© 2026 Kevin Pennell – Toward A Better Life

Category: Tales for the Journey

  • Elemental Impressions

    We spent Thanksgiving Week in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, USA. I found myself intrinsically connected to the sea while there, not only the sea though, there were deeper connections to all the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Theories involving the Four Elements seem to permeate virtually all cultures throughout the known world. …

  • Climbing the Mountain of Life

    Living in the mountains of Western Maine offered several delightful memories including breathtaking vistas all year whether verdant spring greens, a dramatic pallet of fall colors, or white cotton snow.  After living near oceans, in the subtropics, and the desert southwest, my favorite place to call home remains among mountains, now the mountains of western…

  • What Are Chakras Anyway?

    Here are the basics.  Several books and articles are available on the subject of Chakras.  In its purest form, the word Chakra originated from the ancient language known as Sanskrit and means “wheel of light.”  Chakras are wheels or spirals of energy interacting with layers of energy fields that interact with our physical body.  For…

  • Become the Butterfly

    It’s been said, “If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans.” Please understand, I’m not against planning and organization, they keep us focused. Consider this though, how’s our willingness to change so we can improve, grow, and strive to become our highest and greatest self? Joseph Campbell provided some sound guidance about…

  • Your Still Small Voice Within

    That still small voice, the spirits, inner vision, gut feeling, sixth sense, or a hunch in my gut told me to do it.  Regardless of how we refer to this phenomena, it can aid our lives in so many ways.  Nurturing this gift can be very beneficial. Over the years, I’ve learned that sometimes these…

  • Tales for the Journey – The Calling Crows

    The American Crow, found throughout North America frequents most of Canada in the summer, also caw their hearts out from California to the Carolinas and Maine to Florida year round. These brilliant birds are commonly perched in both bare and foliage-filled treetops, gathered in fields, and wandering America’s roadsides. They can outwit most birds, animals,…

  • Tales for the Journey – Live Your Dream

    The French romantic, poet, novelist, and dramatist, Victor Hugo said, “There is nothing like a dream to create the future”. Humphrey Bogart, as Sam Spade in the Maltese Falcon, made the statement, “the stuff that dreams are made of” referring to the Maltese Falcon like a tangible “dream”.  Finally, to round out purely arbitrary sources…

  • Be A Tree

    Joyce Kilmer penned the inspirational words, “I think I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.” Trees have captivated me as long as I remember. As a boy of five or six, I remember climbing a tree at my auntʼs and uncleʼs home in southwest Michigan. I loved the smell. Too young to…

  • Seeing With Our Heart

    There was once a young man who lived his life simply without following the crowd by keeping up with the latest clothing styles, electronic gadgetry, and other external expressions until one day when things began to change.  It was a beautiful spring day.  The young man was struck by the beauty of the young woman…

  • Tales for the Journey – The Lazy Smile

             Smiles have enjoyed notoriety through many venues over the years.  A familiar statistic says that it takes 43 muscles to frown but only 17 muscles to smile, so we should just smile more.  It takes a lot less effort.  A man pointed out to me years ago that a spiritual person…