 When was the first time you felt like you belonged somewhere? Does the memory push you all the way back to your childhood? Your family? Elementary school? When was the last time you felt like you didn’t belong? Was it recent? Were you embarrassed? Sad? Lonely? Afraid? Are you part of a group, a team, a school, a club, a crew, a tribe, a family, a religion, a generation or a community? Of course you are. We are all affiliated in some way to a collection of others with a common interest or bond. Humans have a need for inclusion and connection. We fear and avoid isolation. So we join. We conform. We wear the uniform. We know the handshake, the secret knock on the door and the private password. We are taught to mirror the actions and mannerisms of another person so they accept us as a reflection of themselves. We want acceptance and approval. We want to fit in. It is why as a teenager you may have tasted your first beer when you were at a party with friends. You probably hated it but kept sipping it until the taste was tolerable. You felt like you belonged. You felt like you were part of the cool kids. We mimic the actions of others because we don’t feel worthy to be accepted and included unless we do. We adapt and accept the expectations that the group has for us to be a member. Some of this is necessary. In kindergarten we learned how to stand in line, raise our hand, wait our turn and share in order to function in a space of civility and kindness. As we grew, we learned the basics of polite and compassionate living to be accepted as a member of our human society. For many people the need to belong is an instinct - a requirement for human survival. It can push us to act in ways that feel uncomfortable or are out of character. When we bend and mold ourselves to be such a contorted version of who we are that we don’t recognize our own reflection in the mirror, it becomes a problem. What if we could be ourselves? Our crazy, goofy, wild authentic self? What if we looked at each other not with our eyes, but with our hearts? Can you drop the expectation you hold for yourself and others and be open to the exploration of who YOU are… of who THEY are? Stand in your own light and learn to accept yourself. Find the people who will see YOU and love YOU. You may lose some people from your life who only liked you for who you were pretending to be. But when you step into your light and let yourself free to be who you really are, you will attract the people who should be standing with you. You will attract the people that love and adore the real you. You won’t have to work so hard to fit in. You will finally feel like you belong in a way you never have before. Pennie’s Life Lesson: When you allow yourself to be the authentic person you really are, you will attract the people you are meant to be with. YOUR TURN...
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. And please feel free to email me at: PennieHunt@gmail.com. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2022 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information.
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 I fell down. I am not sure how, but my entire body fell to the ground. My knees took a hard hit followed by the rest of my body as it stretched out on the dirty concrete sliding (less than gracefully) until I put my hands out to stop myself. My suitcase and purse fell over next to me. Lying on my belly, arms reaching forward and my legs behind in a childlike Slip-n-Slide position. I was confused and stunned. There were no signs of a hole or bump, nothing that I slipped on. I just fell down. One minute I was thanking the shuttle driver, handing him a tip, pushing my suitcase and the next minute I was flat on the dirty concrete. I felt like a fish that had just been taken out of the safety of its pond and thrown floundering on the shore. I quickly got up, told the shuttle driver I was fine and moved toward the curbside check in. Every step I took was slow and precise. After dropping my suitcase off I found the first rest room in the airport to see if my knees were intact under my jeans and wash the dirt off my red sore hands. Minor scratches were all my body incurred, but my ego and confidence were silently damaged. I sat on the plane during my flight reliving what happened. How it happened and why it happened. I didn’t have the answers, but I knew I felt vulnerable. I am grateful that I wasn’t really hurt. I know a broken wrist is common when you put your hands out to stop a fall. The way my knees hit I could have damaged them. I could have hit my head. My scuffed knees and sore hands will heal and my confidence and ego will recover. We have all fallen in many different ways. Falls happen in life. Most happen when we least expect it. We don’t see it coming. We aren’t prepared. The best we can do is slide through it as gracefully as possible, pick ourselves up, wash our hands and keep going. This is how we learn. It is in the falling, failing and floundering that we move forward. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When you fall down in life, pick yourself up, wash your hands and keep going.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie Heart to Heart FREE FALLING YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to understand that we all fall in life- in may areas, work, relationships, personal expectations.... it is how we get up, shake it off and move forward that counts. 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 © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. 
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 chai 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!
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All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. 
Q-Tip It!
Years ago when my husband and I were dating I learned a powerful lesson. He would occasionally say something like, “I need a couple of days.” Of course I immediately took this personally and thought something was wrong. I would call him and stop by his house to see if he was okay, after all I must have said or done something to upset him. He would assure me I hadn't and that it didn't have anything to do with me or “us.” I soon realized he was right. It didn't have anything to do with me. We just have different ways of recharging. He needs downtime. He needs a quiet respite to rest, relax and regenerate. For me, when I need recharging I feed on the energy of being with people. Talking, laughing and companionship regenerates me, so of course when he would tell me he needed time to himself I felt pushed away. I took it personally. How many times in life do we take things personally and the reality is that it has nothing to do with us? Whenever a stressful situation occurs many of us default immediately to the negative. We blame ourselves. Let’s look at it differently. Let go of the immediate assumption and realize it isn't always about us…it could always be something else that causes someone to be cranky, in a hurry or snap at us. Here is a trick to help with this self-inflicted internalization of stress. Q-tip it! Yes, Q-tip it! Quit Taking It Personally! As a reminder, take a couple of Q-Tips and tape them to your computer, your bathroom mirror, or your car visor. Look at them often and when something happens in life that sets off your internal blame game, remember to Q-Tip it! The lesson I learned from my (now) husband all those years ago has saved me from many hours of needless worry. It isn't always about me. And guess what, now we recharge using what works for both of us. We recharge together, laughing, talking and in the quiet space of each other’s companionship. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When the stress of life sets off your internal blame game, Q-tip it! Quit Taking It personally!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about why things upset you... are you taking it personally when it has nothing to do with 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 © 2013-2018 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.  RISK FOR LOVE My husband has been called a Stand-Up-Guy. He is grand in stature, grand in his life accomplishments, grand in his thinking and quietly grand in his giving. He has a saying, “If you’re going to risk, risk for love.” We have many opportunities in life to risk- the stock market, gambling, new business ventures. But let’s look at the times we risk for love. When you tell a potential life partner that you love them or ask them to marry you there is a chance for rejection. We risk life as we know it when we bring a child into the world. And once they are here we would risk anything to help them and keep them safe. If you tell a friend you love them there is a risk of shocking them, being uncomfortable or being told you are odd. People are not used to this kind of verbal affection. We risk our emotions when we adopt a pet knowing they will reach in, imprint our hearts and then leave us long before we are ready to see them go. When loving ourselves we are critical and question whether we are good enough or deserving of self-care and self-love. Even when doing acts of loving kindness there is the risk of being misunderstood or having your motives judged. When you love there is risk. Love anyway. Love loud. Love bold. Love in every moment. Love with all the breath you have in your soul. Love until it trembles your very reason for living. My husband is a Stand-Up-Guy. He lives his life in a conservative understated way. He believes in researching, weighing all options and knowing the odds. He rarely takes chances; however at a time when we thought our relationship was over he took the risk. He made the phone call. He began the conversation which led to our happy marriage. He believes in risking for love. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson - “If you’re going to risk, risk for love!" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie Heart to Heart |
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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. |