people, and institutions, are always asking questions without getting to the core issue… What are you looking for?
 
Many people wander through life - browsing, sampling, and testing the water. When asked the magic question, most people can immediately come up with a list of things they DON’T want or are NOT looking for. These answers come from past hurt and disappointments. Many of us go through our entire life searching without knowing what we are looking for. Without a map, a guide, a list of wants and needs, we will never know what we are looking for. If we don’t know what we are looking for, we will never find it.
 
What are you looking for in a career, a lifestyle, and an income?
What are you looking for in a life partner, a family, and a future?
What are you looking for in retirement?
 
Instead of following a career path because it is what your parents did or what they expect you to do, visualize what you want in life. What are you looking for?
 
Instead of finding a partner through happenstance, you should be clear on what your definition of a perfect spouse or partner would be. What are you looking for?
 
Instead of assuming retirement means you are old or not of value, you should be clear on your own expectations of what you have left to accomplish and enjoy in the famous golden years. Decide what you are looking for without allowing the number of candles on a birthday cake to limit your vision.  
 
We need to ask ourselves the right question – What am I looking for?
Sure, there are non-negotiables that you will not settle for or allow into your life.
But until you flip the mindset from what you don’t want to the positive side of what you do want you will never have a clear understanding of where you are going.
 
We all need to know what we are looking for. Until then we continue to wander.
                                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson: If you don’t know what you are looking for, you will never find it. 
​                                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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I opened the door and the assortment fell on my head. I picked them up off the floor, grabbed the step stool, and climbed up to shove them all back into the overflowing cabinet like I had done hundreds of times.

As I jostled and pushed the bowls, pitchers, and pickle containers back into the black hole of plastic, it occurred to me –WHY don’t I let go of the Tupperware?

Thirty years ago Tupperware parties were the acceptable girls-night-out. We all took turns hosting the gatherings where we listened to the sales pitch, ate cake, drank coffee, and shared the secrets (okay, gossip) of the day. Then we ordered the obligatory plastic items.

At the time it seemed expensive, but the justification came with the durability of it, the perceived usefulness of it, the cool factor of the new products, AND the lifetime guarantee. It was virtually indestructible, but if some major mishap did occur it would be replaced.

Along with this came a free add-on with every item - guilt. I am convinced it was molded into each piece during the factory creation. It was an unwritten code that you WOULD keep it forever. After all, the investment... the lifetime guarantee…and someday you will need it!

What do you have in your home that you won’t let go of? What ties up the space in your heart and mind that is bound with the guilt of investment and a someday but, never-to-be-used promise or guarantee? 

Is your closet overflowing with clothes? Is there an unhealthy relationship in your life? Are you in a job you hate? Do you hold a victim story in your heart that you retell over and over?

The Tupperware of our lives comes in all forms. We invest in all of them with time, money, and energy in the hope of a future payoff.
And then there is the elusive guarantee of need –someday,
of weight loss – someday,
of love – someday,
of a promotion – someday, 
​and someday this victim story is going to explain why everything happens to me. 

Maybe it was the 700th time of having a load of hard plastic fall on my head that finally spurred me to make a change. Maybe it was the recognition that it will never wear out, so the guarantee doesn’t matter. Maybe it was the realization that I will never use it – not even someday. The 'why' doesn’t matter. Now it is packed in a box ready to be donated. My cabinet is organized, clean, and clear. My guilt is gone. I feel free!
What is the Tupperware in your life? When will you let go of it? 
                                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
                         We have things in our closets, hearts, and minds
                                  that we hold on to in hopes of "someday."  ​

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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I have been called Pollyanna, Susie Sunshine, optimistic, positive, and perky throughout my life. I accept all of those as terms of endearment, when actually at times they have been said in a teasing way.

I will admit to being a glass-is-full kind of girl.  You know that saying, “Walk a mile in my shoes?” Well, I am asking you to, “Walk a Mile in My Smile.” 

I am far from perfect, and I am not perky and positive every minute of every day. I have down times, sad days and occasionally become angry. But I am asking you to join me in the upside of walking in my shoes. 

I will admit to having the advantage of being blessed with a high happiness set point. This means I seem to keep a fairly high stance of happiness no matter what. When I do have the occasional gloomy, sad, inner rain, my body fights to regain its natural value of happiness. 

But above that, I have learned to live with the habit of happiness. I have several rituals that I have used over the years to support this habit and they enable me to stay fairly true to my happiness set point. Here are just a few of these happiness enhancers that you may like to try. 

Begin each day with gratitude. When your eyes open in the morning, take some time to lay there and be grateful for waking another day, for the bed you slept in, for the sleep you enjoyed, and for the day ahead. 

As you swing your feet off the bed for that first step of the day, say “Thank” as you place one foot down and “You” as you place the other foot. As you walk throughout your day, say “Thank you” with your steps. Subconsciously your mind will begin to fill in the blank of thank you for _____.  

As you are driving to work or to a meeting say, “Thank you” out loud for the meeting you are about to have, for the successful outcome, and for the positive interaction you will have with those involved. 

When you go to bed at night, instead of lying there running through the list of things you didn't get done or should have done differently, go through a mental list of thank-yous for all the people, places, and things that enriched your day.
An added bonus to this is if you have problems sleeping this will help with that too. Why would you count sheep- that you don’t even know – when you can count the people, places, and things that you love?

I bet you are noticing a pattern here. Yes, I believe the secret to my glass-is-always-full outlook is appreciation. If we appreciate every step we make, every breath we take, and every interaction we have there will be little space left for negativity and anger.

Even if you have little to appreciate – begin there. Appreciate that. Be grateful for that. Say thank you for that.

As your appreciation grows so will your happiness. As your happiness grows the love you hold on the inside will spill to the outside and soon you will be walking miles in your own smile. 
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson: “​“As your appreciation and gratitude grow so will your happiness!”

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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Marion is an eccentric combination of Annie Oakley, Gloria Steinem, and Shirley Temple.
 
Like Annie Oakley, Marion understood tough times and learned to work hard in order to become financially successful.
In the 1860’s Annie, changed ideas about the abilities of women.  A century later, Marion did the same.

Both had the courage to prove that a woman could stand her ground in the world that men controlled.
​Marion, a single, teenage mom with an 8th-grade education began waitressing in a small cafe bringing tips home to provide for her infant son and mother.
​
Over the years she gained her PhD in the ways of life eventually purchasing the cafe, bars, supper clubs, and even a construction company.
 
Like Gloria Steinem, she was not afraid to speak up and voice her opinion -even when it was unpopular.
She continues to be a strong advocate for women and doesn’t shy away from a discussion about her political views.
 
I’ve seen Marion lock in a business deal during dinner, strongly expressing her opinion about the details of the agreement and then, just as easily changes her composure, blinks her flirty eyes, and giggles with the impish playfulness of a young Shirley Temple.
 
Marion is a force to be noticed.
Marion is my mother-in-law.
 
I delight in listening to the stories of her younger years when purchasing property was done with a handshake and over-bearing men were no match for her.
She tells of how she has made money, lost money, felt success and experienced desperate times.
 
It was during one of these stories that I heard her make this profound comment,
     “I never really looked at my glass as half full or half empty.
      I always thought my glass was filling up!”
 
That statement should be on T-shirts, coffee mugs, and tattoos!
 
That is not just optimistic – that is living a life of expectation.
A life of adventure.
A life of anticipation-- of learning from whatever waits around the next corner.
 
What if we could all see life that way?
The next time you believe you are having a bad day or living through a challenging time think of it as your life just filling up.
Filling up with experiences to learn from.
 
Allow your cup to fill with all life has to offer- the good and the challenging.
 
I hope for Marion, for me, and for everyone that our cup of life continues to fill until that very last drip tickles the rim and runs down the side.
And when that happens, we all wink, giggle, and with an impish smile know that our life was full!
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson-
“Your glass is not half empty or half full – it is always filling!”

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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Those brown eyes. I will never forget those brown eyes looking at me. He was sitting in his truck as I told him I loved him, said goodbye, and walked away. It was the last time. 
We were at a gas station, my car parked in front of his truck as we both filled our tanks. I paid for his gas. It was the last time.

We met for breakfast that morning. IHOP was busy as we slid into our booth. I don’t remember what spurred it, but I remember the conversation. Every. Word. Of. It.
I told him how I believe we are all energy, and we shouldn’t look at people for how tall or short they are, what their weight is, or how smart they are. We should look at them for their energy. What the energy of their soul looks like.  

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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​As I was unloading my groceries, I talked into the speaker of my phone spilling out all the errands, work, and obligations that had filled my day. Pulling out a box of tissues from a shopping bag, I realized I had purchased the wrong kind.

“Oh good grief, I ranted. These aren’t right. These aren’t the cooling lotion kind we like. This is just great!”

My ranting was interrupted with the voice on the other end of my phone conversation saying, “Well, if that’s the worst thing that happened to you today, I’d say it was a pretty good day!”

The understanding of that comment stopped my rant mid-sentence.
I have had days that the worst thing that happened was devastating. I have had days when my life changed in an instant and my normal never returned.

Most of our days are not that horrible. Most of the things we get upset about are not worth ranting about. Yet, we all do this. We allow small things to build into bigger issues than they are. They steal our serenity and suck our joy- because we allow them to.

I know the warning signs in myself. When I back myself into a corner of overwhelming commitments there comes a moment when I crack. If I am overtired. If I am hungry. If all of these are combined, I can fly into a rant about something as simple as buying the wrong tissues.

Occasionally we need to treat ourselves with the same care as we would treat someone we love. If I am overtired, I need rest. If I am hungry, I need to be nourished. Most importantly I need to know my limits of what I can handle in my life and keep commitments within reasonable and doable limits.

When the days of unchangeable tragedy hit, allow yourself to let go. These days are worthy of ranting, crying, and screaming. But when you catch yourself flying into anger over small events pull yourself back. Compare what is happening now to those tragic days in your past. Compare what is happening to the reality of the whole picture of your life.

Look at your day. Is what you are upset about the worst thing that happened in your day? Is it that bad? Ask yourself this question, “Is this the worst thing that happened in my day,” and then evaluate if it is a catastrophe or if your mind is giving it more importance than it deserves.

Come to a point of realizing - if that’s the worst thing that happened to me today, I’d say it was a pretty good day! You may be embarrassed that you allowed it to control you in a bad way – especially when you know the struggles you have lived through in the past and the struggles others are living through now.

Concentrate on what is good about your day and not the little problems that are not important. You may just laugh at yourself for being upset about such a small issue.
                                                          ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
          “Remember this, if that’s the worst thing that happened to you today,
                                     I’d say it was a pretty good day!”

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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​This is the way the conversation went...
“Who orders the pizza?”
“Well, she calls and orders it.”
“No, I mean who decides what kind of pizza to order?”
“We always have sausage.”
“Does she like sausage?”
“Sure, I guess.”
“But you are not sure. Maybe she is conceding to you. Maybe she is resenting it. Maybe she hates sausage pizza.”
 
He pondered this the rest of the afternoon. That evening during dinner, my husband asked me an unusual question.
 “What kind of pizza do you like?”

He had never asked me before. I had to think about it. It took me a while to answer. I had picked sausage off the pizza for so long I didn’t remember what kind of pizza I really did like. I began questioning myself. If I could order any kind of pizza, what would I choose for ME?
 
I don’t think this is an uncommon scenario. Many times it is easier to concede and let another person have what they want.
We do it out of love for them – we want them to be happy.
We do it out of avoidance- we don’t want to argue.
We do it because it really doesn’t matter that much to us.
We do it because we have done it for so long it becomes a habit. – A dangerous habit.
 
On the other side, it is easy not to notice that someone is always giving in to our needs. That their needs are not being met. That resentment may be building under the facade of agreement. Maybe it is just pizza. Maybe it is pizza, ice cream, what movie to go to, where to have dinner, where to vacation, which car to buy... This could go on and on and the layering of conceding to another’s wants and desires can create an issue much, much larger than a pizza.
 
What is the “pizza” in your life - in your relationships? Are there issues you need to talk about? When we begin paying attention to this kind of give and take.... or give and give situation, it becomes obvious that there are solutions. Simple solutions.
 
My husband and I now order two pizzas. One sausage for him. One chicken and pineapple for me. Yes, I LOVE chicken and pineapple on my pizza. Preferably with extra sauce and extra cheese. The solution was so easy. 
 
Now we both get what we want. There is no conceding. There is no resentment. There is compromise. There is cooperation. There is respect for both of our needs and wants. And there are always leftovers for lunch the next day.
  
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
         “Pay attention to “give and take” vs “give and give” situations in life. 
​                                 Don’t be afraid to order your own pizza!”

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 © 2013-2021 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 was terrified. My toes curled around the end of the diving board. I closed my eyes so I couldn’t see the deep water below. The board was small, but I felt as if I was on a 30-foot-high Olympic diving platform. My swimming instructor held a long pole with a net on the end blocking my escape route off the board. It was clear. I had no choice but to jump. I froze in fear.

This is the memory of my childhood swimming lessons. I hated them. On Friday nights I would sneak into the linen closet to find a feather pillow to sleep on. I knew my allergic reaction to the feathers would create a stuffy nose and cold-like symptoms by morning. When I woke up, I would plead with my mom that I couldn’t attend the weekly Saturday swimming lesson because obviously I had a cold and felt terrible.

I love water. I have enjoyed a life of water skiing and boating. I love streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans. The thought of soaking in a warm bath brings joy to my heart. I swim with my children and challenge my grandchildren to beat me in a race across a pool. I have experienced the energy of a pod of spinner dolphins’ race around me in the ocean. The sound of water features fills my home with peace. Water calms me and cocoons me in contentment… and yes, I love to swim. 
 
I didn’t learn to swim in swimming lessons. I learned to swim by putting a towel around my shoulders and riding my bicycle to the community pool and jumping in. I learned to swim by jumping off the side of a boat so that I could slide my feet into skis and skim across a lake filled with water that looked like glass.

I love swimming, but my fear almost kept me from ever doing it. That swimming instructor believed that standing me on a diving board and waving a pole at me would somehow force my learning. What it did was force me into a space of fear. A space that blocked me from doing what I wanted to do. It didn’t work for me and in fact, almost separated me from one of my lifelong pleasures.

The lesson I learned from this is to find another way. If something doesn’t feel right to you- if something causes more pain than pleasure- find another way. Be creative. It is our nature to move away from pain and move towards pleasure. That feather pillow helped me move away from a swimming instructor's painful teaching technique that didn’t fit with my way of learning. I wanted to be in the water. I wanted to swim. Learning by fear was not my way. My way was through the fun and enjoyment of water. I found another way.

Has this happened in your life? Has fear kept you from trying, learning, or doing something you know you would love? Can you find another way to work around the fear? Don’t allow fear to win. Find your own way. Jump over the fear and into the water.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Don’t allow fear to keep you from doing what you love to do. Find another way.” 

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

​It is the time of year when the excitement of a new school season is approaching. New clothes and shoes are purchased. Backpacks are filled with supplies. Butterflies tickle young tummies as children wonder about which friends will be in their classroom and who their teacher will be.

It has been many, MANY, years since I have been in school, but I do remember all of this. School memories can fill your heart with nostalgia and wistful thoughts of experiences, successes, and a few failures.

Do you remember in school when your assignments were returned to you after the teacher made corrections with a red pen? Those red checkmarks, circles, and comments cut right to your heart as if a neon sign was flashing “FAILURE!”

Could this be where we learned the concept of judging? We have been conditioned to point out what is unacceptable, wrong, or incomplete. We all have a mental red pen that constantly searches and rates everything within our focus. We judge others on their clothes, income, status, and even the behavior of their children. We judge restaurants by how good the food is, how clean the floor is and how immediate the service is. We judge the weather by the temperature, wind speed, and humidity.

And the mental red pen does double duty when we judge ourselves. The number on the scale is too high; there are too many gray hairs; accomplishments are not grand enough; on and on and on. 

What if we stepped back from the mental red pen? Stop the checkmarks, circles, and comments and adopt the phrase, “Isn’t that interesting?”

The next time you see a girl with blue hair, tattoos, and piercings or want to thrash yourself for the two pounds you gained on vacation, step back, take a breath, and say, “Isn’t that interesting?”

This is not saying you condone everything you see and every action you or others make. It is just the calm acknowledgment of observation. Not good. Not bad. Not negative. Not hateful. 

The phrase, “Isn’t that interesting?” may become a buffer between you and confrontation. It may become a kinder frame for self-talk instead of the negative chatter we are used to hearing. It may become a new perspective into non-judgment of others. 

The mental red pen can become the means for feedback and not failure. 
Can you live one day without judging yourself or others? Try it. You will notice just how often you do engage that mental red pen of acceptability or failure. After you complete one day, try for two, then three. You may just step back from this exercise and say, “Isn’t that interesting?”
          ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
​                                      "Put down your mental red pen.
                Instead of judging yourself and others say, “Isn’t that interesting.”

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​

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 © 2013-2021 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. ​