Pennie Hunt
  • Home
  • Blog~ Corner of Spirit & Brave
  • BOOKS
  • BIO
  • Presentations
  • Social media
  • Contact Pennie
  • Love-Life
  • Pennie's Ponderings ~ Quotes
  • Pennie's Life Lessons
  • Videos
  • Pennie in the News
  • Meditations
  • Testimonials
  • UPCOMING EVENTS

IT’S ONLY A CRISIS IF IT HAPPENS TO YOU by Pennie Hunt

5/15/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Years ago, I led an organization that recruited physicians. It was a time when the shortage of medical professionals was becoming very real. I would receive calls from legislators and leaders asking, “Do we really have a physician crisis?”
My response was,
    “When you can’t find a doctor or it’s your doctor that moves away it is a crisis.”
 
Isn’t that the truth?
We don’t worry about our weight until we can’t zip our jeans.
We don’t worry about our cholesterol until we have a heart attack.
We don’t worry about care and help for the aging until our parents (or we) age.
We don’t worry about handicapped accessibility until we become handicapped-even temporarily.
We don’t worry about distracted driving until a texting person collides with us.
We don’t worry about the opioid crisis until our child dies from an overdose.
We don’t worry about a shortage of toilet paper until we don’t have any.
 
Why do we wait until something touches our heart, our life, or our pocketbook before we pay attention to it? Because for the most part we are ingrained with an out-of-sight-out-of-mind mentality. If it happens to someone else, we may feel sorry for them momentarily. If we see a news report, we may think it is sad. We may try to see things from their point of view and imagine ourselves in their place, but we can never feel what they are feeling from our outside perspective. True empathy is a difficult emotion to feel deeply until it happens to you.
 
Once you do experience it personally, you become one of ‘those’ people. We all know them. The one who is the first one to give support when your crisis happens. The one who knows what to say- and what not to say. The one who holds your hand and comforts your heart. They show up. They show up because it has happened to them, to their family, or to their community. Their crisis may have been a different level, a different experience, and a different circumstance, but they have walked a similar path. A path that taught them understanding. A path that gave them the gift of empathy. They have learned how to do the things they don’t have to do – because it matters.
​

Maybe we can learn a lesson here. None of us knows what our future will bring, but we can dig a little deeper into what a crisis is. We can stop the out-of-sight-out-of-mind habit. We can learn to see what is happening and not just ignore it. We can deeply look at it so our mind has a chance to evaluate the situation. We cannot take on every cause, donate to every fundraiser, or support every effort. But we can begin one person at a time. Help one person. Understand one family’s heartbreak. See one organization’s struggle. Learn what the issues are in your community. Grow your empathy muscle. Become one of ‘those’ people. Do the things you don’t have to do – because it matters. Just because it hasn’t happened to you (yet) doesn’t mean it isn’t a crisis.
          ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
It’s the things you do that you don’t have to do
that makes the difference when it’s too late to do anything about it.

YOUR TURN...        
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com.
 
                                                Thank you!  ​
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information. ​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    There is a certain magic about where I live both physically and spiritually – on the crossroads of Spirit and Brave. 

    It seems appropriate that my writings be found under the sign that locates my life.  I wish for all of you the ability to live in your Spirit to experience a life filled with love and gratitude and be Brave in the learning of your life lessons. 

    Enjoy!
            Pennie


     

    Archives

    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

    Categories

    All
    Addiction
    Beginnings Endings
    Beginnings & Endings
    Beginnings & Endings
    Change
    Failure
    Father
    Father's Day
    Fear
    Forgive
    Forgiveness
    Gratitude
    Grief
    Happiness
    Healing
    Hope And Cope
    Hope And Cope
    Judgment
    Kindness
    Life Lessons
    Life Lessons
    LOVE
    Meditation
    Mindfulness
    Opioid Epidemic
    Risk
    Success
    Trust

    RSS Feed

Picture
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.   

​
 Copyright © 2012- 2023  Pennie Hunt -  All Rights Reserved
Photographs by Pennie Hunt and Materpiecebysarah.com                          


  • Home
  • Blog~ Corner of Spirit & Brave
  • BOOKS
  • BIO
  • Presentations
  • Social media
  • Contact Pennie
  • Love-Life
  • Pennie's Ponderings ~ Quotes
  • Pennie's Life Lessons
  • Videos
  • Pennie in the News
  • Meditations
  • Testimonials
  • UPCOMING EVENTS