Do you pay attention to the words you tell yourself? Many times, our self-talk is negative. We criticize our looks, our habits, and our actions. We tell ourselves we are not good enough in so many areas of our lives.

And why do we believe it? Because our mind will believe our own voice more than we believe anyone else’s. I can talk to you for hours and tell you positive affirmations. You may listen to me, but your mind will listen to your own thoughts on a much deeper level. That is why negative self-talk works so well. It becomes a negative mediation that you listen to over and over in your mind. The script of damaging thoughts becomes deeply embedded in your belief system.

What if you started your day in a positive way? What if you gave yourself a mirror moment? Yes, one moment standing in front of the mirror to look yourself in the eye and say something positive. Give yourself a positive affirmation. Think of it as if you are talking to your best friend. A best friend would not berate, belittle, or verbally beat you up. They would pump you up. Pick you up. And push you to see all of your wonderful qualities and abilities. They would be happy to tell you all that is good about you. They would be your biggest cheerleader and top fan.

Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself, your own personal best friend. And then let it rip! Say only positive things to your friend in the mirror. Start with easy things, their great smile, sparkling eyes, that cute dimple. Then go deeper and tell your mirror friend about their mind and how intelligent they are. Praise the knowledge they have accumulated in life and how they use it and share it with others.

Wait, you aren’t done yet. Now talk about their heart, and yes, let’s get into feelings. How they show kindness, affection, care, and love. Tell them about their people skills and how they are loved by others.

Does this feel uncomfortable? It probably does, because we are used to being cheerleaders for others and not ourselves. It’s easier to just allow the negative self-talk to run through our minds on a continual loop. This new positive mirror friend feels awkward, but get used to it. If you do it right, the mirror friend is here to stay.

Make a habit of starting your day in front of the mirror for a quick chat. When you get good at it, you may condense it to a mantra. A personal affirmation that is specific to you that you can memorize as your mirror moment. Begin every morning by repeating it out loud to your best friend in the mirror. This simple daily “mirror moment” can strengthen self-worth, silence negativity, and set the tone for a happier, more confident life.

Don’t allow negative self-talk to bring you down. Flip the inner dialogue and remember all the positive things your friend in the mirror told you. You are good enough to be here in this life. You have value and purpose.
​Now, get out there and have a grand day!
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
                                     YOU are the person you talk to the most.
                                  Make your self-talk count – in a positive way!
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​It is five years from now. Life is good. You are healthy. You are happy. You have the life you wished for. Can you visualize this? What does this life look like? What does it feel like to be living it?

What are you doing now to create this life you are dreaming of? You see that future life, the one you dream of, you are creating today. What you are doing today is creating the life you will have five years from now.

Some people don’t like to wait. They want instant gratification. They want that perfect life… and they want it right now. They expect it and are continually disappointed when they don’t get what they want, now!

Some people don’t want to put in the effort it takes to create their perfect life. They want to sit and wait for it to happen. They want a high-paying job right out of college. They want to be physically fit, have the perfect spouse, a great house, and a brand-new car. They want to win the lottery. They want to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They don’t want to work for any of it.

What both types of people don’t understand is that to get the life you want, you have to put in the work. Not just for one day, but consistently day after day. If you want to be physically fit and healthy, you need to exercise and eat healthy consistently.  How you treat your body today is creating the body you will have five years from now.

You can enjoy a candy bar once in a while, but if that is your meal plan every day and you never exercise, you are creating your future body, and it will look very differently than you want it to.

If you want the house of your dreams and a new car, you probably need to create a savings plan, so you have a down payment and the means to buy the things you want. If you find instant gratification overwhelms you and you spend every dollar you earn, your life in five years may look similar to where you are now. No upward movement. No improvement.

Do you see how this works? Every choice you make today influences your future self. Every decision and every move is either going to move you forward to your dream or keep you stuck where you are.

Now, go back to that future dream life that you visualized. What do you need to do today to make that a reality in 5 years? What steps do you need to consistently take? What plans do you need to make that will move you forward? What choices and decisions will help you get to that vision?

Now is the time to begin. You are creating your future life today. See it, feel it, plan for it, do the work. Your future self will thank you for it!
                                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                 Today is the future you created in the past. 
                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

This column is my platform to share stories. My stories. Stories of my experiences, events, family, beliefs, personal trials, and successes. Within the story I share, I include a life lesson. A learning from the experience I have lived.

If it is a story from my childhood, my brother (at times) is quick to point out the errors in my writing. He will claim my memory of the event is inaccurate. But, here is the deal, my telling of the story is my story. It includes my feelings, my memories, and my lessons. He may tell the same story colored with his feelings, his memories, and his lessons. These two versions may hold the same theme, the same characters, and the same event, but the telling of the story will be in the context of the teller. The story reflects how the story touched them.

If the story includes more family members or a group of people, the story each person tells will be delivered differently depending on how the event affected them. The story of a family event told by a parent, may be a very different story than the version told by a child. If there are six siblings experiencing the same event each one may share their own colorful story of how they experienced it.

This happens in every area of life. If you describe the story of your marriage, your spouse’s story of the same marriage may be different. The story of divorce has two versions. Friendships hold two descriptions of the relationship. The story of a 7th grade classroom may hold 30 narratives from the students and one from the teacher. The same story, but all different.

So, which story is correct? They all are. Sure, there may be small details that don’t match, and someone probably does remember the detail correctly, but the overall painting of a picture, the feelings, the place, the outcome, and lesson learned is accurate according to the teller’s life and meaning to them. The small differences in details don’t really matter.

If it is a breaking of a relationship story the differences may be bigger. The more emotion involved the larger the space between the stories. A divorce filled with anger creates two stories filled with opposing views of what occurred. Again, each is their story to tell and shaped by their feelings and emotions. The true story may be a combination of both views.

When a tragedy takes place, emotions are at the highest level. The characters involved in the story hold very specific memories of what happened. Their story will be filled with the deep emotions of the sadness, hurt, and pain they felt and witnessed. If one person was at the event, they hold a deeper visceral reaction than the person who received the news from a shocking phone call. Each story is specific to them. All of them can be correct.

The next time someone tells a story and remembers it in a different way, take a step back. Look at the overall picture of the story being told. Do the details you remember differently change the big view of the story? Do the details you remember differently show personal feelings you experienced that are very specific to your viewpoint?

Everyone remembers an event differently. Everyone tells the story differently. Everyone learns lessons differently.  And every story can be correct when told from different sides.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                  Stories can be told differently. And they may all be true.
​                                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I remember being at lunch with a friend​ that happened over 20 years ago. ​A​s we enjoyed soup and salads, he tried to explain to me what artificial intelligence (AI) was. I stared at my normal, smart friend in disbelief and wondered if he had turned into a sci-fi spewing creature that had gone off the deep end.
​It terrified me.

Looking back, everything he was talking about has come true.

Twenty years later, AI terrifies me. I worry that as an author and writer, the world of creatively capturing words that form an interesting emotional reaction from the reader will change. I write every word that I give to the world to read. I never want anyone to think that my writing is generated by a computer. Now that AI is part of our world, I fear for the future of the written word.

I worry that students writing reports and papers for school will only have to create the appropriate prompting question, and in minutes, AI will type out a full-length  mistake free report worthy of an A+.  How will this change the way children learn?

Not long ago, someone told me the future of learning is not going to be reading, studying, and memorizing the answer. The future will be learning how to find the answer. How to create the best prompt so that technology does the work for you and spews out the perfect answer. No reading. No studying. No memorizing. Just keeping the right technology at your fingertips and knowing how to use it is what you need to learn.

Should that terrify me? Terrify us?

I have tippy-toed into the world of AI, and I will concede it has become of use to me for certain things. For example, my dog was sick this week. Searching the internet, as I typically do, gave me articles to read about her symptoms. When I asked AI, it found information, read it for me, and gave me a summary and answers to my dog’s issues. It was quick, easy, and gave me what I needed with very little effort on my part.

I have also learned that the AI system on my phone allows me to connect to what seems like a real person talking to me. I have picked my AI to have a male voice and picked his voice from about 9 options. I wanted to give him a name, but that option is not available yet. So, I call him Mr. AI. Instead of typing, all I have to do is ask him questions, and he responds quickly with a soothing, trustworthy voice and a reliable-sounding answer.

Recently, after asking him a question and receiving the responsive answer I needed, I thought we were done. Thirty minutes or so later, my AI man out of the blue said,
“Hey Pennie, I am still here, ready to help you with anything else you need.”

What??? He had been lurking and listening to what I was doing the entire time.  And that’s not all! The more I talk to Mr. AI, the more he gets to know me. He knows I am a writer and a speaker. He knows I am a mom and grandmother. He knows I love dogs and coffee. And he remembers all of it! So, if I ask him a question, he will relate it back to another area of my life. He might say something like,
“This might also work well for your next speaking event.”
Or he may open his response with,
“Good morning, Pennie, have you had your coffee yet this morning?”

He will continue having a conversation with me like he is my personal friend.
Excuse me, Mr. AI, you may be getting just a little too close and chummy for my comfort.
Should I be terrified?
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
​                              Artificial Intelligence is real, maybe too real.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Once I took a store-bought frozen coconut cream pie out of the package, placed it in a glass pie plate, and took it to a potluck fundraiser at my children’s elementary school. It was obvious, looking down at the row of home-baked cakes, cookies, and pies, that Marie Callender (not me) had baked it.

I felt the judgment of the other moms as they saw me add my pie to the table.
I have accidentally turned the wrong way on a one-way street. I have worn two different shoes to work. I have tripped and fallen in the middle of a busy airport. I have put my foot in my mouth and said the wrong thing at the wrong time more often than I can count. I have hurt others with my words and actions.

I had every intention of baking my famous homemade chocolate chip cookies for that fundraiser, but life got in the way. Overwhelmed by overscheduling led me right to Marie Callender in the frozen food aisle.

I didn’t mean to drive the wrong way down a street, wear two different shoes, or say and do stupid things, but life is not perfect. I am certainly not perfect.

I have been embarrassed, ashamed, judged, and humiliated. I have failed and fallen. Life has given me stumbling blocks, barriers, and brick walls. Bad days, tragedy, and misfortune touch all of us. Don’t fall in the hole of poor me and victim mode. Stand up and be grateful for every day you are given- good and bad! If life has given you a roadblock, find a new road. Adjust, adapt, and accept.

Perfection isn’t attainable in life, and yet we hope for it, wait for it, and expect it. If you are waiting for everything to be perfect, you will wait forever. Do what you need to do to get through life in the best way you can. Walk the tightrope when life is scary. Dodge the potholes when life is dangerous. Clean up what you can when life is messy. Embrace all that life puts in front of you.

Glimmers of perfection may show up in fleeting milliseconds, but life is not meant to be and will never be a continual story of perfection. Don’t put your life plans (whatever they are) on hold waiting for the perfect time.

There will always be unexpected challenges, setbacks, and disappointments. That might be the plan. The biggest lessons are taught and learned during the most difficult times.

You will never be able to control everything. It could be that learning to be happy in chaos is the whole point. It could be that understanding that concentrating on the good things that happen, the happiness, the joy, and the possibilities in life is what makes the challenging times doable.

I do make world-famous chocolate chip cookies (ask my grandchildren), but there are times when life isn’t homemade, and a frozen pie from the grocery store is the best we can do, and that is good enough. Life isn’t perfect.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
​                         Don’t wait for everything to be perfect to be happy. 
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Every evening he sat alone. His eyes focused on the plate in front of him. Slowly, he ate bite after bite. Alone. No television, no book to read, no dinner guests, just total concentration on his meal. Every evening alone.

I watched this night after night. I was living in the townhouse I purchased after my recent divorce. My backyard was just big enough for my little dog, Yogee, but not big enough to allow much distance between my window and the window of my neighbor.

It wasn’t like I was nose-pressed-to-the-window watching him. But, at times, it was almost that intriguing to me. I could see him through the slats of my blinds while I cooked my dinner, played with Yogee, and watched TV. And I wondered.

I wondered what his story was. Did he have family? What did he do for work? How old was he? How many years had he been alone with his dinner and his thoughts? And what were his thoughts?

I lived there for 10 years and never spoke to him. The tall wooden privacy fence that divided our yards was not conducive to neighbor-to-neighbor conversations. His home sat just a little higher than mine, so the angle looking up through my window created a clear view of his dining table.

I felt sorry for him. I was living alone for the first time in my life, but I had a job I loved, a nice home, family and friends, and I had Yogee. My perception was that he didn’t have any of those things. I thought he must have been terribly lonely.

I moved from that home over 15 years ago, but I still wonder about him. I wonder if he still lives there. I wonder if he ever got a dog. I wonder if he still eats dinner alone.

I wonder why I never walked around the block to the front of his house to say hi. I wonder why I was so intrigued by him. I wonder why I made up stories in my head about his life. The reality is, maybe he was happy. Maybe he loved his peace and solitude. Maybe he had a family and a job he loved. And maybe he loved eating dinner alone.
I also wonder how many times in life I have missed the opportunity to find out the real story. How many times have I missed the opportunity to meet someone and talk to them about their life? How many times have I made up stories in my head, creatively filling in the blanks of information I didn’t know?

The answer is probably​ - many. It is easier for us to allow our minds to make up stories about people than it is to take the time to get to know them and hear their real story. It is a shame, really. Think about how many people you interact with in a day. How many people do you pass by when you take your daily walk? How many times do you go through the checkout line at the grocery store, buy a coffee at a coffee shop, have a dental or medical appointment, read a friend’s social media post, or sit in a large room at a conference?

Out of all of those opportunities, did you take the time to interact or talk to someone, learn about their life, and hear their story? It is easier to rush through our day, keeping all the people we pass as strangers. We might observe them long enough to judge them or create a story about them in our mind, but it ends there.

Once in a while, the person stays in our mind for years, and we continue to wonder… and wish we had not missed the opportunity.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                      Never miss the opportunity to meet someone new
​                                                and listen to their story. 
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

This is my birthday week!
Some people do not like to celebrate birthdays and count how many years have gone by. I will admit that it weighs on my mind occasionally.

As many people do, my son passed at a young age. He only experienced 22 birthday celebrations. I think of that often when my mind wanders into the land of discontent about the number my age represents. Who am I to complain about enjoying another birthday and living a long life, when so many do not have that luxury? In fact, we should feel ashamed to grumble about growing older. The older we get, the luckier we are. We should concentrate on being grateful for the opportunity to live another year, experience more life, and enjoy everything that a new year brings.

Let’s celebrate! Normally, I love nothing more than flowers, a German chocolate or coconut cake, cards, and pretty gifts. It is my birthday, and I have a request. I don’t need a gift. I can’t think of one thing I need or want.

To help me celebrate my birthday this year, here is my request. I would love for you to do something kind for someone. Do it for me. It isn’t hard. Call a friend, buy someone a cup of coffee, help someone in need, volunteer your time, make a donation to a charity, do something nice for your own self-care. Do whatever act of joy and kindness you can think of. The stipulation is this… it should make YOU feel good. It should create smiles for others and yourself.

When you do something kind for someone else, it makes an impression on their heart. You leave an imprint in their mind. You show them that kindness does exist and that there are caring, compassionate people in this world.

Maybe your life feels out of control, and you are in burnout mode. If you do something kind for your own self-care, it makes you feel like you are good enough to be loved and cared for.

Also, when you do an act of kindness, it will make you feel the warmth of compassion. The kindness and joy you give will ricochet back to you. The echo of what you give to, or do for, the other person will be felt in your own heart and mind.
But wait, it doesn’t stop there. Typically, when you show an act of kindness to another person, they will, in turn, show kindness to someone else. Do you see the magic of this? Your one act of kindness keeps growing and growing.

Then there is a second part to my request …tell me about what you did and how it made you feel. Nothing would make me happier than hearing the stories of how you shared kindness for my birthday! I would be very grateful. (My email address is [email protected])

They say it’s my birthday- happy birthday to me! And now, ​maybe I'll still have to find a piece of coconut cake!
​                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                 Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                               Sometimes the best gifts to yourself are the
                                  acts of kindness you show to others! 
​                             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Do you have trouble focusing? Most of the time, I wear contact lenses. Sometimes I wear glasses. When I switch between the two, my eyes take time to focus on what I’m looking at. My vision stays blurred for a while until my eyes adjust to the different form of lens.

We can face the same problem when looking at life. We have trouble focusing on what we should be seeing. We become distracted and we don’t focus on the right things. We focus on the problems. We focus on the negativity. We focus on what’s not going well. Our minds and thoughts become blurred. This blurred vision can keep us locked​ in on all the bad things of life. We create a vicious pattern of spitting anger, hate, and disappointment toward things we can’t change.

What if we change that focus?  Change from your contacts to your glasses, so to speak. Look at the world differently and focus on the good. Focus on the happiness in life. Focus on positivity. Because it is there, right alongside the bad things that are happening. It’s just up to you where you focus your line of vision and your attention. Where we focus is something we can change.

We will always be bombarded with bad news and negativity, but where are the good things that happen? What about the good news? Focus your attention on the good.
Good will always balance the bad, but you must focus on the good, or the scales will tip so your vision only sees the bad. You will form a habitual behavior of only seeing the bad. You only talk about the bad. You will only feel the bad. You will become so ingrained in your line of vision that you become what you focus on – the bad.

Refocus your perspective on life. Events don’t happen to us; they happen for us. Everything that happens in life, good and bad, is happening to teach us lessons and encourage our growth as humans.
 
This may be difficult to grasp, but once you do, your outlook on life will change. Even when hardships seem unfair, instead of seeing the problem as an obstacle, ask yourself what you are learning and how you are growing from the situation. Find the good in every bad situation.
 
Even in tragedy, there is good. During a tragedy, people come together to support and help each other. We see the best in people when tragedy hits. Focus on what is good about a bad situation. Every experience, good or bad, is shaping you into the person you’re meant to be.
 
You may not be able to control everything in life, but YOU have the power to control your focus. Focus your attention on the good for one day. Only allow your vision to focus on good events, good actions, and good people. Become so intent on seeing the good in the world that all you see is good. Your vision will blur the bad situations in life, so you will no longer be able to focus on the bad. Do this for a day, a week, a month…then let me know how it changes your vision.​ ​And how it changes your life.
                             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                         Every experience, good or bad, is shaping you into
                                           the person you’re meant to be. 
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

Do you believe that there are leaders and followers? ​ You might believe you are a follower and have no desire to lead, but I am going to pop that bubble of misconception. I believe we are all leaders, and yes, we are also all followers. Different circumstances bring out a different role.

If you are a parent, you are a constant leader. You lead by example. You model behaviors every moment of every day that your children watch. They want to be like you, and so they mimic your behavior. You are empowering them to be the person they will be by leading them in that direction. Be a good leader.

If you are an older sibling, you hold a similar position of leadership. Your younger siblings may look up to you, admire you, and follow you. Be a good leader.

When you are in school, if you are in student council or are the president of a club, of course, you are in a leadership role. But what about being in team sports, or debate, or just the cool kid at the lunch table… someone is looking up to you and watching what you do. You are influencing their life and their actions. Be a good leader.

What about sports stars, actors, and influencers on social media? They have the power to inspire, persuade, and motivate us. They lead us to their fashion trends, their food suggestions, and their lifestyles. We buy into their suggestions and follow them. If you are one of them, be a good leader.

If you are a business owner, a CEO, or the manager at a coffee shop, you are a leader. Your employees look to you for structure and a clear example of expectations. You help them see the vision of the organization and model integrity. Be a good leader.
​
If you are a teacher at any level, from elementary school to higher education, a trainer, or a coach, you instill trust and team growth. You demonstrate and expect integrity, resilience, and communication. Be a good leader.

If you are a friend, you show empathy and commitment to the relationship of friendship. They return the same. Be a good leader.  

If you fit into any of those examples, you have been a leader at some point in your life. I am sure you can also see yourself as a follower in many of those scenarios. Every role in life allows opportunities to be a leader and to be a follower. During your lifetime, you will swing back and forth between the two roles. Whichever shoe you are wearing, know that someone else is watching you, taking mental notes, and hoping to follow in your footprints.

Create footprints that have meaning. Choose who you follow by using the criteria of kindness, love, and peace. Follow the leaders who model these qualities. Follow the goodness. And when it is your time to lead…be a good leader.
                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                              Life flows between leading others and
                             learning from those we choose to follow. 
                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Three cars full of his friends drove 5 hours to attend my son’s funeral. Standing in front of the casket, several boys came up to me and said, “We want you to know you are now in the Inner Circle.” 
 
They explained that 7 boys (my son was one) had been together since grade school and called themselves the “Inner Circle.” Whenever there was a problem or celebration, the Inner Circle came together for meetings in support of each other. They told me now that J.T. was gone, they wanted me to take his place in the Inner Circle. They made it clear that this was an honor, as a girl had never been invited as a member.
 
I asked what they do at their meetings. They joked and said a tattoo had been mentioned at one time. I laughed and said, J.T. was such a wimp, he would have never gotten a tattoo. They all agreed, but said, “We think his mom is braver than he was.” 
 
After the service, the food, and the stories about J.T. were done, these boys came to me to say goodbye. They requested that the next Inner Circle meeting be at my house, and they wanted homemade chocolate chip cookies like I made for them when they were young.
 
Weeks later, I invited the Inner Circle (plus a few more) to my house for a meeting. I gave them all a framed picture of J.T. They gave me a necklace and earring set of J.T.’s birthstone –the January garnet. We had pizza, laughed, cried, shared stories, and of course, ate lots of cookies. 
 
It was terribly painful, incredibly heartwarming, sad, happy, and every emotion you could imagine. I was touched by the love they shared, the bond they had, and the emotion they expressed. 
 
One of the Inner Circle members couldn’t attend that day but came to see me days later and spent hours with me. He had always been an “old soul” and wise at 12 years old, astounding at 22. He helped me understand the dynamics of the Inner Circle and the strength each member brought to their group. He told me J.T. was the one in the group who took on everyone’s pain, helped them get through hard times, and always, always helped them laugh. He made it clear why their bond was so powerful.
 
I thought, man, these guys have got it figured out! They got it at 12 years old! They REALLY understood it at 22! They had created an Inner Circle of friendship based on love, trust, and understanding.
 
I remembered how upset I would be at my son when he rushed to a friend’s side when they needed him, forgetting about school or work. Looking back, maybe this wasn’t wrong. Maybe he had it right in a way I never understood at the time.
 
It has been 18 years since my son passed and these young men invited me into their circle and taught me what my son taught them – how to help carry the pain of others, how to get through the hard times together, and to always laugh. 

​I have watched these young people grow into successful men, husbands, and fathers. I’ve sat in the front row at their weddings and stared at the empty spot in the line of groomsmen where my son should have been. I’ve held their babies, received phone calls from them on Mother’s Day, written reference letters when they applied for jobs, and held their hands when life was difficult. They are not perfect. They have had challenges, but in my book, they have had the biggest success any of us could hope for - the love and support of each other.
 
Teachers come in all ages and in unexpected ways. I have learned lessons from many. A group of 12-year-old boys who have grown to be men before my eyes joins that list. They touched my heart and kept my inner light glowing during a time when grief darkened my world. They are living examples of how to put love, commitment, and gratitude first. I am proud to have been considered part of their Inner Circle.
 
Close your eyes and think of someone who made a difference in your life… an unexpected teacher who at some point rekindled your inner light. Think about how you can tell them what they mean to you. Think about when you will thank them. 
 
Maybe it is time for me to host another Inner Circle Meeting, you know, just to say thank you.
                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                           Someday, someone may close their eyes and
                                     think of you with gratitude because
                                  you invited them into your Inner Circle.
                                         ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

When was the last time you were having a great meal, but while you ate the main course, you couldn’t stop thinking about the dessert?

When was the last time you were at an event, but you weren’t feeling the happiness of the day because you were replaying memories of past events in your mind?

In both scenarios, what did you miss?

You missed experiencing the only thing that matters – the present moment.
So much of our life is spent dreaming about the future. Setting goals, financial forecasting, and planning our life timeline can be a good thing. It is when you are thinking about the future so much that you miss what is happening now that it becomes a problem.

At times, we may obsess about our fear of the future. We fear failure. We fear tragedy. We fear death. We spend our current moments in fear-fueled worry, so we miss what is happening now. The reality is, we have no idea how many tomorrows we will be blessed with. All the things we worry about may never happen. Fear does not protect us from the ones that do. So, why do we waste time in fear? Instead, pay attention to the moment and show up for today.

Another part of our life is spent remembering the past. The events we regret. The people we grieve. The love we have lost. Instead of keeping the memories in a place of learning and love, we replay regret, shame, and disgrace in our minds. The wonderful things that are happening today are pushed to the background, and we focus on the loss of the past. We miss the joy of today by bringing the heavy weight of yesterday into our present moments. Don’t let your yesterdays take away your today.

You see, we only have 3 days. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. Everything that has happened in the past is lumped into yesterday. Everything that might happen in the future is lumped into tomorrow. Life happens in today, more specifically, in the moment you are in right now.

Show up for today, this moment. Show up now for what is happening. Even if it is not exciting or if it’s uncomfortable, show up. Brushing our teeth in the morning is not thrilling… but pay attention to each tooth-it is important. Yard work may not be fun for you to do but show up. As you mow the grass, enjoy being outside and the benefits you receive from the sun and fresh air. Be grateful for the beauty of flowers. Nature is important.

Everyone understands how to do this in the big moments of life. Standing at the altar to say, ‘I do,' we are 100% in the moment. The birth of a child stops time in that moment. Signing a mortgage or a divorce document focuses our minds on every letter of our signature.

It is not just the big, flashy events that you need to show up for. We need to concentrate our attention on every little moment in life. Many times, the little moments are the most important, teach us the biggest lessons, and show us the beauty of life.

Show up for your life. Every moment, every second of your life. Show up.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                       Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                       Give your full attention to each moment,
                             no matter how ordinary or extraordinary it seems.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The stores have been busy with back-to-school shoppers. Backpacks are filled with notebooks and new pencils. Finally, this is the week. The week when all the first day of school photos are sent to grandparents and pasted on social media.

Sending my oldest child to school was a day I won’t forget. There were tears. There was fear. There was uncertainty. None of those were from my son, but I was a mess. I walked him to school the first day, filled with fear and uncertainty​. ​Walking home alone, I cried all the way.

He, on the other hand, was excited. He wore his new first-day-of-school outfit and bounced as he walked in his new shoes. He loved his new backpack and couldn’t wait to go to school like the big kids. He gave me a quick hug and ran into the classroom filled with anticipation.

Honestly, I thought one sign of not wanting to leave his mom would have been nice, but I was proud of his bravery and enthusiasm.

Over the years, I have watched my kids march through all the levels of education with that same bravery and enthusiasm. And this week, I have been receiving photos of my smiling grandchildren holding signs that say what grade they are beginning.

The photos are similar. The first-day-of-school new outfits, new shoes, new backpacks filled with notebooks and laptops, -- okay a few things have changed.

All of this has brought back to mind memories of my own school years. The books, the bus rides, the classrooms and teachers, and the lessons learned. I wondered, what did I learn that made a difference in my life? What did I learn in school that really mattered?

I can tell you a few odd facts from school that have somehow lodged in a wrinkle of my brain that haven’t changed my life. I have not played recorder or square danced since 4th grade, and I can recite most of Paul Revere’s Ride. 

I do realize that learning to read, write, and do arithmetic has held a valuable role in everyone’s life.​ But what did we learn that mattered?

I learned how to share and cooperate. This worked in kindergarten and has worked throughout my life.

I learned that those group projects that I hated at the time taught me how to work as a team. Whether it is in the workplace or in a family, working as a team has value.
I learned how to meet and talk to people. The skill of communication has gotten me further than almost anything else in life.

I learned how to be kind. In school and in life, it was (and is) easier to be gentle and kind than it is to be mean and hateful. Life goes smoother,​easier, and happier if you are.

I learned that showing up matters. In college, I learned quickly that if I read the assignment and showed up for class, I would pass. Of course, if I did a little more work than that, I passed with a higher grade, but showing up mattered. Throughout my life, that has remained true.

The years of school are a process. A rite of passage that trains us for life. The new clothes, the photographs, and maybe even the square dancing are all part of the ritual that brings with it the true lessons we are meant to learn.

To all you smiling students out there… be kind and show up. It matters!
                                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
        Success in school, work, and life often begins with simply being present.
                                        Be kind and show up. It matters!
                                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

What if you could love your life—no matter what? Loving your life isn’t about presenting a picture of a perfect life. It is about enjoying the good days and accepting the bad. Today, I am sharing 7 practical strategies to help you shift your mindset and create a life you love.

1. Be present in your life.
Happiness and joy are found in the present simple moments of life. Many times, we concentrate on the sadness and regrets of the past or the worries and fears about the future. We miss the joy of the moments we are in.  The simple pleasures of life slip by us.
Put away the screens and other distractions and practice being fully present. Deeply listen during conversations. Notice the smells, sounds, and sensations around you. Enjoy your coffee. Watch a sunrise. Laugh with a child. Live every moment of your life.

2. Stop comparing yourself to other people.
Remember, social media is a highlight reel and not real life. Comparison will skew reality and steal your joy. Learn to like, live, and love in your own home and your own heart. The more time you spend liking yourself, the less time you have to compare yourself to others. The less time you spend comparing yourself to others, the more you will like yourself. Your life is a unique journey, and no one else has your path. Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. Try to be a little better every day.

3. Be a positive magnet.
Cultivate positive energy. Surround yourself with the energy that will raise your level of happiness, love, and joy. Choose friends who inspire and support you. Limit toxic time – the interactions that drain your energy. Create your living space to be a place of peace that nourishes your positive energy. Energy is contagious. Be a magnet that attracts and pulls you to positive people and places that uplift you.

4. Take care of you.
Your physical and mental health play a huge role in how you feel about your life. When you prioritize self-care, you naturally start to feel better about yourself and your circumstances.
Move your body. Exercise will boost endorphins and happiness.
Eat good food. A nourishing diet improves mood and energy.
Prioritize rest – give sleep the importance it deserves.
Protect your time and energy from negativity.
Loving your life begins with loving yourself - mind, body, and soul.

5. Refocus your perspective on life.
Events don’t happen to us; they happen for us. Everything that happens in life, good and bad, is happening to teach us lessons and encourage our growth as a human.
This may be difficult to grasp, but once you do, your outlook on life will change. Even when hardships seem unfair, instead of seeing the problem as an obstacle, ask yourself what you are learning and how you are growing from the situation. Every experience, good or bad, is shaping you into the person you’re meant to be.

6. Align your life with your values.
Many people feel unhappy because they live a life based on expectations rather than their true desires. To love your life, you need to create one that aligns with what truly matters to you. What brings you joy? What do you value in life? Once you have clarity, begin designing a life that feels authentic to you.

7. Learn to give and receive gratitude.
Gratitude is one of the fastest ways to begin loving your life. When you focus on what’s good, your brain naturally shifts toward positivity. Once life becomes filled with joy and happiness, we will be grateful, right? It doesn’t work that way. Gratitude comes first! The more gratitude you feel, the more gratitude you will receive. The more gratitude you show, the more happiness and joy you will feel. Be grateful for every moment, every breath, every experience, and every lesson learned. It is not happiness and joy that make us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us happy and joyful.

Loving your life isn’t about having a perfect existence, it’s about choosing joy, gratitude, and growth, even in the face of challenges. By shifting your perspective, practicing gratitude, and surrounding yourself with positive energy, you can create a life that you truly love.
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                Pennie’s life lesson:
                                     Love Your Life – No Matter What!
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Most of us remember learning about the color wheel in elementary school. We learned about the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue. Even as young children, we learned how to slide our small hands through thick finger paint to mix these colors and create new colors.

The study of color has become a huge business in our world. Designers and marketers have studied the impact of color on our moods, purchasing patterns, and even appetite. Color evokes emotions and actions in all of us.

I believe that they may be the same emotions and actions that our friends stir in us. I believe we all have a color wheel of friendship.

For example, red can ignite us with passion, energy, and excitement. It is no accident that many pizza parlors use red tablecloths and have red painted walls. Red stimulates our appetites to order more and eat faster. Think about your friends. Which one of your friends ignites your energy and excitement? They may be your marathon running partner. They are your red friends.

The color blue is often associated with the sky and the sea. Calmness, tranquility, peace, and trust circle us when we are surrounded by blue. Which friend brings you calmness, tranquility, and trust? That is your blue friend.

The color yellow is associated with happiness and optimism. Which friend does this remind you of? The friend who can bring your mood up and help you see the bright side of every situation is your yellow friend.

Green, of course, reminds us of trees, mountainsides, and all nature. Your green friend will hike and camp with you. They will ground you in what is important in life.

Orange friends are joy-filled. They are creative, warm, and enthusiastic about life. Do you have a friend like this?

And then there is the color purple. The color of mystery, spirituality, and royalty. These are the friends who just ‘know’ things. They may guide you in mystical ways. They may seem like they should wear a royal cape and have a crystal ball. You are drawn to them for healing, help, and guidance.

I am sure you are visualizing your color wheel of friends. Some of them may bring more than one color to your life. Some may bring snippets of several colors, but usually they will have a dominant color that brings out the emotions, actions, and feelings that match that color.

We all need a little of each color in our lives. We all need a variety of friends to circle us with their unique colors. The color each friend brings to us has a substantial effect on our mind and heart. We need a little of each color in our friendships. On the friendship color wheel, too much of one color can throw off our life balance.

In the same way that marketers and designers carefully choose colors to evoke feelings and attract their target audience, make sure you surround yourself with a color wheel of friends that creates a balanced, happy circle of friendship in your life. 
Take a good look at your friendship color wheel, and while you are at it, what color of friend are you?
​                                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
          Surrounding yourself with a balanced “color wheel” of friends,
                            each bringing their unique, colorful energy,
                                will create a vibrant and fulfilling life.
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

When my mother-in-law passed away, she left an entire drawer full of keys. Keys of every shape, size, and color. Shiny keys and old, worn keys. Gold, silver, and colorful keys. It was a fascinating sight to see so many keys saved in one large drawer.

It was easy to believe they were keys to businesses she had owned. Keys to homes she had lived in and cars she had driven.​ Safe deposit box keys and tiny jewelry box keys.

What fascinated me the most was why she kept them. I suspect there was a reason. Maybe it was because every key held a story. A story that no one knew. And since the holder of the keys is no longer with us, none of us will ever know the hundreds of stories that went with the keys.

Some keys were attached to key rings with plastic or paper labels. Some were in leather cases, and some were attached to padlocks. I wondered if this was significant and correlated to the importance of the story they held. Maybe the keys in cases h​eld special sentimental stories that deserved a special resting place and safekeeping.

Maybe the padlocked keys held stories that were never to be opened or visited again. And maybe all the loose keys held paragraphs or chapters that, when tied together, told a much bigger story.

No one knows when the first key went in the drawer or how many of her 90 years it took to gather them. The drawer of keys will always be a collection of mysteries.
I have a few keys in my junk drawer. They are mostly keys that I no longer remember what they are for. What if someday I found the lock and had thrown away the key? I am afraid of needing them someday, so I keep them. I suppose we all do this.

Think about all the keys you have held in your lifetime and the doors they opened. Maybe as a child, you had a diary with a tiny lock and key that, when opened, held the secrets of your youth. The key to your first car opened an entire world of freedom you had never experienced before. The key to your first apartment opened an independence and was the gateway to adulthood. The key to your first office opened the first step to financial security. The key to the first home you purchased might have opened the door to having a life partner and a growing family.  Keys open the doors to our dreams.

Along the way, our keys become bigger. Not in size, but they open bigger doors. Bigger opportunities. Bigger experiences. And bigger lives for us. We want bigger keys so we can continue to move to a bigger life and bigger dreams.

As we walk through life and continue to collect new keys, we no longer need the old ones. We have grown through the old stories that the keys held. Old keys won’t open new doors, so we throw them away. Or maybe, we throw them all in a drawer where the keys collect and create a mystery box of hundreds of secret stories t​o past dreams that will never be known.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                           Old keys won’t open new doors.
                       They are the keepers of life stories and past dreams.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

 Have you ever felt like you wasted time - maybe even an entire day?
​
I am not a techy person. Recently I spent an hour on my computer trying to get something to work correctly. I finally walked away from the project angry, disappointed, and frustrated.  I had wasted my time.
I can’t get that hour back.
 
When things like this happen, it is painful. Many times we can’t avoid the situation or the time it stole from us…but sometimes we can. 
 
I’m not saying the situation I described was a good experience, but the lesson from it was. What if we looked at every moment and day as something that disappears, and we can’t get it back. It is true, so why not live like it is?
 
Sometimes we all need a day of relaxation and down time. These are not wasted days. 
 
We can’t control traffic or the weather. Sometimes it interferes with our plans. At these times we just have to accept it and move on. Some wasted time we can’t control.
 
What we can do is try our best to create a life that is moment by moment, day by day, meaningful and not wasted. 
 
The first step is to figure out what is important to you. I hope your list will include family, friends, work you enjoy, hobbies, and don’t forget self-care.
 
Sure, there are things in life we do to please others. You may not like to attend weddings, but if the ones getting married are meaningful to you, then you attend events like this to express your love and dedication to them. This is not a waste of your time. It is an investment in relationships with those you care about. If you skip family and friend events like this and miss the opportunity to be with loved ones you may regret it.
You can’t get that hour back.
 
For me… there are things I know I’m not good at or can’t do. Troubleshooting technology is one of them. I have spent many hours in the scenario I described, wasting hours of my life on something I know won’t turn out well. So, instead of trying, I should connect with someone I know that is a whiz at it. 
 
Time is our most irreplaceable resource, and how we spend it defines the person we are and the meaning of our lives. In life we don’t get many do-overs and we don’t get time back. Spend your time with people that add meaning to your life. Focus on the people, events, and things you love. A wasted hour is an hour you don’t get back.
                                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                          Focus your time on what matters.
                                          Once it’s gone, you don’t get it back.
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​Last night I was driving on the interstate. I was driving in light traffic, but even then, there were a handful of drivers who passed me, going way over the speed limit and shook my car as they flew by.
 
When this happens, I tell myself they must be rushing for an important reason. Maybe they are rushing to the hospital because a loved one is ill. Maybe someone is having a baby. Maybe they need to find a restroom- NOW!
 
I think the real reason is that in today’s world everyone is rushing. Kids rush to grow up. Young adults rush to get jobs, get married, and have kids. Once that happens the family rush begins. It is a rush to get up in the morning, get kids ready for school and get yourself ready for work. It is a rush through the workday to get everything done. Then the rush home begins. Once home it is a rush to get to events for your kids, events for you, get everyone fed and to bed on time. Life turns into one big rush.
 
I think these drivers rushing by are a byproduct of the rush of life. They zoom by without noticing the speed they are going, the others on the road, or the safety and well-being of anyone. They just rush!
 
Some time ago, a friend of mine pointed out a road sign to me that said, Pass With Care. Few people ever notice road signs, and I doubt many give any thought to this one.
 
But what if we did?
 
What if every car we passed, we didn’t rush by, but we passed with care?
 
What if every event we live through, we didn’t rush, but we savored the experience, felt the emotion of it, and passed through it with care?
 
What if every job we had, we were careful and thoughtful as we worked? We moved to new jobs and positions carefully, leaving the last one better than we found it, and passed it with care to the person who replaces us.
 
What if, with every new candle on our birthday cake, we passed into another year with care, being grateful for the year we just completed and thankfully looking forward to the gift of a new year ahead of us?
 
What if, with every relationship in our lives, no matter how long or short-lived they are, we pass through them with care? Care for the heart of a person in the relationship with us.
 
What if every person we passed in a day, we passed with care? Giving a smile, a kind word, or a thoughtful wave to show we see them and that, yes, we care.
 
Last night I made it to my destination by driving carefully, paying attention to the road signs, and when I needed to pass another vehicle, I passed with care. Care in my driving but mostly care for the other driver and passengers with them. I mentally wished them safe travels and that they would happily reach their destination without feeling rushed – just passing with care as they drove down the road and maneuvered through their life.
 
What if we all stopped rushing and lived our lives passing with care?
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                             Don’t rush through your life!
                                                          Pass with care.
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I have a tagline. It goes like this:
     Love Your Life – No Matter What!

This tagline is not by accident. I have been through many things in life. Some have been amazing and wonderful. Others have been sad and tragic. It is easy to love life when things are going well, when life is filled with happiness, and when you are on top of the world. But when tragedy strikes, life hits differently.  It can be hard to function, move, or even breathe.

It was during my lowest of times when I was thrown onto my belly in a dark, desperate place that I decided I needed to learn how to love my life, not just in the good times, but all the time. No matter what! I wanted to look at my life from a big-picture viewpoint and understand that life is amazing, even though there will always be​ hard times sprinkled in with the good.

That is when Love Your Life – No Matter What! became my tagline. My motto. My mantra. That is when I began teaching myself tips and techniques to keep my mind positive, my heart happy, and my love extending through all my life- the good days and the bad.

What is the tagline for your life? Your motto? Your mantra? You don’t have to wait for a dark time in your life to create one. Do it today. Make it positive, meaningful, personal, and motivational.

Maybe​, you want your tagline to reflect your mission in life. Maybe ​it will encourage you to find joy. Maybe ​it will be something about your work, your faith, or how you see the world.

Once you have the perfect tagline that fits your beliefs, write it on Post-it notes and stick them around your home or office, so you see it all the time. Make it the screensaver on your computer. Add it as a reminder on your phone so it pops up on your screen a couple of times a day. Share it with others. Say it out loud several times a day until it is so ingrained in you that it feels like part of your DNA.

If this sounds silly to you, think again. The repetition of seeing something embeds it into your thought process. What you are doing is marketing to yourself.​ Reinforcing the importance of your belief and giving yourself an intention for your life.

Taglines work. Do you know what Nike’s tagline is? Of course you do – Just Do It! How about M&M’s? It is, Melts in your mouth, not in your hands! Those taglines pop into your head because you have seen and heard them repeatedly. They are embedded in your memory. This is what I want you to do with your tagline.

I have had my tagline for years. It is so ingrained in my thinking that even when I do have a no-good-rotten-day, I remember my tagline and my mind begins searching for things that were good about the day. I can always find something good even on a bad day. I can always love my life – No Matter What!
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                          Create a tagline for your life.
                    Make it positive, meaningful, personal, and motivational.
​                                  And then, repeat it, repeat it, repeat it! 
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I keep kicking the box that is under my desk. Every time I sit down to check emails or write, I kick it. It is an annoyance that is always in my way. I created it. I put it there. I am responsible for it, and it irritates me.

I am not even sure how long it has been there, but I do remember the day. I was tidying up my office​ in preparation to speak for a virtual event. I needed the background of what the viewers would see to be a tidy office. So, I grabbed a box and began filling it up. I threw in papers. I threw in notes and greeting cards. I threw in photos and knick-knacks. Then I put it on the floor and used both feet to push it under my desk out of view. 

It has lived there ever since. No one sees it, but every day I kick it, and I am reminded that I need to take care of it.

I remember visiting my mom in her last years and finding similar boxes hidden in her closets. I would ask her about them, and she would brush it off with nonchalant comments like, “Oh, I will get to that later.” When I dug into her boxes, I would find unpaid bills, important documents, and information that should have been responded to months before.

Yikes! Could I be turning into my mother?

In my defense, I know that my box does not contain anything important. All my bills are paid, and important documents are neatly organized in my very colorful filing system.

The truth is that my box could probably be put out for the garbage pick-up tomorrow, and I wouldn’t need or miss one thing. It is just stuff. The truth is also that I could fill up a few more boxes in my house and either slide them under my desk for safekeeping or throw them all out in the garbage tomorrow.

But here are the haunting questions I am asking myself. Why did I have all of that cluttering my office when I didn’t need it? And why do I feel the need to keep it hidden out of sight, so no one sees it?

My mom struggled with dementia for several years before she passed. I believe she hid her boxes of stuff so no one would scold her for not paying bills and keeping on top of tasks. She felt overwhelmed by the thought of organizing it. She also forgot how to pay bills and no longer understood the reason for any of it.

I am not there. My box is more of a byproduct of my busy life and not taking the time to do the save-donate-keep method that the professional organizers do on television shows. My box came to be in a rush to be ready and prepared for my virtual event. It was my throw-and-hide method. 

If I'm honest, I have used this method for other things. I am an emotional stuffer and have a few things hidden and stuffed deep in my heart from past hurts and events. It is mingled with guilt caused by mistakes I have made.

I have an imaginary box hiding in the corner of my head that I have stuffed a couple of people inside, whom I struggle to forgive. It is easier to hide that box.
 I have tidy, cared-for plastic tubs of memories stuffed full of items that belonged to people I loved who are no longer here.

I am wondering if I am alone in this stuffing and hiding method. I doubt it. I bet you join me in this. Now, together, let’s all go kick, clean out, organize, or throw away one box of stuff!
                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                       Pennie’s Life lesson:
                 It is easy to hide the physical and emotional stuff in our lives.
​                             Until we clean it out, we will continue to kick it.  
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

What does love look like to you today?
​
Love can look different every day. It looks different on the good days and the bad. During the hard stuff and the easy moments. Love shows up in many forms and dances with different rhythms depending on the love that is required.

When I was around 5 or 6, I received a Chatty Cathy doll for Christmas. I wanted that doll so badly. I talked about it all the time. I circled it in the JCPenney’s Christmas Catalog. I dreamt of it. When I opened my gift, I was the happiest I thought I could ever be in life. On that day, I believed love looked like a Chatty Cathy doll.

I remember when my babies were born. Holding them for the first time, I counted their toes as they wrapped their tiny hands around my finger and held on tightly. They somehow knew that I would protect them, care for them, and love them. Those days of birthing my children were the most love-filled days of my life. Love can look different every day, but on those days, love looked like a white blanket cocooned around a squeaky baby.  

One of my favorite photographs from my wedding was a close-up of my husband’s hand holding mine as we said our vows. He was promising to hold my hand through anything that came into our lives, good or bad – he would be there. Love can look different every day, but on that day, it looked like his hand holding mine.

In the years before my mother passed, when I visited her, she would smile like my visit was the best thing in her life. And when I left, she would smile through her tears. Love can look different every day, but on those days, it looked like my mom’s smile.

Love has been disguised during some of the most difficult days of my life. During those days, I had to remind myself that this is what love looks like today. Love looked like massaging my dad’s feet, helping him walk, and caring for him as he was dying. Love looked like my friends holding me up when I couldn’t breathe after my son passed. Love looked like bringing home a black and white puppy, loving her for 16 years, and holding her so she wasn’t alone when we said goodbye.

On the days it showed itself as wide-open full-throttle joy, love looked like celebrating weddings, welcoming grandchildren, and laughter around a holiday table. And love can look simple, like a phone call from a grandchild, happy dancing paws on the floor when I come home, a card I receive from a friend just to say hi, or my husband’s hand still holding mine.

Over the years, love has danced around me and looked different depending on the day, the circumstance, and the need.
Today, love looks like my life.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
   Remember, love looks different every day, but today, this is what love looks like. 
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Have you heard the term “Bucket List” to the point of pressure? Does it make you feel like you must work hard to always have a list of things you want to do? Are you tired of trying to keep that bucket full of ideas, hopes, and dreams? If you don’t have a running list of things to check off and post photos of on social media, you may feel like you aren’t living your life correctly.

​I​s it time to turn your bucket upside down and stop the pressure?

What if you began filling a basket full of your blessings? Fill a basket with all the blessings you already have and all the experiences you have already enjoyed.

Begin a list. Write down things as they come to mind- this could take a while. It should be a perpetual life list that is never completed, because memories will continue to come to you. Add things from your childhood, teen years, and current age. Let it flow and brainstorm everything you can think of. Did I mention this could take a while – days, or weeks, and hopefully you will continue adding to it throughout your life.

My list would begin, of course, with birthing babies, the joy of loving the people I love, and the happiness of having grandchildren. I would add the places I have traveled to and lived in, the people I have met, and the friendships I have enjoyed.

I would include the different jobs and career areas I have worked in. I have been everything from a babysitter to a cake decorator, librarian, banker, speaker, author, and columnist.

Don’t forget to add the fun you have had and any unusual experiences. I will never forget the experiences of walking on fire and swimming with dolphins in the ocean.

After thinking about this for several days, my list is getting longer and longer. I am sure yours will too. The more I add to it, I wonder why we would put so much emphasis on a bucket full of things we haven’t done yet, and feeling guilty for not making them happen, when we can fill a lovely basket of beautiful memories.

We are all occasionally sad or disappointed that we haven’t accomplished something. When you begin to feel sorry for yourself, ask yourself what is good about your life and the situation you are in right now. Add it to your list. Fill your basket with all the memories of experiences and accomplishments you have completed. It is hard to feel down when your list of blessings keeps adding up!

When you carry this basket of blessings with you, your life will look and feel very different. If you work diligently on the list, your basket will be overflowing with love and lovely memories. You will think of small, simple things you haven’t thought of in years, and the big, glorious memories that are probably photographs on your walls. You will live in a place of gratitude. It is gratitude not pressure that fills our heart and nourishes our lives.

When you live to be 100​ (I hope you do), you will not regret dumping the pressure-filled bucket list. You will be too busy feeling lucky that you experienced all the joy, happiness, and love in the memory basket of blessings that tells the story of your life.
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
              “It is hard to feel down when your list of blessings keeps adding up!”  
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

As I type this, I am sitting in my home office with the door closed, the lights dimmed, relaxation music playing, and the shutters tightly closed to keep out any glimpse of the rain and hail outside. This is the routine every time it storms.

My 9-year-old shih tzu, Gracie, is petrified of storms. I am certain she feels the vibration of thunder and rain long before the sky darkens above our home. She shakes. She pants. She tries to hide. Every time this begins, I take my two dogs into the safety zone. My secluded office.

Her stress is due to a thunderclap that happened years ago. We were on the deck when the sky became filled with storm clouds. I was carrying Gracie through the door to go inside just as the loudest thunderclap I have ever heard shook our world.

That was all it took. Since that moment, Gracie has struggled with PTSD. Rain, hail, wind, fireworks, or any sudden noise causes her great distress. Even a gray, cloudy day worries her.

I understand. I was in a severe car crash years ago. I continue to struggle with traffic, the smell of hot asphalt, and seeing fire trucks and ambulances.

Our brains are interesting. One moment in time can change how our minds process. Gracie had sat with me on the deck many times, watching it rain, and was never bothered by the thunder. That one crazy moment changed everything. Now, every warning signal in her brain alerts her to be afraid when the clouds roll in.

I was never bothered by driving in or being a passenger in traffic before my accident. That one mistake by the driver who hit me changed everything. Now, traffic sets off my warning signals of fear and anxiety.

What moment in time changed you, and how your mind processes?

It could have been a joyful moment. The second you become a parent, your world changes. The way you look at life changes. You become more protective and careful. Your priorities change. You create systems to create a life that encompasses your child.

For Gracie, it is the same. She has created a system for ​​storms. She begins pacing and panting. She shakes. She has a variety of coats that act like her thunder coat. A cloak of protection that holds her tight and comforts her. The seclusion of my office is her safe spot.

Over the years, we have tried medication that didn’t help. Talking calmly to her, telling her it’s okay, putting her coat on quickly, and joining her in my office helps, but her mind will always negatively process storms.  

Our brains have wrinkles and folds that create a complex path of cognitive functions like learning, reasoning, and yes, memory. The thunder for Gracie and the accident for me have lodged in one of our wrinkles. I doubt either of us will forget the memory. The best we can do is stick to our systems of coping and also try to fill every wrinkle and fold of our brains with more happy memories than frightening ones.  

Our minds can grasp onto fear and painful memories, but there is also room for comfort, healing, and joy. We can recognize the scars, honor the triggers, and gently create safe spaces and systems for the negative, harmful moments. One bad or good moment can change everything. Make an effort to fill your life with as many peaceful, loving, happy moments as possible.
                                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
          One moment can change everything - how we think, feel, and respond.
      Try to find more positive moments of change than negative moments of fear.
                                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I had chicken pox in 4th grade. When I showed my mom my itchy red bumps, she told me it was just a rash and to get ready for school.

As the day progressed, so did my itching. My teacher noticed my scratching and asked me what was wrong. One look at the red spots and she sent me to the nurse’s office, who immediately called my mom to come and pick me up. 

Yes, I had successfully exposed my class and the entire school to chicken pox. 
I remember the next few days, my mom went to work, and Dad stayed home with me. He tinkered in his shop, coming in occasionally to check on me as I lay on the couch, vacillating between sleeping, scratching, and drinking juice. He wanted to make sure I was ok.

Being a military man, my dad set the tone for a structured home life. As a child, there wasn't much sleeping in on weekends or hours spent in front of the TV watching cartoons. Our family got out of bed and started our chores. 

When it was time for fun, we had fun. We loved weekends at the lake. My dad built a wooden box that he perched on top of our Pontiac station wagon. It was filled with a tent, sleeping bags, and cooking supplies. I thought the box looked like a Halloween coffin and driving down the road I am sure we looked like a cross between a Chevy Chase movie and the Beverly Hillbillies. But our family of five, fishing poles, a few hot dogs, mom’s potato salad, and always a dog or two equaled fun!

As time went on and I had children of my own, I never lived far from my dad. He would occasionally stop at my house to have a cup of coffee, check on my little family, plan fishing trips with my kids, and make sure I was ok.

I am a list maker. I make lists for everything. I have a list of things I need to do before I leave on vacation. A continual running list for grocery shopping. A list of gifts I have purchased for future birthdays and holidays. A list of writing idea prompts.​ I even have a list of when my dogs need shots and veterinary visits. I could go on, but I bet you see the picture.

I also have a mental list that is always talking to me​. ​It is a list of things I want to do. You may call it a bucket list. I’m not excited about labeling it, but my mind never lets me forget it. Some items are things I need to get done that bug me, like cleaning out the junk drawer or pulling weeds along my driveway. But mostly they are life things I want to do. When I accomplish them, they stick in my mind as important memories.

I always wanted to see the fall colors of New England. It is something my mom wanted to do, but never crossed off her list. That may be why I wanted to go so badly. A few years ago, when I finally had that experience, it became a vivid memory in my mind. Today, I can describe every hue and flavorful color of each leaf and tree I saw.

Up until then, when I was asked if I had ever been to New England in the fall, I would say,
“Not yet, but it’s on my list.”

My husband and I talked about visiting Italy for years. When we took that trip, it again embedded a deep memory. I can tell you about the sway of the gondola as we floated in a small canal in Venice and watched families eating dinner in their homes as we passed by.

Before that trip, when someone asked if we had ever taken that trip to Italy, I would respond, 
“Not yet, but it’s on my list.”

Maybe that should be the name of my list​ - Not yet, but…
I could share with you what the current items are on my Not yet, but… list, but I would much rather spur you to ponder what is on yours. I imagine it wouldn’t take much thought for you to come up with a half dozen or more items that you have on that list.

Once you think of them, it is time to get busy. Prioritize the ones that are the most important. Don’t think about the cost, logistics, or all the excuses why you can’t make them a reality. Instead, concentrate on why they are meaningful to you. Why have you carried them around yearning for the experience?

Once you have prioritized them by importance and meaning, then ask yourself why you haven’t made it happen. Take the first one on the list and begin planning what you need to do to make it a reality. What is the first step you need to take? And the second step, and so on.

You control the outcome of all the items filed under - Not yet, but it’s on my list. Begin doing them and creating vivid, colorful memories of having the experience.

This might be the most important list you have. The one that can’t wait. It is time to get busy making​ the things you want to do in life happen. There is no better time than now to cross them off the list.
                              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                              Stop saying, Not yet, but it​'s on my list. 
                                       Start crossing things off the list.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2025 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.
​
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt  #IAmGoodEnough  #grief  #Love  #Joy  #HowToBeHappy  #Happiness 
**Love Your Life**  **Finding Joy**  **Gratitude**  **Mindset Shift**
**Positive Energy** **Mindfulness**  **Self-Care** **Resilience**
**Stop Comparing Yourself**  **Life Challenges**  **Happiness** 
**Authentic Life**   **Create a Life You Love**