Of Wings & Risk Aversion

I am not risk averse — much. Gingerly, a bit tense, edging out on that limb while being aware of the creaking branches. The uncertainty, the fear, washes over me until I get out there. Then I am in awe of the panoramic view of possibility. 

Maybe I just sit on that limb breathing in the fresh air, taking in the newness of the view. As I acclimate to the possibilities, I key into those intuitive whispers gently caressing my being. Those inner voices — no I am not hearing things — help me navigate into the new.

In the gentle sway of the branches, I weigh action versus inertia, but mostly I just listen to my intuition. I am alert to that itch in my back that might just be the sprouting of my wings. The unfurling I feel is a gentle nudge to take flight into risk.

Risk’s companion, change, is out on that limb with me. Change doesn’t happen without a certain degree of risk. To risk is to be willing to try something new, to choose a different path, to dig deep into who we are. As we engage in risk we shine from the depth of who we are.

How do we do this? 

• Begin with self honesty. Courageous action seldom happens without an acknowledgement of fear. Identify your concerns, your perceived limitations, what is stopping you from sprouting wings and leaping into risk.
• Be gentle with yourself. Identify your comfort zone. Then take one small step outside that space. Maybe you metaphorically cling to the tree trunk of stability while leaning out on the limb. How else can you take in the beautiful vista of your life?
• Ask: what action do I view as risky? Can I take a step into that action in this moment? Then, stepping just outside your comfort zone, do it! Take action. Maybe you choose to write a letter, reach out to a stranger, apply for a job. Know that whatever you choose to do that there is no harm, no foul. There is only your decision in the moment.
• After your action, re-access the risk. Go through the process again to decide your next steps. It is perfectly okay to shift, to make different decisions, as you transform.

Life is to be lived. Like a squirrel, we find stability on the ground, scurry up the trunk of a tree, and leap from limb to limb. Within each action is that itch that heralds the sprouting of your wings. And, within each moment is opportunity to unfurl your wings and leap into risk. 

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating those scary places. The result? Creating a blue print for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / @fyrserpent 

©2021

No Labels, No Rules, No Definitions

How would you like to live in a place of no labels, no rules, no definitions? I can almost hear you say, “YIKES!” If everything in life had none of the three, we would descend into chaos pretty quickly. While we need labels, rules, and definitions to create boundaries in most parts of our life, accessing our intuition is not one of these places.

Because being intuitive, accessing your inner wisdom, requires a flexibility that cannot be bounded by labels, rules, or definitions. I’d say that the only expectation to have when listening to your intuition is to expect the unexpected. Because just when we have figured out how we access intuition, we discover new ways to hear the voices of our intuition.

I like to think of my intuition as an inquisitive communicator. While it tells me some serious stuff, the way it goes about sharing comes from all angles, through all of my senses, and, often, in code. It invites me to deepen my understanding of the message by asking questions. At times, I feel like intuition is saying, “I’ve got some information, let’s do some Q&A.” 

On this jaunt, intuition dangles its message just on the tips of my finger or perhaps my tongue. It is never so far away that I cannot grasp the message at least partially. And, that is perfectly okay. It may take more than just this moment to understand the entirety of the message. I’ve learned to be okay with the evolution of my intuitive understanding. 

How do we undertake this journey? And, what tools do we need to excavate the messages? Two of the most important tools are gentleness toward yourself (self compassion) and awareness (mindfulness). If you are not in the moment, you won’t hear the message. If you are not gentle with yourself, you will become so tense that you miss message after message after message until your intuition begins to shout at you.

I know that both self compassion and mindfulness are easier said than done! So, let’s break them down.

• Be gentle with yourself. Don’t expect an answer to every intuitive pondering. Don’t expect to recognize every message that comes your way. The important stuff will come back around until you finally recognize it. Trust in that. This doesn’t give you permission to be sloppy and non-attentive, it just reduces performance anxiety.
• Be aware or in the moment. This takes practice. Most of us aren’t really good about being in the moment. We get caught in the past or find ourself fleeing into the future. How do I stay in the moment? Post-it notes with reminders, setting alarms, taking time out to ask myself what kept me in the moment and what drew me out. And, sometimes, my intuition will nudge me into the moment with a gentle reminder. Think about how your intuitive gets your attention.

Ready to practice…breathe into the moment. Notice where your anxiety manifests. Breathe into your anxiety, your fears, your desire to know. Then open yourself up. What is the one thing that is stands out? It could be a word, an image, a symbol, a smell, a taste…just notice without judgment. Then open yourself to what you have received. Allow your mind to follow your intuition by free association…allow the message to unfold.

An example: Recently I noticed that I was not wearing orange, but a lot of food that I was eating was orange. What is my intuition telling me? Since I know the energy body, I immediately thought of my second chakra which is represented by the color orange. That is the center of creativity. 

Using this information about what I was eating plus the information that I would not wear orange, I discerned that I was trying to jumpstart my creativity, really work on the book I was writing, even though I had not written in quite some time. So, my intuition was nudging me to complete a project. 

How about you? There is no real science to intuition. We create our own guidelines, we define what it means to be intuitive, and, yes, we choose what we label our selves. So, call yourself intuitive if you’d like, because it is what nudges you into being yourself. 

 

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating those scary places. The result? Creating a blue print for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / @fyrserpent 

©2021

A Heart So Big

Being Courageous, Confident, & Compassionate

Within me is a heart so big it cannot be contained. It shines upon the world clearing the way through this moment and each moment. In this shining, I become whole. 

So, what is it within my heart — and within yours, too — that is so brilliant that it chases away the shadows and brings hope to us? The light is lit by courage, confidence, and compassion.

Courage. 

The world is filled with so many opportunities that we may become overwhelmed. Our mind fogs up with fear until we are unsure what to do. We may hide in the shadow afraid to confront what scares us. Or, we gather our courage, pick the sure thing, go out on a limb, or decide upon something in between. That decision making takes courage no matter what we choose. 

If you are like me, your mind darts in a circle from what might be to what might be until you are not sure the next sept. Courage slows the course of the what-might-be dash. It is the calming agent that says, “we can never be 100% sure, but we’ve got to try.” Courage empowers us to slip through the what might be’s into the action of what is. Courage doesn’t clear the path; it powers our clearing of the path. It is the voice that assures us “you got this.” 

Confidence. 

With courage we gain the strength to meet any given situation. Confidence goes hand-in-hand with that strength. For, confidence is knowing who you are — your talents and limitations. It is the conviction in your ability to choose the right course. It is the foundation of your resilience; your ability  to meet risk. Confidence reminds us that while we cannot plan for everything, we can approach any risk in a flexible, measured way.

Risk. Now that is a charged word. With risk there is always the possibility that things won’t work out the way you want. With confidence you use your skills and talents in a given situation no matter how difficult. It weighs the pros and cons with its can-do attitude and makes objective decisions. 

Confidence brings you brings you to the brink of a new horizon. Courage has you leaping into the new. Sometimes things don’t go as planned. Compassion eases the suffering when things don’t go as planned.

Compassion.

Of course, we’ve all had those moments when things don’t go as planned. It is hard not to get mired in the what ifs that causes suffering. Courage and confidence call for compassion. No matter how courageous, no matter how confident, we all suffer. Being able to identify and alleviate that suffering is what makes us whole.

So, what do we do when we suffer? We practice self compassion. Self compassion, for me, begins with self forgiveness and releasing any shaming or blaming. It’s telling myself that maybe I didn’t get it right, but that is okay. What happened hurt, but I can learn from the suffering. That learning often comes when the fog of suffering clears. 

What is this thing called self compassion? It is an action directed toward our self. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to it. Self compassion takes many forms. The great thing? You get to choose how to alleviate your own suffering. For me, it might be a reset nap, journaling, exercising, contemplative practice, self care — the list is as endless as our potential.

The only objective of self compassion is that you suffer less. And, that is enough. The more you gift yourself with self compassion, the greater your courage and confidence to be that shining light emanating from a heart that cannot be contained.  

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a a courageous, confident compassionista. As a contemplative coach, an intuitive-coach-catalyst, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating those scary places. The result? Reframing imperfections into personal transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2021 /

  

Name It. Reframe It.

The world is a wild, wonderful, gentle, ferocious place. Yeah, it’s a place of contractions. Both external and internal. Do you feel the internal contradictions simmering? Do you feel them boiling, edging closer to the rim of your being? Maybe they slip over the edge and splash into the contradictions of the world. 

When that stuff boils over, it scalds away our veneer of illusion revealing a truth that cannot be denied. I am not sure this is the truth we want or even expect. This truth sheds light on our imperfections. I know, imperfection is not a pretty word. It is one that we like to hide from. 

What is an imperfection any way? Two definitions: An undesirable feature. The state of not being complete. But, what if we expanded these definitions? Instead of seeing an imperfection as undesirable what if we viewed it as part of the road map the leads us deeper into who we are? An imperfection isn’t something that makes us incomplete; no, an imperfection is a tool that leads us to our authentic self — it makes us whole. 

I don’t know about you, but I’ve committed to stop running from my imperfections. There is no escaping them. I like to believe that each imperfection that I uncover serves a purpose in my life. I believe that when we name and reframe our imperfections, we live into who we are and better understand the world — people and situations. To sum it up: we become more compassionate to our self and others. 

Okay, so the world is filled with contradictions. We are in this world, so we, too, are filled with contradictions. I see these contradictions as imperfections. I named it (contradictions). I reframed it (imperfections). How do we use the energy of our imperfections to shine the beauty of our soul?

Go a step further in naming/reframing. 

• Name your imperfection. Just name one thing that you don’t do perfect. It doesn’t matter how big or small — just name it. 
• Then dig into the imperfection. What are the limitations? What are the benefits? Take a sheet of paper. Draw a line down the middle. Put a + at the top of one side. Put a - at the top of the other. Set a timer for five minutes. Just write. Don’t think about it. Create a list from what comes to you. There is time for reflection later. 
• After the five minutes, take a look at what you wrote. Find the  truth behind each limitation. Reframe the limitations into learning moments. How do the limitations help you to shift your behavior? 
• Acknowledge the benefits of the imperfections. Then ask: Is there another way to get these results other than reacting from the imperfections? Name how to get the results you want by reframing your reactions to responses. 

The world is a scary place. I think that our imperfections are some of the scariest parts. It is what lies at the root of our so called imperfections that force our reactions. So, how can we shift from living with imperfections to thriving through imperfections? Now means not running away; taking charge. It is about being in the moment and staying in the moment no matter how difficult naming and reframing your imperfection is.  

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Master Reframer. As a contemplative coach, an intuitive-coach-catalyst, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating those scary places. The result? Reframing imperfections into personal transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Her most recent book, As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive, is available on Amazon. Contact Vanessa for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / @fyrserpent / ©2021