I HELD JOY IN MY HAND I purchased holiday door hangers that said, “JOY” for my friends and delivered them with notes that held my wish for them to have Joy in their lives for the New Year. I found a special ornament that said “JOY” during a shopping adventure, brought it home and hung it in a prominent place on my tree. I even read the popular book that taught me how to declutter my closet by keeping only things that bring me “JOY.” Every year I choose a word. A word that will guide my life for the next 12 months. This is different than a resolution. It doesn’t cause me guilt or shame when I give up the diet I promised myself I would maintain or the exercise program that typically lasts a month. This is a word I try to live by for a year. I begin thinking about it around November. Some years I struggle to find the perfect word. Last year it came to me during a meditation. This year it slapped me right in the face. Over and Over and Over again. It took me a while to catch on. Why did I decide to read the book in November that caused me to begin really thinking about what does bring me JOY? Out of all the thousands of ornaments for sale in the stores, why was I drawn to the one small JOY ornament to bring home for my tree? Why did I choose the JOY door hangers for my friends? While shopping a few after-Christmas sales it flashed before me like a beacon guiding me to open my eyes. Everywhere I turned in the mountains of left over holiday items covered with words, sentiments and greetings - JOY jumped at me. One piece pulled me closer with intentional force. I reached through the crowed isle to pluck the simple glittery word from the shelf. I stood in the middle of the store holding JOY in my hand. At that moment the golden statement sunk into my heart. THE WORD IS JOY! JOY had been trying to reach into my life in small and quiet ways. It had been whispering to me, “Wish ME to your friends, bring ME into your home, allow ME to fill your heart!” The in-my-face synchronicity was not to be ignored. THE WORD IS JOY! MY WORD IS JOY! I brought the golden JOY home and hung it in my office as a reminder to live the New Year in JOY. To only bring things into my life that bring me JOY. To seek experiences that bring me JOY. To share JOY with others in every way and every day. To be mindful enough to learn what really does bring me JOY and love myself enough to settle for nothing less than a JOYOUS life and a JOY-filled year! Feeling very satisfied with my decision, I moved on to my daily routine of opening the mail. The last envelope was a holiday card that had most likely been delayed in delivery. I reached in the red envelope. The silver glitter covered card reflected the sun magnifying the message into a blinding validation. The card had one simple word on it- JOY! Of course it did…. THE WORD IS JOY! Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Love yourself enough to know what brings you JOY and welcome it into your life!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to experience JOY in the new year and share it with others. What is your word? 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 © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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When it comes to love, Anything Will Help! I turned the corner to head home after doing my weekly errands. I noticed at the street light ahead there was a man holding his cardboard sign that read, “Anything will help.” Pulling up next to him I rolled down my window and handed him one of my coffee shop gift cards that I carry just for occasions like this. I explained to him where the coffee shop was and that he could get something hot to drink and eat on this cold day. After he said, “Thank YOU,” for the third time our eyes met and I believe in that second he felt love. In that moment I felt love. I felt the love being returned from him and I also felt love for myself for showing kindness. Love works that way. If we don’t see love we can’t be love. In the moment he looked at me he understood that the gift card held more than a cup of coffee and a sandwich, it held love. When he looked in my eyes and saw love, he mirrored the love back to me filling me up with love from him and magnifying the love I hold inside of myself. Once we see love, we can BE love. How many times do we have the opportunity to show love for others to see? The answer is constantly! Love is not just for special celebrations or certain holidays. Love is for every moment of every day. The more love we show, the more love others see, the more love they can be filled with and the more love they show to others. This is the pay-it-forward of the heart. We see this mirrored magnification work all the time…. If you show anger, others show anger and it spreads. If you see fear, you become fear and it grows. Why would we want to waste our time on that? Become what you want more of. Become Love. Show love. It’s easy to show it with flowers, gifts and in big ways. It is harder to show it in every moment in small ways. Be the love that others see. Even showing small amounts of love will be mirrored back to you. When it comes to love, Anything Will Help! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When you become the love that others see love will be mirrored back to you.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to share love this holiday season- and every day! It costs nothing, but can mean the world to someone in need of love. 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
THE SLED
It held my children, grandchildren, cousins, neighbors and dogs. It has been a rocket sliding down a hill, a snow wagon and a photo prop. It caused laughter, delight and joy. It caused fights, bruises and tears. I am not even sure if I remember the day it arrived in our home. Most likely it was delivered in a sleigh by a man in a red suit. I do know the sled has been around for decades. I ran across it in my garage propped in a corner. The runners once bright and shiny red looked rusty. The wood worn, the original twine colored rope long ago replaced by a red version. With the outside temperature too cold to turn on the garden hose, I did the next best thing – I brought it in the house. I gave it a shower. Leaning it against the tile I took the shower sprayer down and began cleaning off the years of neglect. As the cobwebs ran down the drain I saw my children – dressed in snow suites, hats, mittens and boots. Hardly able to move due to the layers of protection. The only skin showing was their faces with the glow of their cold blushed cheeks. The water poured brown and dirty as years of memories flashed through. The year it was taken to the lake while the men ice fished and the kids would take turns having sled rides across the frozen water. The hill that seemed Alpine-big and served as the daredevil challenge for those days when the sled was ridden until little fingers were frozen and the draw of a warm bath and hot chocolate waiting at home became strong enough to end the fun. The year my brother’s St. Bernard pulled the sled filled with squealing kids across Grandma’s yard. Drying the sled off, I rubbed the runners to polish every inch while memories continued to reach every corner of my heart. The way I felt as I watched my three most important loves, hearing their squeals of delight as I held my breath hoping they would reach the edge of the snow safely. The way I ran to them when an unseen rock would derail their speed causing a tumble, a spill and tears. The arguments over who would get the next turn. Tying greenery and a plaid bow around the wooden slats, I remembered… The day my daughter perched her babies on it to snap the perfect holiday card photo.
The Sled.
Now instead of the dirty corner of the garage, it stands in a place of honor next to my antique sewing machine surround by twinkling lights. The red and green bow a crown of appreciation for work well done. I walk by it and see those chubby snow kissed faces. I hear the squeals of joy. I think of how my children are grown and their children are taller than me. I wonder how time has slid by so quickly -- year by year, snow by melting snow, and one quick ride down the hill at a time. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Pay attention to the little things in life – they slip and slide by quickly.”
YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about the special memories in your life...what object spurs them? 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WHO IS CHAUFFEURING YOUR LIFE?
Our lives are driven by stories. We travel the road yielding to them as they climb into the back seat. We turn left, we turn right and choose the forks in the road that we hope will lead us to our happily ever after. With every turn we pick them up. A story here. A story there. Some are interesting. Some are scary. Some are fun. Some we want to lock in the trunk and forget. They all merge together to create the book of our life. Occasionally we are jolted to completely stop at a red light and a story forces its way into the front seat with us. Some are powerful and push us out of our driver’s seat and takes over as the chauffeur of our lives. The story becomes the theme that overshadows all the other stories and events that we experience. The story becomes who we are. Every turn we make is because of the story. Every decision is because of the story. For you, this may be a happy chauffeur taking you to just the right places – school, a career, a life partner, children and success. The chauffeur takes you on the drive you hoped for and the life story you dreamt of. Or, the story may be one of grief, desperation, loss, or despair. The story is sad and takes over your life. You no longer have control of the wheel. The story has control and circles you as if you are stuck in a round-a-bout reliving the tragedy over and over. You feel like you can’t put on the brakes or turn a different direction. We all have experienced stories of good and bad; happiness and sadness. It is up to us to melt our stories into a collective balance for our life. Don’t allow an event or tragedy to lock you into park or worse-- navigate you to a dark, dead end street. Decide who you want to chauffeur your life. Take control of your stories. Each one can be told from many perspectives. Concentrate on the great stories and look for ways to see lessons and grace in your challenging ones. Keep your steering wheel balanced and driving happily through your life. Who is chauffeuring your life? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Don’t allow one event or tragedy to drive your life. Take control of your own steering wheel.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about the life stories you repeat over and over allowing them to define what your life is and who you are. Are they the stories you want to be in control of that? Hmmmmm... 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
WALK THE HAPPY WALK
The ocean was steps away on one side and the pool steps away on the other. In between, palm trees weaved in and out of the tropical landscape. I was struck by the way people walked as they paraded by. Some walked briskly with a whistle in their step as if they heard the music of life in their minds. Others shuffled along, heads down, shoulders slumped barely making one foot follow the other. From teenagers to seniors the technique was divided. I recently read an article about the correlation between the speed a person walks and their life expectancy. According to the article the faster a person walks the more days, years and time they have to enjoy life. This concept ran through my mind as I watched the parade. I was confused by how anyone could walk with such lackluster enthusiasm in a place that would be considered paradise by anyone's standards. Why do so many walk the (Winnie The Pooh) Eeyore Walk, with the gloomy cloud of desperation circling them. Occasionally, a child zipped through the procession - cackling with excitement and in a hurry to get to where they were going. Have you ever seen a baby take its first steps? They don't take them with their head down in cautious fear of falling. They take the first step with their head up, smiling and bursting with accomplishment. They take one, then another in rapid succession until they reach the arms of someone waiting to catch them. Once successful they are in a hurry to try it again. They have a long, long life to live and are excited for each step. They don't really learn to walk....they learn to quick step, to stride, to RUN! Anyone that has ever been around young children knows... we are usually telling them to slow down, don't run in the house ....... But why? They know something we have forgotten...they have a lot of days to live and they welcome them with hurried enthusiasm. They are walking the "Happy Walk" of life! On this sunny day, I smiled for those who walked the Happy Walk. I hurt for those who let the concerns of life slow them to the walk of fear, disappointment and sadness. If only they could throw their shoulders back, lift their heads and smile as they hear the music of life in their ears and walk the Happy Walk adding days and years to their lives with every step. Pennie's Life Lesson: "Hear the music of life in your mind and walk the Happy Walk!"
YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to walk with happiness in your step! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE
During this time of thankfulness I ask that we, together, place our hands over our heart center and recognize how different we are –and yet very much the same. Whatever religion you align with or light that you follow –we can all move together toward a common goal of gratitude. As you hold your hands over your heart center, recognize that whatever our talents, our dreams, our backgrounds, or our life situations we can all join in the grace of gratitude. Be grateful for our individuality and also for our common bond; Be grateful for our families and friends who are with us and those who have gone before us; Be grateful for animals, plants and all living things that love, nurture and nourish us; Be grateful for our occupations and the impact our work has on others – and ourselves; Be grateful for the beauty that surrounds us created both by nature and by human hands; Be grateful for the smallest of moments and the grandest of experiences; Be grateful for our bodies that carry us through the lessons we are here to learn; Be grateful for our breath and the rhythmic in and out of our life power; Be grateful for the flow of pure love and the spirit of life that runs through us. May our love be strengthened and our lives be broadened as we move together - in grace - toward a common goal of gratitude. Blessings to us all. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Allow the flow of pure love and the spirit of life that runs through us all to fill you with the Grace of Gratitude.”
YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to be grateful this week and all the days of your life! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! BE THANKFUL FOR SOUL SLAPS AND AIRBAG MOMENTS You are driving along the boulevard of life believing everything is fine and then WAM! BAM! ... in one flash the airbag goes off in your face and for a moment of unconscious confusion you don't know what happened, how it happened or why it happened, …but it changes everything. These airbag moments slap your soul in a life altering second when the world stops and our thinking is forever realigned. Life is instantly, and permanently, categorized as before and after. Your brain files all memories of the past and visions of the future in relation to the moment… it changes everything. The slaps are at times harsh heart jabbing events and at times joyous celebrations. The moment your child is born. The phone call that brings you to your knees. The last walk from the office as you change careers or life stages. The undeniable mistake that can't be reversed. The receiving of life, love and happiness ....or the ripping away of the same. These all cause a slap to the soul that says, "WAKE UP!" Wake up to see what you had, what you have and what you will be given. Wake up to be thankful for it all and for the time you held it. Wake up to understand that THIS moment is the moment that counts and don't take the people or experiences in your life for granted. No one journeys through this life without Soul Slaps and Airbag Moments. There is no secret bubble of protection that shields us from the vulnerability of being stricken. Peace comes from learning to appreciate the Soul Slaps as lessons that move our journey forward. The breaking open of our hearts creates space for love to expand and being brought to our knees, by pain or joy, forces us to lift our heads and look up instead of down. The understanding of this will bring the calmness required to heal. Pennie's Life Lesson: "Be thankful for Soul Slaps and the ability to see the lessons in both the joyous and the jabbing." YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to see the lessons in all life altering events-- good and bad. 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
OPENHEARTED
For many of us winter is long, cold and isolating. This kind of cold makes us hunker down in our homes curled tightly in a “protect me” position. It is human nature during any type of cold to do this. Weather, anger, rejection, betrayal, grief, fear all create feelings of cold and isolation. The tight “protect me” pose closes our body posture in a way that tightens around our heart secluding it from others. When the end of winter is in sight and the journey through life challenges comes to a close we see the sun fill our lives once again. As the warmth rejuvenates us, we stand up taller in a happier stance. This strengthens and stretches our lives in a more openhearted way allowing love to flow through freely. This openheartedness creates a glow that not only warms us, but everyone we interact with. By pulling back the layers that protected us from the cold, like Superman pulling back his shirt, we reveal our heart and come alive once again. Pay attention to how and when you fold into “protect me” position. Pay attention to how and when you break free of your cocoon to spread your butterfly wings for all to see. There is a time for both. Power comes with knowing when to curl and when to fly. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “There is a time for both the caterpillar’s cocoon of safety and the freedom of butterfly wings. Recognize when it is time to be safe and when it is time to fly.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
LIFE IS ALWAYS FILLING
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 hand shake 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
LET ME LIVE UNTIL I DIE
The taxi ride was uncomfortable. Heat pushed on my chest. From the driver’s window the dry wind blew in my face with relentless force. The driver, looking at me in his rear view mirror, asked me why I was in town and what I do for a living. I quickly gave him my elevator speech. Struggling to send my words through the hot wind I ended with, "I teach people how to Love Their Life- NO MATTER WHAT!" As I delivered the words to him, the smell of smoke from the last passenger filled my nose, a crack in the vinyl seat pushed through my jeans and I realized the situation tested my own mantra. I wasn't loving my life right now! He became extremely interested and told me how his aging mom was very unhappy. Then he hit me with the question that turned the heat of the day into a quiet background of minor distraction. "Can YOU teach my mom how to live until she dies?" Could I? Could I teach myself that? What would it take to REALLY live every day I have? How could I age into the person I hope to be at 80, 85, 90 and beyond? How could "I" live ... really live until I die? I created a wish list... a request....a prayer... LET ME LIVE UNTIL I DIE Please let me age with grace and primp with glory. Let me move with ease, bend to my toes and reach for the sky. Let me wear shiny lipstick and curl my hair. Let my nails be manicured and my eyes shine. Let me wear colorful dresses that swirl when I walk and red high heels that click as I step. Please let me be hold a fearless spirit and see adventure as rejuvenating. Let me be the one who wants to skydive at 80 and ride a Harley at 90. Let me feel the wind of possibility twirl around me never allowing the words, "I can't" to cross my determination. Please let me giggle in girlish delight and blush when I flirt. Let me dance with boys at 90 and dance alone in the kitchen. Let me drop tears from happiness and lift spirits with contagious laughter. Let me be spontaneous with kind encouragement for others. Please let me use the lessons of my childhood. Let me swing in the wind and slide every slide. Let me remember that please and thank you are words of kindness. Let me forgive those who have hurt, harmed or rejected me as easily as I forgive the waitress for my lukewarm coffee or the person who pushes in front of me in line -- when I move too slowly. Let me be grateful for the hands that hold mine and the gifts I am given. Let me be reminded to share my toys in the sandbox and share love with my family, friends and the world. Please let my mind remember the memories. The people who touched me, the experiences I had, the love I gave and the love I was given. Embed in my mind these visions as colorful oil painted masterpieces that never fade. Let my mind not be so cluttered with details of despair that it fogs the joys of my years. Allow clarity of every amazing moment I've experienced so that I re-feel them intensely and cherish them deeply. Please let me breathe every moment. See every sunrise. Hear every song. Dance every dance. Be kissed by every snowflake and stomp in every rain puddle. Let me joy in the joyous and sing with the song birds. Let me hold tiny hands and hug every heart. Let me marvel in every moment of magnificence, no matter how simple and no matter how grand. Let me run the race to the end, laugh until the credits roll, and love until my heart is stretched and pushing through my chest. Please let me press deeper into peace with every wrinkle and spiral closer to my soul with every year. Let me be patient in the process of living and accepting of the unimaginable purity of love that waits on the other side. Let me see the un-seeable as it surrounds me. Let me joyfully anticipate the unknown ahead as the known I believe it will be. Let me live with sweet peacefulness in my spirit and my soul. Please, oh please, let me live until I die. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Cherish every moment. Live, REALLY live until you die.” 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE Years ago I heard a story about an executive who was called into the human resources department and invited to find success elsewhere. The executive commented, “I have been on your side of the table and fired many people in my career. What I have learned is that there are two sides to the table…. Today it is my turn to be on the other side.” There are many tables in life. We often forget there are two sides to each table. During our happiest experiences do we realize that at the exact same time it could be one of those moments of desperation for someone else? A young couple I know brought a baby girl into the world a year ago. They were ecstatic to add the curly headed beauty to their family. They were on the right side of the table. Unfortunately, their sweet baby lived less than a month and they were forced to the other side of the table in the most devastating way. Happily, this week my young friends rejoiced at the birth of a baby girl who shares the same curly black hair as her sister before her. I join their friends and family surrounding them with love and well wishes. At the same time a longtime friend of mine passed away due to cancer. I join her friends and family clinging to the circle of support and love which surrounds them. I received emails and phone calls from one family sharing joyous news, while at the same time I received the most devastating messages of grief and sadness from the other. The table stood large before me as I saw the experiences of both sides. Pain and grief on one side. Joy and gratitude on the other. How often do we forget that while we sit on one side of the table that there is always someone on the other side? My young friends today hold their new daughter marveling at her perfection while the soreness of missing their first daughter lives in their hearts. They know what it’s like to be on both sides of the table. The ebb and flow, the natural order, the balance of good verses bad is part of our daily lives. It takes the ebb to feel the flow. It takes the bad to know the good. It takes a backdrop of the darkness of night to see the sunrise in the morning. Be sensitive. Be grateful. Be aware. We never know when it will be our turn to sit at the other side of the table. Pennie’s Life Lesson ~ “There's always two sides to the table. Be grateful when you sit on the sunny side and strong when you find yourself on the shadowed side.” ************* Special thanks to Ms. Amara Beatrix Mitchell for allowing me to use her beauty shot in this post! *************
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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
MIND BODY AND SOUL FOOD
If we are what we eat then today I am oatmeal, blueberries, a turkey sandwich, an apple, salmon, salad and green beans. Oh, and a medium vanilla chia latte and one...okay, two really tasty sugar cookies. Well, I'm not perfect! Think about what else we feed ourselves every day that helps to create who we are. Did you savor the taste of love and joy? or Did you eat a big helping of self-criticism and negative talk? Did you swallow shame and guilt? How much anger and resentment did you chew on today? What about that green smoothie of jealousy you had for a midafternoon snack? And then right before bed did you munch on doubt and insecurity? All of these things blend into one big combo meal of emotions and feelings that feed who we are. Have you heard the expression, "junk in- junk out?" This is exactly what happens to your body and life. In the same way eating high calorie, sugar-filled junk food will show outwardly in the form of weight gain, when you feed yourself negativity then negativity will show outwardly to create a life of anger, depression and pain. Isn't it time to pay attention to what you feed your mind, body and soul? Create a menu of positive self-empowering mind, body and soul food. Begin mixing in healthy amounts of gratitude and self-care into your diet. None of us are perfect and along with the occasional really tasty sugar cookie there will be times that negative self-talk, doubt or shame will sneak into your daily diet. Forgive yourself when you indulge in these and then - move on! If you knew you had the power to create happiness in your life wouldn't you do it? Well, you do! It all starts with being grateful. Begin and end each day in gratitude. Just like weight lifting begins strengthening your body with one work out at a time, exercising your gratitude and self- compassion muscles will reshape your life one thank-you and one act of self-love at a time. Gratitude leads to love, joy and kindness. When you begin fueling your soul with these it will show outwardly bringing happiness to your life. YOU do have the power to become what you eat! Eat wisely. Pennie's Life Lesson: "You are what you eat -- feed love to your mind, body and soul!" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to pay attention to your negative self talk and emotions that you consume and replace them with loving self care and gratitude. 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! I DRIVE HIS TRUCK It sits in the garage. Everyone wonders why I keep it. The dust and dirt of the seasons covers it. I walk by it every day as the months and years come and go. Twice a year I drive it. I slide in the seat. The smell of him is fading and the air freshener he tucked in the vent is beginning to crumble. I carefully back down the driveway. The gear shift is tight with age. The windows rattle and the water seeps in as I drive it through the car wash. The repair shop asks me why I want the oil changed when there has only been 50 miles driven since the last service. I don’t tell them. When I drive I feel his arms blend with mine as our hands in unison hold the steering wheel. I push in his Bob Dylan cassette and it crackles loudly through the speakers. Our hands drum to the beat. And we are off. We drive together, he and I, through 22 years of memories; the good, the painful, the magical and the tragic. We find ourselves in a place where here and there - now and then doesn't matter. A place where love binds us back together. When I carried him I wanted to experience and remember every moment of my pregnancy and every un-medicated contraction during his arrival. It would be my last passage through the process. I re-live these now. His first steps, his first words and his first day of school blur into the yellow lines of the road we travel. We drive by the baseball field where his Little League Tournaments were played and the skate park responsible for his first stitches. We stop at the gardens where the stone holds his name and the saying by Rumi. We pass the gas station where I bought his last tank of gas. The wind whistles as we drive through town by his apartment and onto the interstate where we drive fast as our thoughts and pain escalate I hear his fishing poles and baseball equipment rattle in the back. The speed is cleansing. Together we sing, we laugh, we shout, we cry. We say prayers of gratitude for his life, our life together, his brother, his sister, family, friends -- and his daughter. I hear the echo from so many years ago when the phone rang with a voice telling me he was gone. Carefully I position it back in the garage. Bob Dylan stops. Time is put in park as I feel his beard brush against my cheek and, “I love you, mom,” hums in my ears. I answer, “I love you too, honey. I love you so.” Another anniversary of that phone call comes to an end. His birthday will be here soon. Until then it sits in the garage. Everyone wonders why I keep it. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Love binds us together no matter what separates us." J.T. (Jameson Tanner) Lindemann 1985-2007YOUR 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 © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN THE TOILET OVERFLOWS
I felt overwhelmed. With several speaking engagements ahead of me, blogs to write and my self-imposed deadline for the completion of my book, I felt like the toilet had just overflowed. You know, that panicked feeling of running to get the plunger as the water overflows and every towel you own is being thrown on the floor in an effort to control. The smell of not feeling Good Enough was quickly rising to the top of my bowl. How would I ever get it all done? So I did the logical thing – I turned the valve to OFF. I stopped the gushing stream that overflowed my mind and walked away from all the fear, pressure and commitments. I went outside and dug holes. I put my hands in the black dirt. I dug holes for tomato plants. I dug holes for bushes. I dug holes for geraniums and marigolds. I layered each hole with peat moss, potting soil and vermiculite and then gently placed plants inside carefully pushing the earth around the roots and up to the stem. My body eased and relaxed as I enjoyed the process of nurturing. My mind did nothing except watch the movement of my hands. It had emptied to a space of quiet silence with no worries of deadlines or commitments. The valve remained OFF. Suddenly it became very clear to me how easy it would be to complete all of my obligations. I had just been “Layering” myself in a dangerous way. Instead of layering myself with the joy of what I was doing, in the same loving way I layered the soil around the plants, I had been layering myself in a negative way… I wasn't being gentle, careful or kind. I was being self-demanding to the point of overwhelm. No wonder I felt blocked like the water was flooding over. In the process, instead of allowing my roots to stretch in the delightful enjoyment of these life opportunities I had tightened myself into a root bound knot with two options. I could either continue to squeeze the grip around myself forever running in an effort to control or I could clear my mind, do nothing and allow myself the time to relax into the joy of life. Meditation comes in many forms. Today it arrived while my hands were in the dirt and I realized that when you allow your mind the space to do nothing – it becomes easier to do everything. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When you allow your mind the space to do nothing – it becomes easier to do everything.” YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to step back when you are feeling overwhelmed. In the space between overwhelm and that step you may find clarity. 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
SEEING FOR
THE FIRST TIME He runs in the room, stops right in front of me and says, "Oh, Hi!" This is a lovely greeting that I have heard three times in the last 30 minutes. You see every time his almost two year old legs carry him out of the room and then back again he looks at me as if I have just arrived. With every, “Oh… Hi,” his enthusiasm and excitement jumping-jacks out of his body and his expression is one of pure delight! Everyone laughs at the charm of this, but the lesson is not lost on me. Imagine if we saw everything in every moment of our lives as if we were seeing it for the first time....even if we just saw it five minutes ago? Can you imagine being in the present moment at that level? Everything in our world would seem bigger and brighter. Looking at the sky would be like seeing blue for the first time. The sound of music would be as if we had never experienced harmony before. We would notice every petal on the flower, every flavor in our food, every breeze that brushes our cheek. Hearing the voice, laughter and seeing the face of those close to us would be like the moment we fell in love with them – over and over again. We would only see what is in front of us at that very second without giving any thought to what captured us the second before or what may be waiting for us around the next minute. Now, just right now is what fills the screen of our mind in vivid color and exquisite freshness. What pleasure! What joy! What an awesome way to experience life! Why not begin now? Stop right in front of the next person you see and say, “Oh…Hi!” and feel the thrill of seeing them for the first time! Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Greet every moment, person, place and thing as if you are seeing them for the first time. Savor the experience with new eyes.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... How could you work this into your life? What would you love to see again - for the first time? 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
MEDITATION SAVED MY LIFE!
I began meditating over a decade ago during a very stressful time in my life. I was certain my mind and body would explode from the pressure, as I tried to handle many highly emotional life situations. Desperation set in as I struggled to gain some essence of control in my world of chaos. My first attempt at gaining relief from this tension was when I sat down, closed my eyes and with the sound of rain falling in my headphones said to myself over and over and over again, "Clear my mind... clear my mind... clear my mind." I didn't know what meditation was, nor did I realize thatwas what I was doing. I just knew I needed peace in my mind, heart and soul I lasted about five minutes, before I jumped up believing I had failed as my mind hadn't cleared at all. Determined, I continued this routine daily and soon I became more and more successful. Some days I could actually sit for the 5 minutes and my mind would clear. The minutes turned to ten, then fifteen and at times I would sit for hours. Meditation saved my life. I learned how to separate myself from the world outside of my body and control my emotions, thoughts and feelings. I could handle the stress of all that was happening in a clean, clear and calm way. After years of learning about the many various types of meditation, I have settled in to what works for me. I believe you do not have to follow a certain meditation dogma or philosophy to receive an emotional and physical benefit. The basic premise is to quiet your thoughts and allow calm, contentment and peace to fill the space of your mind and body. Now, whether I want to relax and release tension or concentrate on one thought, I turn to daily meditation as my life saving method. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Quiet your mind and allow calm, contentment and peace to fill you." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to try meditation. Begin by closing your eyes in peace for short amounts of time. Let me know how this works for you! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE UNIVERSE
Welcome to 7th grade. How’s it going for you so far? We are all students in this journey we call Life. The entire universe is our university. There is no accident in the similarity of words there. I believe our time here on Earth as humans is our 7th grade level in the University of the Universe. We have passed every grade before this and have many yet to come. We are all here at this grade level to learn, to teach and to love. Do you remember your 7th grade year in junior high school? Some of us had great experiences and were rock stars, athletic jocks, popular, or studious and brilliant. Some of us suffered through and were the unpopular ones, those that struggled, failed, flunked, skipped classes or dropped out. This 7th grade level of our learning through the University of the Universe is no different. We have the shining stars of music, sports, popularity and intelligence. We have the strugglers who are victims and never seem to get ahead or catch a break. And guess what? I believe we are all in the space we are supposed to be in to learn what we are meant to learn and to teach what we are meant to teach. We have a variety of class topics in this version of 7th grade. If you are a star in this life you shine and share your voice and experiences with others and are likely teaching the class. If you’re struggling, the course you are enrolled in teaches humility, patience and empathy for others. The amazing news is, there are semesters in this 7th grade. If you move past struggling and pass the test you can graduate into the next semester's course of being a star. Conversely, if you are a star and become arrogant, ungrateful or just need to learn more lessons, the University of the Universe has the power to enroll you into a semester of struggle where you will learn humility, patience and empathy … the hard way. Our task as students of life is to understand and believe that no matter what semester we are in, what class we are taking or whatcurriculum we are guided by, we are here for the lessons our soul requires. Our report cards will grade us on our ability to learn the lessons to our highest capacity. Our assignment is to teach others what we have learned along the way. And our most important homework is to be grateful for the experiences, the teachers and the lessons – the joyous ones and the painful ones – and seek and share joy and love in the process. Most of us would like to be granted a do-over for our 7th grade year of junior high school. If it was fabulous we would love to relive the glory. If it was painful, we would like to go back and do it right the second time. Well, you’re here now and your entire life is the 7th grade at theUniversity Of The Universe. Enjoy it, live it and dance in it to your happiest level! Welcome to 7th grade! How’s it going for you so far? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: “In the school of life, be grateful for the experiences, the teachers and the lessons – the joyous ones and the painful ones – and seek and share joy and love in the process.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to understand that we hare here to learn, teach and love... enjoy the process! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
LIFE VEST
I was forced in the water 5 years, 8 months and 5 days ago. She was pushed recently. I met her last month. Immediately, I saw the ache in her eyes as we spoke; the hurt that hides behind the everyday chit chat and smiles. I know too well how to recognize the look of buried pain that is in the eyes of every grieving parent. We shared photographs. We all carry one. Some are wrinkled and worn and some are sealed in protective covers to keep them safe. I noticed the care she took when I handed her the picture of my son, J.T. and the loving way she brushed her fingers over it. I silently thanked her for that. I did the same with her photograph. We parents with angel children understand that the love we send them does not stop just because they are not physically here with us. Our stories are different, and yet the same. The love we feel for our children. The pain we feel without them. The memories, the "did-that's”, the "wish-we-could's," the missing and the wanting all roll into one similar pond of pain. I am further in the water than she is. The hot and cold of it, the swirling and splashing is a continual dance of how we maneuver without drowning. The trick is to do it with the grace and balance required to keep our heads above water -and breathing--always breathing. At times I have fought the water current and at times I have floundered reaching for a life vest. The life vest has become one I wear secretly like bullet proof protection under my clothes with the hope that nothing this painful will ever penetrate my heart again. I continue forward. I see others in the distance, with well-worn life vests, who have maneuvered the water much longer than I have. I feel comfort in knowing they are leaving a trail to follow. I turn to see the ones behind me as they wade in, stumbling and unsure if they will survive the voyage. I reach my hand back to steady them as the waves hit, listen to them as they cry and help them position their life vests. After 5 years, 8 months and 5 days I have learned to swim a little better. But, I will always wear my life vest. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: “Sometimes we need a life vest and sometimes we can be a life vest for others.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to reach out to others going through a difficult experience-- one that you have lived through! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
WATSU MASSAGE
I arrived for my Watsu Massage a bit early, put on my swimming suit and sat patiently in the lounge area. I love this part of spaing. You know, "spa-ing" as in the art of enjoying a spa...and I do see it as an art. I can smell a spa by just being in the approximate area. The blending of the massage oils, the steams, the cucumber eye circles and the eucalyptus all blend to set off the alarm in my mind that shouts, "Spa Ahead!” For me, sitting in the lounge area drinking lemon water, enjoying the tiny cup of almonds, listening to the meditative music, while enjoying the melding of smells is part of the anticipatory enjoyment of the spa experience. After a few minutes of this relaxing time the attendant appeared. She led me outside on a stone path through green foliage, lava rock walls and tiny grass huts to the cave area where the Watsu water pool sat in quiet seclusion. There the massage therapist, Sandy, was waiting. I was happy to see she was the one who was my Swedish massage therapist the year before. I liked her then and felt relief that I would be having this new experience with someone I knew and trusted. Recognizing me, I believe the feeling was echoed. The description in the brochure stated, Watsu is a passive form of aquatic body work that supports and gently moves you through warm water in graceful, fluid movements. This relaxing, meditative treatment is designed to bring total tranquility to you as your therapist supports, stretches and massages you. Meditative. Tranquility. Words that hit my heart and spirit, but . . . sensing I didn’t understand exactly how a massage in the water could be accomplished, Sandy told me there would be bending, stretching, yoga-like movements and to just relax and let go. She explained that the water is half salt and half fresh with no chlorine or chemicals so it holds a "very healing quality." She continued with a description that reinforced the meditative and tranquil qualities of the Watsu. This was going to be interesting. She began by instructing me to sit on a rock seat on the side of the pool while she put floats around my ankles. Then in one slow movement she took my hand and glided me into the water and quickly maneuvered me into position with my neck resting on her arm. Without stopping I was pulled around through the water feeling like Wendy as Peter Pan led her into the sky to fly. After a few swirls my body just followed where she pulled it and surprisingly I quickly released and relaxed. It was a sensation like I had not experienced before and the definition of being in the water and/or flying was blurred. My ears were submerged so the muffled sound of water and the waterfall, which echoed through the cave, surrounded my thoughts. The sound became very ocean-like as the swirling in the water continued. The concept of being led into the sky to fly through the universe while being whirled deeper and deeper in a spiral of water continued. With all of this motion only my eyes and nose remained above water. Submerged not only in water, but in the drifting. My eyes never opened. I was not sure they could. The worries and knowing of anything outside of me were clearing from my thoughts as if the flow to the right told me to "release," the flow to the left spoke, "let go." Hadn't Peter Pan also said something about if you want to fly you have to give up what's weighing you down? By this point my body seemed weightless. All ideas of gravity were missing from this space. I became aware that this was a massage of the mind, not of the body. It was an exercise in letting go of control. Release. Let go. Release. Let go. My body had given control of my thoughts to the quiet stillness of my mind; to the place I find myself during meditation. The space of magic when I leave the heaviness of my body to explore the vastness of all there is outside of the personality I call "me." The massaging continued, release, let go, release let go. Swirl. Swirl. Swirling. At some point the stretching began. Practicing Yoga on a not-so-regular schedule, I knew what my body could and couldn't do; how it would and wouldn't bend. But here in the water my body seemed to bend deeper. Stretch further. A slow ballet of graceful, fluid movements, as the brochure predicted. Time escaped as the hypnotic water dance continued. Suddenly the calming serenity was interrupted by the thundering sound of water pounding. I felt the heat of the sun on my face for the first time since entering the cave. The sound grew louder and louder as the sensation of water pelting my head rushed the coming together of my body with my mind. I felt the heaviness of my body return as the joining formed the oneness of me. The reality of remembering to remember that I had lost control of my body and myself caused me to jolt with a splash to regain control and movement of my body. “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease for ever to be able to do it.” ~ Peter Pan Realizing for the first time in over an hour that I was not alone, my eyes opened to see Sandy pulling me away from the waterfall that had just caused my mind-body reunion. Smiling at me, she pulled both of us to the side of the pool. Sandy thanked me and left. Following her suggestion, but possibly more out of the need to stabilize my body and my thoughts, I sat on a bench outside the cave. The sunshine woke up my senses. The feeling was coming back in to my legs, my arms, but mostly my mind. Release and let go became hold on and connect. After some deep breathing the ballet of swirling, flying, and water diving, mingled through my thoughts. What had I just experienced? A work out? Not quite. A massage? Maybe. A meditation? Absolutely. Did I fly or did I dive through a tornado of water? Did it matter? What I did realize as the sun continued to solidify the connection of my mind and body is that the adventure was one of the mind. One of believing. One of the spirit. And a bit of magic. Maybe Peter Pan was right. Could it be that “All the world is made of faith, and trust, and pixie dust.” Pennie”s Life Lesson: “Allow yourself a time to release and let go. In this place of trust you will fly.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to try something new and to be open the experience. 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 © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
THE ROAD TO TRANQUILITY
On the way to my home I turn a sharp corner. I say sharp because if I didn’t make the turn I would drive right into a barricade. The special thing about the corner is the sign above the barricade. It says, “Tranquility” with an arrow pointing toward my home. Every time I drive by the sign and make the turn I take a deep breath in agreement. My home is a place of safety, peace and, yes, tranquility. For years I have called my home the, “House of Zen.” From the moment I enter I am greeted with the serenity of water trickling over slate stones in my water fall. There is no television on the main floor of my home and only the sound of serene music mixes with the water. The views from my windows are of nature in its glory. In every corner are items that bring me joy and comfort. My home is my sanctuary. How does your home create tranquility for you? When you walk through the threshold do you feel safe? What do you need to do to create calmness and serenity? You would be surprised as to how the littlest things can make a huge difference. Think of your senses…. What you see, hear, smell, touch and taste in your home spurs feelings. Music, candles, water, fire, flowers, texture….. these are things that can change the entire feel of a home and create a place of tranquility. Isn’t this the way we should feel as we are entering our private space? As I turn the corner this in-my-face visual reminds me to leave all my worries, concerns and negative experiences at the corner. When I turn onto that road to tranquility I am at peace. I am at home. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Home is your space for safety, peace and tranquility.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to create a space of calm in your home... a place for you to feel safe and loved. 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
PERCEPTION of PERFECTION
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 and 4? My friend’s point was, why would I expect to have 28 year old knees when I wasn’t 28 anymore and that I should stop being critical and accept myself and body for the beauty it holds, even if my number now begins with a "5." 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 over achiever who wanted to be perfect. The perfect wife. The perfect daughter. The perfect mom. 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 Perfectionyou 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. 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" and those are my knees. Now take out your paper and pen and write your ownPerception of Perfection that fits you. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: “Our personal Perception of Perfection should be based in Honesty, Health and Happiness.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to love the age you are, the body you have and the joy life brings during all times of your life! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
WHY DIDN’T I?
Her nail polish was cheerful turquoise. It matched the bright happy color of her headband, however, everything between the nail polish and headband spoke of sadness. Her teenage shoulders were bent from weakness as if they had carried years of stress. Her blue eyes rarely connected with mine as she took my order and prepared my sandwich. It was a quick lunch stop for me as I was driving home from a speaking event. In. . . and . . . out. That is what I wanted. It was late in the afternoon and only hunger could interrupt my determination to get home. A fast sandwich and then back on the road. I paid her, thanked her and hustled away with my lunch. The whole time her despair was knocking on my heart’s door saying, “Help, Help, let me in!” I ran through the rain to the safety of my car and began the drive again. With every bite I took and every mile I drove I thought of her. The knocking was still there. The heaviness of her sadness. The guilt grew with every swish of my windshield wipers. Guilt for keeping the words I wanted to say to her inside… beating them down deep into my throat because I didn’t want to take the time. My mind was going faster than the speed limit with thoughts of ~ Why didn’t I? Why didn’t I talk to her? Why didn’t I ask about her day, her family, her life? The shop was slow, I could have taken the time to talk to her, to help her, if only by showing I cared. Why didn’t I? How many times have I done this- missed an opportunity to help a stranger, or even someone close to me? The heart knocks happen in small ways. A word. A look. A feeling. They are easy to miss and easy to ignore. And yet, it is so easy to take a moment to smile, to ask, to give words of encouragement or a hug. It’s so easy to let someone know you care. Life lessons are hard to learn. Especially when you miss the opportunity and there isn’t a “do over.” This is one I won’t forget Her turquoise sadness I won’t forget. Next time I feel that knocking on my heart from someone in need, I will take the time. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Never miss a chance to care, help and show kindness. Never miss a chance to love.” YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to never miss the opportunity to show kindness! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
DO YOU SPEAK THEIR LANGUAGE?
The store was busy. I was in a hurry. When I hustled to the front to pay for the few items I had in my cart, I thought it was my lucky day! Many checkout lines were open and the lines were long, but line number 13 had only one customer. I quickly zipped my cart into position. The clerk was happily smiling and scanning the purchases for the couple in front of me. Then I realized the struggle. The clerk, who was hearing impaired, was trying to communicate with the couple through sign language and loud hard to distinguish words. I watched as she demonstrated unlimited patience and began pointing to the screen on the register to communicate. The couple, relieved to be done with their transaction, hurried away. I realized why her checkout line was short. People were avoiding her. I pushed my cart forward, unloaded my items, smiled and waved “Hi,” to the clerk. Her grin was huge, her happiness bold, as she waved back and said, “Hello” in her loud grating voice. Knowing only a few words in sign language I awkwardly did my best to speak her language. Her motions asked if she could put my items together in one bag. I put my fists together, thumbs up, and pulled them away from each other in what I remembered to mean “apart.” She paused and looked at me with the excitement of a child. Her smile widened, her eyes connected with mine and I saw her face grow into a sparkle. I was speaking “her” language. We moved through the payment process with a few circles on my chest to communicate, “Please” and as we finished I put my hand to my lips and then brought it down palm up to her and said, “Thank You,” in both her language and mine. Whose language are you missing? How often do we miss the opportunity to really see someone, look in their eyes, connect with who they are inside and speak their language? Do you get down on the floor and talk to a child at their eye level? Or do you talk down to them from a height they can only imagine being? Do you speak their language? Do you take the time to talk to those in your life circle about what is important? Do you know what makes them sing in the sunshine and cry in the dark? Do you know their pain? Do you speak their language? Do you show kindness to the elderly, homeless or marginalized people? Or do you sweep by them feeling like they are a nuisance? Do you speak their language? Do you stop when you come home and acknowledge your dog’s tail wagging dance of love when they see you? Or do you brush right by them to a task you feel is more important? Do you speak their language? It was my lucky day. By the clerk’s reaction to my effort at sign language, I believe she felt acknowledged, seen, heard and validated. Isn't that what we all want? What she didn't know was that she had given me a gift. Because of her, I stopped long enough in my busy day to really look at another, to notice our differences and yet stand on equal ground, to blend her form of communication with mine-- as she did her best to speak my language and I did my best to speak hers. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Take time to acknowledge others. See them, hear them, and speak their language!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to help you see all the people in this world and to encourage you to "speak their language".... and they may just speak yours! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
In honor of Mother's Day, I am sharing this "Pennies From The Past" about my Mom.
My amazement, respect and love for my Mom grows with each year. Happy Mother's Day to the Fernster!
OH FERN !
I can still hear my Dad say, “Oh, Fern”, as she began one of her stories. He called her Fernie Annie. Her nickname is The Fernster. Elsie Fern Tutewiler Hunt – yes, that is her name. To me she is Mom and yet, she is more than any of those names. Growing up I remember her as the family organizer, the child wrangler, the disciplinarian, and the choreographer of our life. She was a working Mom when most were home watching soap operas and creating meals from the Betty Crocker Cook Book. She worked hard and expected the same from others. Thinking about the Fernster, I began to wonder who she was before me, before the years of motherhood and responsibility wrapped around her. I looked at some pictures of her in younger days. I saw the impish smile of a child and imagined her laugh. I saw the hair of a young woman flow around her physical presence – self-assured, happy and carefree. I realized that stepping back from the Mom I've always loved I could look deeper to see a whole person. Years before her title of Mom, there was a woman filled with spirit, determination and dreams, eager to experience this world. The Fernster is almost 82 now and slowing down a bit. Her eyesight a little less focused, her hearing and memory a little muffled, yet her spirit and spunk remain intact. Now I see the whole person wrapped with memories of a life lived, people loved and experiences had. And yet, the spark of that young woman still burns with spirit, determination and enthusiasm for life ahead. The Fernster. Fernie Annie. Elsie Fern Tutewiler Hunt, yes to me she is Mom and yet, she is more than any of those names. I value her not only as Mom, but as a whole person she is. I love her so -- the person she was before me and the person she is today with me. Oh Fern, keep telling those stories. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: “Step back to see the ones you love as a whole person!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to help you see all the people in your life as much more than who they are now to you... look at all of their titles, their life experiences, their hopes and dreams. See them as the 'whole' person they are! 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you!
TWO-A-DAYS
Have you ever participated in a team sport, trained for a marathon or tried to lose weight? A common practice during these times is, TWO-A-Days. This is when a team or person doubles up on their efforts and for a time practices or works out twice in the same day. The concept of doubling up, or TWO-A-Days, may also apply to studying during exam season or even when you have a cold and double your intake of vitamin C. I have a new application for this concept. There are times when your mind and soul need this same kind of extra attention. When you are overwhelmed, overstressed, or overtired—you know, those times when the faster you go the more you have to do and it seems like there is never enough time to get it all done. Your mind is racing and you feel like you are going crazy! This is the perfect time to add TWO-A-Days to your life. Twice a day begin just sitting. If you meditate now, begin doing it twice a day. If meditation is foreign to you, just give yourself 5, 10, or 15 minutes twice a day to just sit, relax and breathe. I realize this seems impossible when you already are stretched for time and don’t have a minute to spare. But, THIS is exactly when you need to do it the most. Giving this extra time and space to clearing your mind puts the chaos on hold and helps you gain mental and physical balance. During stressful times it also allows space for answers to come. TWO-A-Days don’t have to be just for sports. Learn to implement this into your own life. Once you get through the stressful time you may realize all the benefits it brings into your life. Peacefulness, calm, the ability to cope, and the lessening of the physical damage stress does to your body are all benefits of this practice. You may decide giving yourself the gift of quiet twice a day is something you want to continue every day. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Give yourself the gift of quiet twice a day. You deserve the peace it will bring to your life.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to understand that during the craziest times of life, you need to take care of yourself in a calm and loving way! Please 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 © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com Thank you! |
AuthorThere is a certain magic about where I live both physically and spiritually – on the crossroads of Spirit and Brave. Archives
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