![]() STOP THINKING AND BEGIN THANKING Have you found yourself in a situation where you think and think and think and can’t see a way through? Maybe you need to change your tactic. Maybe you don’t have a THINKING problem… maybe you have a THANKING problem. When you can’t THINK your way through, you need to THANK your way through! We live in a world that values process, procedure, charts, graphs, reports, analysis, logic and hard cold facts. But some situations cannot be logic-ed through! Some situations don’t make sense no matter how many charts you make or ways you look at it. Some situations are out of our control to change. Some situations are so painful that thinking about them becomes unbearable. Some situations you cannot THINK your way through! Yet, you can THANK your way through. Do you want a new job, a new home, a new relationship and you THINK about it all the time, but you don’t move forward. Until you are thankful for what you have you will never have more. Let me repeat that… Until you are thankful for what you have you will never have more. Don’t waste your time THINKING, poor me, I will never get that job, big house or perfect relationship. This kind of stinking thinking just builds resentment, anger and frustration. Instead, be thankful for the job you have now- no matter how bad it is; be thankful for the place you live now – no matter what size or condition it is in; and be thankful for the friends, family and relationships you already have –even if you don’t have that perfect partner right now. Once you begin being thankful for what you have you begin to get more! If you are grieving the loss of a job, relationship, or the passing of someone dear to you, turn any bitterness or anger into gratitude. Be thankful for the time you had with that situation or person. Be thankful for what you learned from them, (good and bad). Be thankful for the love they brought into your life and the love you had the opportunity to express to them – no matter what length of time that you had with them. When you turn THINKING into THANKING the pain of your grief will lighten. Once you begin being thankful for what you had or what you have now, you will begin to see your life in a new way. Change that one little letter in the middle of the word… stop THINKING and begin THANKING! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When you can’t THINK your way through, THANK your way through.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to step back from your challenges and look at what you can be grateful for NOW! 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 © 2013-2015 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: [email protected] Thank you!
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![]() DECISION FATIGUE Are you tired of being in the decision parade? Every day we make decisions about: What clothes to wear; should we walk or bike to work or school; do we stop to get coffee and once there do we want coffee, latte, cappuccino, one shot, two shots, decaf or regular; what meetings do we attend; which project do we work on; which applicants do we hire; which emails do we respond to; which Facebook posts do we read; and should we Tweet? Take a breath. And then. . . After work do we exercise and what does that look like? A walk, Yoga, do we use a home gym, do we join a gym, do we Bow Flex, Crossfit or go straight to Insanity? And then it is time for dinner, but wait! Are we Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw, Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, or should we be in the Zone? After all that we just want to relax and watch T.V., but how do we decide between the 800+ channels, thousands of movies, and hundreds of shows available at the push of a button. Take another breath. And then... If that doesn't give us decision fatigue, step back and look at the big picture of life decisions: What school to attend; what degree to get; what career path to take; who to date; should we get married or stay single; should we have kids and how many; should we buy a house- which house or should we rent; what car to drive; what friends to associate with; which charity to support; which sport to like and which team to cheer for; how much money to save; and where should we retire? WHEW! No wonder we live with our mind swirling so fast that we need small computers that fit in our hand to keep all of these decisions organized. And yes, we have to decide which one of those smartphone computers will work the best for us! STOP! What if we just stopped! Sit still. Sit quiet. Don't make one decision. Close your eyes. Your body will breathe on its own- no decision necessary. Be at peace for five minutes or an hour. You may just decide to make this part of your day. Give yourself permission to disengage from the decision parade. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Allow yourself to disengage from the decisions of life and breathe in the presence of being here now. ” YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to slow down and let your mind rest from the constant questions in life. Relax into a place of quiet where no answers are required. Be here now. Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() THE MEMORY MAKER One hand carried my bucket while the other grasped the largest stick I could find to swish away the foliage and shoo away the bugs. I would follow my grandmother trying to match my small footprints with hers. We were on safari in this land of wilderness. Reaching the creek, we searched for a rocky entry to the water. Stepping in, the mud squished between my toes as my feet and legs quickly became red and numb from the cold. I took deep breaths as the crawdads snapped at my feet and the sunfish brushed their thorned backs against me. We would hike back to her house with treasures in our buckets – magnificent rocks that sparkled in the sun like diamonds and gold; crawdads to watch as they pinched and squirmed; snail shells; and flowers. All were the riches of life and the secrets of nature. Her property bordered a state park. She didn’t take me in her car to the paved parking lot to play on the sand filled playground. She didn’t take me to the groomed pebble lined paths with arrows signaling points of interest. She took me on a quest-- trekking from her yard to the thickly wooded seclusion where trees were curled with the bending of age and the over grown creek bed was the land of nature in full celebration. Even today, I remember the sounds of the crickets, the smell of the muddy creek water and the constant swatting of mosquitoes as we ate our picnic lunches while discussing how the flow of the water smoothed and polished the rocks. Nothing my grandmother did with me was average or normal. It was always an adventure; an artistic creation; a moment of learned love. She was a Memory Maker. Making memories is the experience. The gift of an experience is worth more than any item we can give. The gift of an experience can even make legs covered in mosquito bites a joyful memory! Who can you be a Memory Maker for? Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Give the gift of time and experiences. Be a Memory Maker!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to create those moments in life you AND others will always remember. Be a Memory Maker! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() WHAT DO YOU ATTRIBUTE YOUR SUCCESS TO? Recently, I heard a question that made me ponder: “What do you attribute your place in life, your success, to?” Of course I thought of defining moments in my life, graduations, marriage, and the birth of my children. But this was asked in a deeper sense than that. It is one of those questions that should be given careful thought. For me the answer came swiftly. I was raised in a military family. When the word “ORDERS” was mentioned around my house it meant we would be moving. I remember waiting for my Dad to come home from work and running to see if he was carrying the yellow envelope; the one that held the name of the location of our next home. He would walk in, cocooned in his military green uniform and black shiny boots, whistling and smiling as if he held the secret to the universe in his hand. Once the location was revealed my small bare feet would jump on his shiny boots. He would dance me around the kitchen while the family chattered about dates and logistics of the move. My Mom, a tiny powerhouse of a woman, was a working mom at a time when most moms weren’t. With every new set of orders she orchestrated movers, house sales, school transfers, 3 unhappy children and travel. She was tuff, strong and not afraid to stand up for what she believed in. For me, dancing with my Dad was the only fun part. Orders meant leaving friends and starting over. I thought for sure that this was child abuse. I remember cleaning out my desk at school; walking to the school office with my Mom to fill out separation paperwork; and saying goodbye to teachers and classmates. I can still breathe the smell of the manila paper and packing boxes the movers used to wrap our belongs before loading them into the moving van. I can still feel the place in my stomach where fear boiled as I walked into a new school, met new teachers and filled a new desk. Yes, I was certain this was child abuse. It taught me a valuable lesson--- make friends on the playground or stand alone. I attribute the place I hold in life and any success I have to this lesson. I may not have a best friend who has held my hand from preschool to midlife. I may not have a house to visit where I was raised with a wall chalked with my height measurements as I grew. But, I learned that some lessons come wrapped in pain and discomfort. I learned how to accept change with a whistle and a smile. I learned how to be tuff, strong and not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. I learned how to talk and communicate. I learned how to tell my story. I learned that relationships are important. I learned friend building. Now here is the question for you to ponder: “What do YOU attribute your place in life, your success, to?” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Make friends on the playground or stand alone." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to remember those moments in life where you learned a defining lesson...one that added to your success in life. Is there someone you need to thank for that lesson? Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! THE SUNRISE IS GONE![]() I am a morning person. I love the magical darkness right before the sun appears to wake up the world. I sit in my office, coffee in hand, watching through my window as the sun opens my day filling it with a slow painting of pink, yellow and orange. My coffee cup warming my hand and the steam teasing my nose as the spectacular painting of color fills my heart and wakes my soul. The painting is different every day. Some days a little more orange, some days a little more pink, but every day I watch the masterpiece unfold. Until now. The sunrise is gone. The building began last fall. First it was one house- then another and another. With each one I adjusted my position to see a different angle of the sunrise. Then I realized I was down to a one small sliver between two homes where I could still see the bright colors of my morning. Now, the last home is being built. The wedge of space which held my morning ritual is filled in. The sunrise is gone. Normally I like change. I love to experience the way life rearranges itself like the furniture in my living room. Every so often the couch looks better under the window than it does in front of the fireplace. My difficulty comes when adapting to the movement of out-of-sight change. Is the sunrise really gone? No. No more than the blue sky is gone on a cloudy day. The sky is still blue behind the clouds. No more than a friend who moved across country has disappeared. They are still there even though they use a different zip code to be located. And I believe no more than a loved one is gone from our life, heart and spirit even though they have passed away. All of these things require an adjustment of the way we see them; the way we enjoy them; and the way we allow them to warm our souls. I don’t think a walk at daybreak is a bad thing. The sunrise waits for me past the new houses at the end of the street. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “The sun rises every morning even if it is hidden from your view.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you notice the areas of life you believe are gone just because they are not in your line of sight. What do you need to adjust in your life to be able to see them clearly? Don't be afraid to do it! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! MAGNIFICENT MOMENT OF THE DAY![]() What was your golden moment of the day? That moment when just for an instant life is quiet and the spectacular happens. Can you think of one? Magnificent Moments occur all the time -- right in front of us. They happen when we least expect it in soft miniature ways and grand glorious ways. They happen as bold aggressive attention grabbers and as mystical whispers. It may be the unexpected bonus at work; the call from a friend you haven’t heard from in months; or the crisp perfume of morning as you water your garden in the early hours of dawn. It may be the breath of a baby as they lay sleeping on your shoulder; the excitement of your dog’s greeting when you walk in the door; or the sun as it ripples diamonds across the ocean. You see, Magnificent Moments are everywhere and given to everyone. When we are children we live in the time and space of Magnificent Moments where everything seems magical. As we age we are blinded by commitments and responsibilities. We hurry through time and space tripping and stumbling right over the magic. Begin watching for your Magnificent Moment of the day. Catch that one moment when magic moves you to a place of still; a place of awe; a place of wonder. When spectacular happens stop to breathe it in. Savor it and at the end of the day remember how delicious it tasted. When you are on the lookout you will begin to notice that you are surrounded by golden moments. The challenge will become choosing the one that is the mostmagnificent! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Be aware of and grateful for Magnificent Moments.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to pay attention to the Magnificent Moments that happen in your life every day.... and experience the joy they bring you! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() Good Enough It was 4 o’clock in the morning on September 17, 2007 when I wrote my son’s obituary. I wrote about the twinkle in his eye he had when he was born. I wrote about how he wore chaps and a cowboy hat when he was little and loved the “Three Amigos” movie. I wrote about the home runs he hit in Little League and how to him the competition was less important than having fun. I wrote about his talent with the guitar, drums and song writing. I wrote about his sense of humor, his style and his big hugs and smile. I wrote about his compassion for others, his love for his family and friends, and his pride for his daughter. I didn't write about his flaws. I didn't write about his missteps. I didn't write about his mistakes. I didn't write that at times he felt like he was not “good enough.” We all hold a secret space inside that we don’t feel good enough in one area or many. We are not tall enough, thin enough, or beautiful enough. We are not educated enough, successful enough or powerful enough. We are not strong enough, eager enough or motivated enough. We are not caring enough, loving enough or doing enough. We are not happy enough, healthy enough or holy enough. By constantly comparing ourselves to what others are doing, we will live in the shadow of what we expect for ourselves. The internal conversation goes like this: “They are better than me. They expect me to be better. I expect me to be better.” Then our mind’s response is: “Therefore I am not good enough to be loved AND I don’t even love myself.” How do some people get past this and some don’t. How do some hold the inspiration to succeed and some medicate it away with food, excessive exercise or drugs? They learn what I call The Power of Cope and Hope. Let me share this concept. COPE: Accept the life gifts that cannot be changed. If you are 5’ 2” you will never be 6’. If you experience tragedy in your life you will never be able to return to the life as you knew it before. If a loved one passes away you do not have the power to bring them back. Some things you just do not have the authority to change. Even tragedy, disappointment and crisis are the life gifts given to you. They are not given to you as punishment. They are given to you for the purpose of learning, loving and teaching. The challenges and heartbreaks in your life also hold the opposite value of love and gratitude. You must learn to search for it. In the process of accepting the gifts you are given you will learn to cope. Search for what is good and what you can be grateful for in every situation in your life. HOPE: Hold hope that the things that can be changed will change. If you don’t have an education today, know that you can achieve one in the future. Are you struggling to gain a foot hold on a career path or finding the life partner you desire? Be excited with every disastrous date you experience and every career door that is closed in your face. This just means you are one date closer to the perfect life partner; one job interview closer to the job you are designed to do. If you are in the darkness of depression or grief, know there is a light that will enter your life again. If you are struggling with addiction, believe that you can follow the path of sobriety. Hold hope as a given. Aknowing that while you stand in an undesirable space now, you won’t always be standing there. It is in understanding and practicing The Power of Cope and Hope that we begin to believe we ARE good enough. The secret “I’m-not-good-enough” space we hold will fill with light to force out the fear of being less than anyone else. We begin to understand that life is not something that happens to us - life is something that is given to us. Our internal conversation will begin to be one of power, self-love and confidence. In the end it doesn't matter that we made mistakes or had missteps. In the end, as in our beginning, we are all no better or less than another. We are all born with a twinkle in our eye. And, none of our obituaries will say that we were not good enough. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "No one is better or less than another. We are all Good Enough!" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to love yourself and BELIEVE that YOU are good enough. Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() WHAT IS YOUR SOUL GOAL? Goals. We hear about them all the time. Goals at school. Goals at work. Goals for the new year. Goals for our finances, our love life, and our status. Goals, goals,goals! This is not a lecture on how to write a goal and stick to it. I want you to think about the goal that matters the most – your Soul Goal. You may already be neck deep in your life goals. You are probably already measuring them, tracking them and think you have everything under control. Yet, are you experiencing a little gnawing inside. Is there a tiny whisper nibbling at your heart? Has it been there for years, but you have hushed it? That whisper is your Soul Goal. The good news is this is one goal you don’t have to write down, track or measure. You just need to listen to your heart because it is already there. I believe the soul is the script of all we have been and all we will be. It has drama, action, comedy, heartbreak and love coded into this personal documentary. Yes, there is an intended outcome to the story. I believe the ending to your script is to successfully learn how to love yourself and others. The Soul Goal is our personal method of how we accomplish that. Have you always had a desire to paint, work with animals or heal? If we are here to learn how to love ourselves and others and your inner desire is to paint, then you learn to love yourself by painting. By painting you create art that is a gift you can share with others. In doing so you touch their hearts. You love others by creating your art. If your inner desire is to heal, you may become a doctor, nurse, counselor, or Reiki Master. You love yourself by following your inner voice and by doing this you heal and love others. You touch their hearts. You love others by healing. Do you see how this works? Your Soul Goal is the technique by which you reach the outcome of loving yourself and others. Listen to your whisper. Pay attention to the gnawing. If it is unclear what your Soul Goal is – pay attention to when you feel the most alive, happy and content. This is the criteria for your Soul Goal. This doesn’t have to be difficult. I am a writer and a speaker. While working through other careers in my life, the whisper, the gnawing was always there. I would attempt to incorporate snippets of my Soul Goal into my work. I would speak about my work topics and I would write heart-filled stories and give them as gifts. I knew when I was doing this I felt the most alive, happy and content. My Soul Goal is simple. It is one line: To share my life lessons through speaking and writing. In the process I love myself by doing what makes me feel the most alive. I love others by reaching out my heart to touch theirs. I’m not suggesting you give up all of your other goals. School, work, family and life goals matter. I’m not suggesting you quit your job to become a starving artist. What I am suggesting is that you listen to your heart as it whispers your Soul Goal. I am suggesting you find a way to incorporate this whisper into your life. You don’t have to create ideas that you format into action steps and turn these into strategies and objectives. None of this is necessary. You can tip toe into accomplishing your Soul Goal. Take a painting class one night a week. Volunteer at an animal rescue center or a nursing home. Whatever your whisper is calling you to do, find a place and begin Remember, your Soul Goal makes you feel alive, happy and content. It should be fun! It should bring you joy! It just takes loving yourself enough to do what your soul is asking you to do. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: “When you fulfill your Soul Goal you feel alive, happy and content.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to live your Soul Goal and understand when you do you will be filled with life! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() WHAT DO YOU 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: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() Write Your Story In Cursive! Did you know that being taught to write in cursive is no longer required in schools? The new thinking is that the keyboarding skill is a more productive use of time and better prepares the child for the real world. To me this is much more than whether the young generation can read the original United States Constitution or whether keyboarding speed will secure them a career. To me this is about the ability to artfully caress thoughts as they flow from the heart to the paper curling and swirling with love and meaning. To me it is about reading a recipe hand written by a great grandmother that holds generations of tradition in the writing. To me it is about how words like: love, song, dance and spirit all carry a deeper meaning when written with the design and art of rhythmic curves and loops. Writing in cursive gives us the concept of slowing to the pace of flowing through the consonants and vowels, taking breaths between words and pausing between the period and the next capital letter to think about the space between the two. --The space where we blink away tears and break for a belly laugh before we continue… and when we do, the dancing of the cursive words carry the meaning of both. Now, in a world that seems to be all about abbreviation and how quickly things can be accomplished or acquired, I encourage you to live the way you want to be remembered… live with flare, fun and fascination. Don’t print. Don’t type. Write your story in cursive! Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Live the way you want to be remembered – with flare, fun and fascination! Write your story in cursive!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to help you see the difference between living in printed world or living with fun and flare....live your life in cursive! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() Always Use The Microphone! After several days on the road presenting at speaking engagements I took a day, as I always do, to write follow up emails and review what went well and what needs to be tweaked. When I speak, I hand out forms to attendees who want to be added to my newsletter list and ask for comments about my presentation. I was feeling great, as all the remarks were positive and reinforced why I love to share my message. Then I came across one that stopped me. It wasn't negative. It was just a simple statement. “Talk louder.” Yes, simple. To the point. No elaboration. Just, “Talk louder.” This didn't cause me to pause because I was hurt by it or took it as a criticism in any way. It stopped me on a much deeper level. This event had been a group of about 50 people. There was a microphone available, but I felt I would be able to talk loud enough without it. I critique my own success by three things: ~ The reaction during my presentation- typically tears, laughter and always dancing at the end; ~ The hearts that I touch causing people to come up to talk to me afterwards – typically with tears, laughter and at times still dancing; And ~The remarks on the evaluation forms. By all counts this presentation went well, but obviously this attendee had difficulty hearing. I believe whether my message touches 1,2,3, or 500 in an audience – it touches the ones who need to hear it the most. I want everyone to have the opportunity to hear it. For me, the suggestion went deeper than that. My mission in being a writer and a speaker is: To help people. My goal is: To teach people how to love their life – No Matter What! I believe I have important messages that not only help people understand why they need to love their life, but give techniques of how to do it. If I believe this, (and I do), I need to “Talk Louder!” I am grateful to the person who shared this with me and for the lesson it taught me. I need to reach as many people with my message as possible. If I’m going to stand up, step up and speak up, I need to ALWAYS use the microphone! What message are you whispering? What message do you believe can help others? It doesn't matter if you are speaking to one or a room filled with thousands, if one person can’t hear you – the microphone isn't on, the message isn't heard – you need to be brave enough to TALK LOUDER! Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When you have a message you believe in-- stand up, step up and speak up. Make sure everyone hears you. Talk Louder!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to help you find your voice and speak the message inside of you. TALK LOUDER! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! Everyone remembers where they were when they heard about the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. How could we forget? I wrote this shortly after the tragic event. It saddens me to think of how many more tragedies we have experienced since then. Martin had a message for us we should never forget...Martin won't let us forget ![]() MARTIN The poster simply says, “No More Hurting People – Peace.” On both sides of the word Peace hand-colored hearts lead us to believe that peace can be accomplished through love. The serious dark eyes and the crooked missing tooth smile of the artist holding the poster belong to 8-year-old Martin Richard. Martin Richard will forever be the name in the headlines as the boy who lost his life in the Boston Marathon Bombing. Martin was more than a headline. Martin had a message. Some of us take decades to understand our place in life and secure a purpose for why we are here. But, Martin accomplished this in 8 short years. He was here to create the poster; to share the message. If he hadn't been the boy who lost his life we wouldn't have seen it. It would have hung on his parent’s refrigerator and been packed away in a box of memories to be pulled out when he was grown and had kids of his own. But Martin’s purpose was bigger. His message was more important. His mission was more immediate. It needed to be seen now, in this time when headlines are daily records of violence and anger. It needed to be seen by the world. It needed to be felt in a deep riveting way that strikes to the core of our hearts—as only the tragic death of a child can. We may not have known Martin -- and yet we did. He is everyone’s son, nephew, brother, cousin or grandson. He is every wide-eyed child in our lives and in our world. Today our life lesson is brought to you by Martin Richard. His message was one of direction. One of love. One of hope. His message simply said, “No More Hurting People – Peace.” Can we remember this message? Can we remember the hearts he colored with care? Can we return, through love, to a place of Peace one person at a time, one kind expression of hope at a time? Let’s say Thank you to Martin Richard for teaching us that sometimes the loving message we need to hear comes from a child’s simple art project. And sometimes it takes painful eye-opening tragedy for us to see it. Pennie's Life Lesson: “No More Hurting People – Peace.”~ Martin Richard ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... I wrote this last year after the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. I share it again now with the sincerity of love and compassion for Martin, his family and everyone who was touched by the tragic bombing. Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() IS IT TIME TO DEFRAG AND CLEAN OUT YOUR MENTAL CACHE? I was bemoaning the slowness of my computer,the unresponsiveness and the irritation of not being able to move through my work. To put a stop to my whining my husband said, "You need to clean out your cache and defrag." I love technology and yet I am admittedly not techy. I don't care how or why it works -- I just want it to work. Seeing my irritated and puzzled face, he tried to clarify this in a way my I-don't-care-how-or-why mind would understand. He explained that the computer remembers every time I open a window whether it is a document or a website search. These memories begin to build up and create a bog in the computer that slows its speed and efficiency. He said the computer organizes information in files and folders. Sometimes it doesn't do this correctly so they become fragmented with wasted space disconnecting the information-- again slowing down the computer. By defragging, the missed connections are joined back together in the proper way. By clearing the cache the buildup of junk memories on the computer is cleared to a clean slate. New memories can be made and it moves much smoother, faster and more effectively. The visual of this stayed with me. Don't we all have a cache in our minds where we secretly store junk images and memories? While we unsuccessfully try to make sense of these, they become jumbled and out of order causing resentment and anger to build bogging US down and slowing the progress and advancement of our learning. Our personal cache cleaning and defragmentation goes by a different term:forgiveness. When we forgive we erase the secretly stored memories of perceived hurts and wrongdoings by others to us and our own perceived misconduct. We clear it to a clean slate. The good images that were fragmented between these stored junk memories are then able to join together in a smooth easy to process way. So much of what happens in life we cannot control. But, what we hold inside we want to control. We carry life stories replaying them in the hopes of changing the way the stories end. This magnifies the bad memories reinforcing anger and hurt while avoiding the fact that the ending will not change. By cleaning our mental cache through forgiveness we release the power these memories hold over us. Our minds and hearts are cleared of the negative emotions attached to the event or person we hold anger for. We release the need for control and the notion of changing the story's ending. Our hearts and minds are lighter, happier and healthier. And, like my computer, we will have a clean slate to fill with new memories. Is it time to defrag and clean your mental cache? ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Forgiveness clears your mind and heart, freeing you to fill the open space with new loving memories." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent when sharing this with you is to give you a new way to think about forgiveness! Tell us how this concept worked for you! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() BREATH OF GREEN So often I hear people saying they are rushed, tired and overwhelmed. They are running from one meeting to the next, stressed about paying bills and worried about keeping others happy. What they are ultimately doing is living in fear. Fear of being late. Fear of not having enough money. Fear of disappointing others. And the BIG one -fear of not being good enough. Do you see yourself in that scenario? If so, here is something that always works for me. Your mind cannot live in fear and love simultaneously. Therefore, the answer is to increase love. You must begin by increasing the love inside of You! Begin by understanding a new concept. Green is the color of love. Yes, Green! I know what you are thinking - wait a minute, what about red; the color of valentines, hearts and roses? Chakras, or energy centers, are located at strategic points in the body and are aligned with a color value. The heart Chakra is Green and corresponds with unconditional love, compassion and healing. Imagine a beautiful glowing emerald Green circle that radiates around your heart. To increase love in yourself, for yourself and for others, you must fill this energy center with love. This will in turn multiply and fill you with love. Love will then spill outwardly - to others and to every aspect of your life. This is where my "Breath of Green" comes in. How often do you see green? Green is everywhere! When you see Green, take in a slow deep breath. As you do, visualize breathing in Green; breathing in love. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself, "breathe in love." As you exhale imagine pushing out fear. Visualize fear as black, dirty, and ugly. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself, "breathe out fear." This only takes a few seconds. Breathe in fresh clean love. Exhale painful fear. With every breath you will feel calmer. No one will even know you are doing it, but they will notice a change in you. YOU will FEEL a change in you. Soon you will begin to see Green everywhere. Your eyes will begin searching for it. A woman will walk into a meeting wearing a Green sweater. A dog with a Green leash will walk by you on the sidewalk. The menu at the lunch deli will have the special outlined in Green. The junk mail you are throwing away will be in a Green envelope. You will see a Green light as you are driving -Go Now- breathe in love! Make an effort to try this for one week. Once you experience the cleansing of fear and feel the new calmness of love take over, you will want to continue this practice. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Love and fear are not compatible. Fill yourself with love, in order to diminish fear." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... I shared this with you to give you a tool to relax and calm your busy life-- in a quick and easy way! How many times did you see and think Green just by reading this. Tell us how this concept worked for you! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() 1300 LESSONS I TOOK 55 YEARS TO LEARN 1. Make friends on the playground or stand alone - Learn to Love Change! I grew up in a military family, which meant I would just make friends in school and it was time to move- again. At the time I believed this was child abuse, but it taught me how to build relationships, grow friendships and hone the ability to accept and love change. 2. Don’t wish your life away! I remember how I couldn't wait to be thirteen. My Mom said, “Don’t wish your life away.” That didn't pacify me at the time, but now 43 very quick years later I understand the wisdom in that statement. 3. I love Brussels sprouts! I really do! I hated Brussels sprouts for 54 years. The truth is I had never tried one. Not long ago I did. I have been trying to make up for lost time ever since. The moral here is – you can’t hate what you haven’t tried and you can’t judge what you haven’t lived. Let that statement simmer a minute. 4. Don’t tell anyone you are on a diet! If you need to make a life change like losing weight or changing jobs you may need a support group or career coach, but don’t tell anyone else. People will scrutinize every pound you lose (and gain), every job you apply for and every rejection letter you receive. If they don’t know, when you have set backs and disappointments they won’t magnify your defeat. Wait until you have good news to share and let them celebrate the victory with you. 5. Know when to say NO and when to say YES! For years I said, “Yes” to everyone and every request for my energy and time. After suffering a few creative stress induced illnesses I learned that I couldn't do it all and I wasn't Wonder Woman. I learned how to say, “No” when I needed to. I also learned to say, “Yes” to myself. 6. Not everyone likes me! What is not to like about me? I was the people pleasing cocker spaniel that when I got kicked wanted to jump up and lick the face of the kicker to prove that I was sweet, kind and deserving of love. The reality is – not everyone likes cocker spaniels! There are enough people who do and those are the ones I spend my time liking and loving. Don’t waste your time trying to prove yourself to anyone who just doesn't like you. 7. Do what you LOVE! Don’t waste a precious moment of time doing work you hate. Do what brings you joy and contentment. If you can’t do it full time do it as a hobby, but do what you love! 8. Know when to risk and know when to let go! I owned Apple stock when it was $22 a share and sold it at $24. Big mistake! This is a perfect example of doing this wrong. Knowing when to hold something and when to let it go is an intuitive skill that I believe grows with listening to your inner voice when it tells you to run down the street after them yelling, “I love you!” or to turn and walk away as the sun sets and the credits roll. 9. Take care of yourself! Being healthy matters, so control what you can. Just like you take care of your car by cleaning it, getting checkups and supplying it with quality fuel, take care of the body that carries your soul in the same way. Once you hit the mile markers of 40, 50, 55 and beyond you will be happy you did! 10. Be quiet and listen. Meditation saved my life. Sit alone and in silence. Listen to your heart. Listen to the silence. You will be amazed at what you hear! 11. We are all one phone call away from our knees. It happens to everyone. When the phone rings and the message of loss is delivered, you will be on your knees. With the aid of love and grace we will stand back up stronger than before. Once this hard lesson has been learned your heart will expand with the love required to support others when they fall. 12. Every moment we choose the path of Fear or Faith. We are constantly given the choice of walking the path of fear of failure or the path of faith in the future. The road of faith is a much happier road to travel. Choose faith! 13. Gratefulness leads to love and yes, Love is the answer to every question! Being here in this body, on this Earth and at this time is a privilege. Be humbled by the magnitude of it. Do not take anything for granted. Be grateful for every moment, every breath, every experience and every lesson learned; Being grateful leads to living in a space of love. The most important lesson and the basis for all the lessons I have learned is LOVE! Life begins and ends with love. Love yourself. Love others. Love animals. Love nature. With every breath be grateful for being here to love. That’s it, bottom line… Love your heart out! I do realize that was 13 lessons and not 1300, but most of them took me 100 or more experiences to learn, so I am giving myself extra credit. Learn YOUR lessons well. Happy Living! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... What lessons have you learned? Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. Thank you! All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() Announcing New Meditation Offerings Recently I wrote a blog called, Meditation Saved My Life. Many responded by asking me for advice on how to mediate and for help in beginning the process. After years of learning about the many 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. I have created a new page on my website for meditations. You will find my first one, The Turn of Breath Meditation, above as well as on my meditation page. This is a 5 minute cleansing meditation to help you release worries, fears and concerns. This will work well as a morning meditation or a quick realignment at any time during your day. I will be adding more meditations from time to time with the intent of helping you to relax, process stress and enjoy your life in a calm loving way. Happy meditating! Pennie ***Since we all learn from each other, I would love to have you share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. Thank you!*** All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() 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." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ***Since we all learn from each other, I would love to have you share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. Thank you!*** All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() The Beat Of My Heart I watched the clock as I walked on the treadmill. I had intentionally scheduled the stress test appointment for 6 am, planning to drive the hour to my office and attend a 10 am meeting. Suddenly I found myself laying on a hospital gurney with wires connected to a multitude of spots on my body and surrounded by a cardiology team. One doctor repeatedly asked me how I felt. I didn't feel bad until one of them said, “What your heart just did could be deadly and we want to take you upstairs.” Confused by that comment and glancing at the clock once again I knew I needed to be finished soon or I would miss my meeting. “What is upstairs?” I asked. The explanation came quickly, “The rhythm your heart just did can be caused by one of two things- you have blockages or your electrical firing system is not working correctly.” Another voice jumped in with, “The only way we can rule out blockages is by doing a heart catheterization and we need to do it now.” I explained that I was an hour from home, I had come to the hospital alone and oh, by the way I had a 10 am meeting to get to. Once again the two doctors played tag team with their responses, telling me I needed to get my husband there and that there was little chance of them letting me leave the room with this type of deadly rhythm. It was the third time I heard that word deadly that I asked them to please stop saying it and that I indeed wanted to call my husband. The group left me alone to make the call. One cardiologist stood guard in the doorway watching me with a look of intense concern. The minute I put the phone down the group returned. The speed at which I found myself swept upstairs into a private room with two nurses monitoring me swirled my confusion even more. I laid there watching a different clock tick the minutes away until my husband would arrive. Feverishly clicking away on my phone I sent emails to my staff as I typed meeting cancelations and directions for the day. I sent texts to my children telling them the situation – at least what I knew. Then I noticed that both nurses were constantly monitoring me and the machinery I was connected to. They never took their eyes off of me or left the room. I knew this wasn’t good. Finally I asked one of them “What happened to me?” She placed one hand on my arm while keeping her eyes on the machine. “You experienced VTach – Ventricular Tachycardia. For most people who do that we have to bring them back with the paddles – if we get them back. You are very lucky.” My phone slid out of my hand. I vaguely remember the big screen which showed the dye running through my body and the doctor saying, “There it goes… that is beautiful… not one blockage.” The rest of the day, the follow up appointments and the new heart monitor, that I learned to wear like an accessory to my daily wardrobe, is a blurred memory. My new “Electric Guy,” as I call him, is the Cardiologist that keeps me, my heart’s electrical system and my crazy rhythm controlled to avoid the mysterious fainting, bouts of weakness and blood pressure drops like I had experienced over the years. While researching VTach, I learned a few things about exercise, staying hydrated and avoiding stairs. Then I came across the meaning of heart. Scrolling through the many medical definitions of this magical organ that pumps blood, I stopped on this: Heart - noun \ˈhärt\: the central or innermost part of something; thought of as the place where emotions are felt This is it! The heart is more than the organ that pushes blood through our bodies. I believe it is the innermost part of us. It is the place where emotions are created, felt and shared. I believe that heart health goes much deeper than changing your diet, lowering salt intake and counting 10,000 steps per day. I believe the heart has the power to push not only physical blood, but the lifeblood of love, kindness and joy through our bodies. The care and health of our heart begins with feeling these emotions in order for the heart to pump them through our bodies and out into our lives. We must learn to respect these emotions, nurture them and grow them into feelings that help our heart function to its highest capacity. Instead of worrying, I prefer to believe my heart has an eccentric rhythm… maybe not the same as everyone else’s, but it is unique and it is mine. In addition to the list of heart healthy ideas we have all heard about, I support its emotional health by feeding it love, joy and kindness every chance I get! I try not to watch the clock anymore and the most important meeting I have is one where I am kind to someone, love someone and through joy feed my innermost self- my heart, the place where emotions are felt. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “The foundation for good heart health begins with expanding kindness, joy and love in the inner most self – our own heart.” ***Since we all learn from each other, I would love to have you share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. Thank you!*** All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2014 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() THE 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.” All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() BREATH OF GREEN So often I hear people saying they are rushed, tired and overwhelmed. They are running from one meeting to the next, stressed about paying bills and worried about keeping others happy. What they are ultimately doing is living in fear. Fear of being late. Fear of not having enough money. Fear of disappointing others. And the BIG one -fear of not being good enough. Do you see yourself in that scenario? If so, here is something that always works for me. Your mind cannot live in fear and love simultaneously. Therefore, the answer is to increase love. You must begin by increasing the love inside of You! Begin by understanding a new concept. Green is the color of love. Yes, Green! I know what you are thinking - wait a minute, what about red; the color of valentines, hearts and roses? Chakras, or energy centers, are located at strategic points in the body and are aligned with a color value. The heart Chakra is green and corresponds with unconditional love, compassion and healing. Imagine a beautiful glowing emerald green circle that radiates around your heart. To increase love in yourself, for yourself and for others, you must fill this energy center with love. This will in turn multiply and fill you with love. Love will then spill outwardly - to others and to every aspect of your life. This is where my "Breath of Green" comes in. How often do you see green? Green is everywhere! When you see green, take in a slow deep breath. As you do, visualize breathing in green; breathing in love. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself, "breathe in love." As you exhale imagine pushing out fear. Visualize fear as black, dirty, and ugly. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself, "breathe out fear." This only takes a few seconds. Breathe in fresh clean love. Exhale painful fear. With every breath you will feel calmer. No one will even know you are doing it, but they will notice a change in you. YOU will FEEL a change in you. Soon you will begin to see green everywhere. Your eyes will begin searching for it. A woman will walk into a meeting wearing a green sweater. A dog with a green leash will walk by you on the sidewalk. The menu at the lunch deli will have the special outlined in green. The junk mail you are throwing away will be in a green envelope. You will see a green light as you are driving -Go Now- breathe in love! Make an effort to try this for one week. Once you experience the cleansing of fear and feel the new calmness of love take over, you will want to continue this practice. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: "Love and fear are not compatible. Fill yourself with love, in order to diminish fear." All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() DECISION FATIGUE Are you tired of being in the decision parade? Every day we make decisions about: What clothes to wear; should we walk or bike to work or school; do we stop to get coffee and once there do we want coffee, latte, cappuccino, one shot, two shots, decaf or regular; what meetings do we attend; which project do we work on; which applicants do we hire; which emails do we respond to; which Facebook posts do we read; and should we Tweet? Take a breath. And then. . . After work do we exercise and what does that look like? A walk, Yoga, do we use a home gym, do we join a gym, do we Bow Flex, Crossfit or go straight to Insanity? And then it is time for dinner, but wait! Are we Vegetarian, Vegan, Raw, Atkins, Paleo, South Beach, or should we be in the Zone? After all that we just want to relax and watch T.V., but how do we decide between the 800+ channels, thousands of movies, and hundreds of shows available at the push of a button. Take another breath. And then... If that doesn't give us decision fatigue, step back and look at the big picture of life decisions: What school to attend; what degree to get; what career path to take; who to date; should we get married or stay single; should we have kids and how many; should we buy a house- which house or should we rent; what car to drive; what friends to associate with; which charity to support; which sport to like and which team to cheer for; how much money to save; and where should we retire? WHEW! No wonder we live with our mind swirling so fast that we need small computers that fit in our hand to keep all of these decisions organized. And yes, we have to decide which one of those smartphone computers will work the best for us! STOP! What if we just stopped! Sit still. Sit quiet. Don't make one decision. Close your eyes. Your body will breathe on its own- no decision necessary. Be at peace for five minutes or an hour. You may just decide to make this part of your day. Give yourself permission to disengage from the decision parade. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Allow yourself to disengage from the decisions of life and breathe in the presence of being here now. ” All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] Thank you! ![]() Breath of Green So often I hear people saying they are rushed, tired and overwhelmed. They are running from one meeting to the next, stressed about paying bills and worried about keeping others happy. What they are ultimately doing is living in fear. Fear of being late. Fear of not having enough money. Fear of disappointing others. And the BIG one -fear of not being good enough. Do you see yourself in that scenario? If so, here is something that always works for me. Your mind cannot live in fear and love simultaneously. Therefore, the answer is to increase love. This must begin by increasing the love inside of You! Begin by understanding a new concept. Green is the color of love. Yes, Green! I know what you are thinking - wait a minute, what about red; the color of valentines, hearts and roses? Chakras, or energy centers, are located at strategic points in the body and are aligned with a color value. The heart Chakra is green and corresponds with unconditional love, compassion and healing. Imagine a beautiful glowing emerald green circle that radiates around your heart. To increase love in yourself, for yourself and for others, you must fill this energy center with love. This will in turn multiply and fill you with love. Love will then spill outwardly - to others and to every aspect of your life. This is where my Breath of Green comes in. How often do you see green? Green is everywhere! When you see green take in a slow, deep breath. As you do, visualize breathing in Green; breathing in Love. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself, "breathe in Love." As you exhale imagine pushing out fear. Visualize fear as black, dirty, and ugly. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself, "breathe out Fear." This only takes a few seconds. Breathe in fresh clean love. Exhale painful fear. With every breath you will feel calmer. No one will even know you are doing it, but they will notice a change in you. YOU will FEEL a change in you. Soon you will begin to see green everywhere. Your eyes will begin searching for it. A woman will walk into a meeting wearing a green sweater. A dog with a green leash will walk by you on the sidewalk. The menu at the lunch deli will have the special outlined in green. The junk mail you are throwing away will be in a green envelope. You will see a green light as you are driving -Go now- breathe in love! Make an effort to try this for one week. Once you experience the cleansing of fear and feel the new calmness of love take over, you will want to continue this practice. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: Love and fear are not compatible. Fill yourself with love in order to diminish fear. All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 Pennie Hunt ![]() Settling into seat 8F I pulled my jacket off and tucked it into my carry-on bag. I would not be needing that in Phoenix. I looked forward to the sunshine and warmth ahead after the negative-number temperatures of the last week. In went the jacket. Out came my reading glasses, IPad, magazine, head phones. Headphones! Where are my headphones? I always travel with them. They are the noise canceling kind that block the roar of the plane engines, the voices of the passengers visiting, the cries of babies in the back, and the intercom messages from the cockpit. I block these so that I can enjoy the time to read, sleep or meditate in the headphone secluded space of rain falling, ocean waves, or the tweeting of birds; whichever seems to be my pleasure of the moment. With a sigh I felt the aggression of the engines lift the plane into the sky as 9F, (who obviously had a hearing issue), began to explain to 9E, in his best not-so-quiet voice, why he was selling his home in New Jersey to move to Phoenix. I had a hearing issue too - for this hour and forty five minute flight my headphones were happily next to my meditation chair at home. Hummppfff! After reading an article or two in a magazine I laid it to the side, closed my eyes and began breathing. The deep in and out rhythm my body sensed as the call to meditate. To enjoy calm. To go within to the space of quiet where the outer world drops away. Where the deepest thoughts of my soul mix with the messages from the energy both in and out of my body. I guard this time of meditation as a mother guards her child. This is more than just a happy place. This is my sacred time. My daily ritual of flowing into calm serenity to a place which is more than one foot here and one foot there, but more like all there. All-in, as they say in Poker, to an out of this body and fully in peace space. The engines' roar became a soothing hum which muffled the voice of 9F. The ping of the pilot's bell seemed to whisper the message of safety that floated by my thoughts of awareness without stopping to take residency in my space of peace. I was there! Not here, not asleep, but there. Almost an hour passed when my breathing returned to the shallow breath of normality. My eyes fluttered open as my senses returned to the awareness of my surroundings. The engines below my seat continued to spin as the mechanical dropping of the landing gear engaged. "And in Phoenix the homes are a STEAL right now, so from what I clear on my Jersey home, I'll pay cash for the new one." Seat 9F had not stopped his elaboration of his relocation. I realized that I had successfully enjoyed the flight. I had enjoyed a time of meditation and for a brief period blocked the outside forces of noise, chaos and distractions. I smiled at the reminder that calm serenity can be accomplished any place. Any time. The noise of the outside doesn't have to detract from this. The outer world we cannot control. It is the Quiet Within that we search for. It is the Quiet Within we can find... Even without headphones. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson: Searching for tranquility does not require a vacuum of silence. Real peace is found within - even during the distraction of life. All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013 Pennie Hunt |
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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PLEASE NOTE: This page does not provide medical or legal advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and links to other sites, Pennie Hunt provides general information for inspiration, encouragement and educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through links to other sites, is not a substitute for legal, medical, or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call or the advice of your lawyer, physician or other healthcare provider. |