Choosing to Twinkle

The first snow of the season gently coated skeleton trees. Coated white, their crispy leaves fell to the ground. I found myself snapping photo after photo of the falling white. The magic of the snow and the click of the camera calmed my soul.

Hours later darkness has fallen and the night lights glint off the remaining snow. Tomorrow the sun will stop hiding. It’s rays will cause melting — goodbye early season snow! For now, I am going to sit in the quiet of the snow and let its balm bring peace to my soul. 

Peace of snow. Peace of soul. Do you have a practice of moving out of the disquiet and into the calm? Even when I am not aware of discord, it ruffles my being. It is the unsettledness that will not be denied no matter how much I focus on something else. How do you move from that feeling of something not quite right to neutralizing what is ruffling you? How do you wake the twinkling of hope, joy, and possibility? 

Sometimes this twinkling seems just out of reach. How do we move from discord to twinkle? When I slip into the snow-calm, the world that comes to me is simple. Whatever I do, wherever I find myself, however I choose to be, I need to keep it simple. Keeping my response simple increases my awareness. It shines a light on how to live in the unevenness in ways that make me more balanced. Simple is an inside job that opens the door to, well, our inner self. 

When we are infused with simple, our focus is on our self. This means that the distractions are more easily identified and the illusions recognized. We can choose not to get caught in the disquiet. What doesn’t catch us, we do not judge. Nonattached, nonjudgmental, we focus on maintaining calm and showing up twinkling…balanced. 

First we have to get to that place of being simply our self. For me, today the entrance to that place is snow. The falling fluff calms my anxiety and lets me breathe into wonder. I do admit that if I needed to be somewhere the snow might have had an opposite effect on me. So, finding your simple is about discovering what works for you! 

Being in the simple is an ongoing discovery. It is an invitation to listen to the whispers in your soul and discover what calls you in this moment. Ask yourself, “What quiets my spirit and what causes its ruffling?” Then, choose a simple way to soothe your soul. Do this over and over again until simple becomes an intuitive response to the unevenness in your life. 

Don’t be afraid of not getting it right. Life invites us into a place where simple and complex clash, and, within the clash, we find the best way forward.

Van Hurst, ms, is an intuitive-coach-catalyst. As a contemplative coach, she uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for navigating the mundane and extraordinary. The result of time with Van? Being the change you want to see in the world by creating a blueprint for your life through a deeper connection to your intuition and contemplative nature. 

Van 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.

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Gratitude: An Outward Expression of a Happy Heart

Gratitude: an outward expression of a happy heart.  Who doesn’t like a thank you? I know that I do. There is an art and science to being thoughtful. It involves both tangible and intangible components. Both are necessary as we ride the line between too little and too much gratitude. 

Even if the thank you might cause a tinge of embarrassment, we feel a warmth in our heart that radiates throughout our lives. As a result of gratitude, our thoughts are lighter, our words more gracious, and our actions move lively. We try a little harder, do a bit extra work, have a can-do attitude.

The opposite is true as well. If we do not feel appreciated, our approach to a person or a situation shifts. Our investment lessens. We may find our self responding less and reacting more. This change might not even be a conscious one. Unaddressed feelings of non-appreciation are strong depleting motivators. 

How do we identify when we are hooked by under appreciation? I am a big fan of full body listening. Periodically throughout the day I check in with what my body is telling me. Whatever I feel, I correlate to my current thoughts and emotions. Then, I reflect upon what is at their roots — this might be an interaction, a relationship, an ongoing situation.

What do we do with our realization? The answer is rooted in our power of choice. Once we acknowledge how we are feeling, we choose how to relate to a given situation. We choose how we prevent any feelings from negatively impacting our relationships. Then we act from our heart and not from our hurt. For me, this awareness often provides a wake up call to stop being so hyper-responsible. I am mindful about what is mine and what is another’s. Sometimes what I do is not needed nor wanted. 

Probably the most important thing that I do is to ask myself how I am appreciating myself. Naming the ways that I show gratitude to me is necessary to keep a strong connection from my heart to my actions. 

Through all of this we may recognize that while people are not grateful in ways we want, we can model and attitude of gratitude in ways that we need. This changes how we relate to our imperfections, and in doing so, make the world a little less uncertain.  

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2020 

Free to Be: An Artisan of Joy

Have you ever crammed yourself into an itty bitty box trying to get away from judgments — yours and others? If you are like me, you struggle not to accept the illusion that the hurt filled assumptions are true. Regardless of the truth, there is a safe complacency within those boundaries of illusion, but this complacency never lasts long.

When we happily go along with the illusion, any blimps of dissatisfaction and unrest are quenched by denial until the yearning to be ourself grows so loud we must respond. Finally questioning the falseness of these judgments, we find the strength to stand on our tiptoes to peer over the rim of the box of judgment. In that moment, we see a field of possibility just waiting to be seeded with our true self. 

With one small jump, we catch the rim with our hands and catapult out of captivity into a field of potential. We walk through the sprouts of our new growth recognizing that we have been sharing our truth all along. We blow upon the dandelion fluff feeling joy as the grace and beauty of our self take flight. We know not where our good deeds will land only that when they land the beauty of our soul is shared.

Peering over the side of our judgment filled box or leaping from it — both are acts of freedom. We choose to go beyond the illusions and shift our perception of our place in the world. With curiosity, we really see. With courage and daring we take our place in the world. We no longer deny that we gifts to share. We choose intentional interaction with the world. 

Practically, how do we break free of the judgments that hold us back? How do we take those tiny steps turned great leaps into the life we are already living? 

• Name what limits you. This could be a judgment of yourself or another or a notion you have about yourself.
• Name how this belief manifests in one core part of your life. This could be in your profession, a relationship, a habit, or something else.
• Name one thing that you can do in this moment to stretch your boundaries, break down a wall, create a space of exploration.
• Find the courage, the daring to let go of the illusion and live.
• Feel the joy that comes from stepping out of who you believe you are into who you really are.

Simple. Difficult. Just words. Start with small steps on the road to embracing who you truly are. Each time that you do, you erode that box of judgment-illusion and spread the dandelion fluff of your soul into the world.  

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs. 

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2020

Being an Artisan of Joy: Laughter

Life doesn’t always reflect our heart’s desire. In those moments of falling short, it is difficult to feel joy much less be an artisan of joy. Maybe all we can focus on is the uncertainty of the world and our imperfections. How can we shift from being caught in the scariness of life to being joy in an uncertain world? That is the topic of my March program: Being an Artisan of Joy.

Begin with a change of perspective. This shift, while not easy or simple, is the precursor to turning feelings of disappointment and despair into moments of gratitude and joy. Changing our perspective requires mindfully attending to the moment while being in touch with the feeling, the memory — whatever is a barrier that prevents us from connecting to our flow of joy. So, how do we do this?

Pema Chödrön, a true wisdom keeper, recommends that you not run from either your trigger or your reaction. In fact, she suggests that you stop and immerse yourself, for three minutes, in whatever is triggering your reaction. Really experience without judgment, attachment, or defensiveness what is occurring. Note: this is harder that it looks. You may have to go through several three-minute cycles until you get to a place of objectivity. 

She suggests one further step. After you have experienced the trigger, reaction, and subsequent fallout, do not let yourself fall into despair. In fact, Pema says not to take yourself too seriously. Laugh at yourself, laugh at how you got caught in your trigger, laugh at your imperfections. Through your laughter you not only befriend your imperfections; you also find a way through them.

Please note: the laughter in no way diminishes the seriousness of your imperfections. It is a reset; movement into an objective stance, an understanding of the roots of your reactions, and a shift from reactionary behavior to response. 

Laughter is the voice of self-compassion. As it propels you from the gloom, you gain a new perspective. To paraphrase Pema, your laughter welcomes the unwelcome into your life as a teacher. In opening yourself to your imperfections, you learn the lesson. Joy is a byproduct of this learning.

We can all be artisans of joy in our life. It requires a change of perspective, a willingness to balance taking our self seriously with laughing at our imperfections, and the intent to live joyously through lessons  learned. 

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2020

Bridging Uncertainty: Creating a Nonviolent, Compassionate World

We live in two worlds — the uncertain, where our  fears and angst are driving forces, and the extraordinary, where we power our actions with compassion. Within the uncertain, acts of violence percolate; within the extraordinary nonviolent revolution is birthed. We bridge these worlds by responding with compassion to imperfections and uncertainties. There is nothing magical about this bridge. It is crossed by our intent to be compassionate. 

Uncertainty is exacerbated by inattentiveness. We fear what we do not know. When we are mindful, we better name our fears and see the extraordinary, a place where nonviolence is possible, shining in each moment. With an awareness of how we can be extraordinary, we shift from reaction to response. Through our lived experience of the extraordinary, we become change agents who use the power of our transformation to integrate the extraordinary into the uncertain. 

In these moments of integration, we attune to the incredibleness of life unfolding. Although we live within the uncertainty, we see possibility shining from everything. Creating a nonviolent, compassionate world is no longer a maybe — we step along the pathway of nonviolence and compassion with our actions, words, and thoughts. The gate of nonviolence — a place of engaged compassion and peace — is revealed. 

This gate is not just for a few who are able to experience it. It is available to all. The gate isn’t a doorway to the great beyond. It manifests with peace and compassion in the here and now. In the present moment, we enter this gate through a shift in perspective. We accept that while we may always be imperfect and the world uncertain, we can choose to respond compassionately and nonviolently. This perception shift requires focusing our attention beyond the commotion to what really matters. 

What really matters is our connection to one another and the vein of the sacred that flows through this connection. (For the purpose of this workbook, let’s define the sacred as what we hold in great reverence.) Even if we cannot see the sacred in a person or situation, our response is an acknowledgment of what is there but not seen. With this acknowledgement, the gate of nonviolence is visible. 

How do you reside in this gate of nonviolence? Learn more in Imperfect in an Uncertain World: Your Life, Your Message. (Blog is an excerpt from the book.)

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019 

Self Compassion: The Practice of Spiritual Kintsugi

A hurt so deep cracks our being. Snaking deeply  into our soul, we fear a part of us will break off shattering into tiny pieces of hopelessness. Maybe we ignore the crack’s gap as it widens until we can longer leap across the growing illusion of okay. We fall into the recognition that something is askew in our life.

Eventually we take a breath and survey the suffering the crack has caused. This survey is the beginning of spiritual kintsugi. We remember that each of us is a spirit in an incredible vessel birthed after nine months in an earthly kiln. It is inevitable as the years turn to decade that our vessel cracks.

From birth, we are meant to experience life and, so, we do.  Each experience impacts at least one of our four aspects: body, mind, spirit, and heart (emotions.) When we are aware, we understand the lessons. Unfortunately, we sometimes sleep walk. In those moments the cracks form.

All experiences have the potential to make us stronger even those that crack the vessel of our being. We may even find that a piece or two of our self breaks off.  But, these pieces are not lost. When a breakage occurs, we engage in spiritual kintsugi. A simple definition: the repair an aspect of our vessel using the gold of our true self. We are stronger as a result. (Kintsugi is the process of repairing a piece of raku pottery using gold. The result? A more durable, stronger vessel.)

What is the gold of our true self? It is compassion woven with hope, courage, and wisdom. Flowing from a strong desire to understand, spiritual kintsugi demands that we forgive our self, first and foremost, for what has occurred in our life and how we reacted or responded to the happenings. Then, we identify the challenge or lesson inherent in the crack and find peace in our current circumstances. Only then can we begin to heal.

Within this peace is the power to seal the cracks with the gold of our true self thus creating a new pattern of existence. The melding of gold offers a new way that plucks our dreams from the realm of the impossible and ignites our potential. The result? We live the life we are meant to live reflected in the gold of our experience. 

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019

Fatigue & the Twining of Self Compassion

I know that you are tired. So am I. Let the fatigue wash  over you. Own it. Really own it. Feel it to the depth of your being. Seek it out. Don’t ignore it. Fatigue hides in the corners and crevices. Listen as Fatigue speaks, “Know me. Love me. Befriend. Once you do, you will see a way forward.”

We all have those moments when the weight of our life crashes down on us. Acknowledging our fatigue is the first step to gaining the power to rid our self of its miasma. The second step is discovering the cause(s). The third is creating strategies to clear the fatigue. The last? Transformation. 

The strand that twines connecting the steps to one another and the whole is self compassion or the recognition and alleviation of suffering. What do you do in your life to heal the aches caused by mental, emotional, spiritual, and physical suffering? Whatever you do is an act of self compassion. 

Maybe you think you do not have time for self compassion. Even the littlest acts can be self compassionate ones. Let’s go through the four steps:

• Acknowledge your fatigue: recognize that your reactions are life depleting. They zap your energy until you cannot respond to the world. Stop ignoring what is preventing you from living a vital life. Name your reactions.
• Discover the cause: begin with full body listening to gain a clearer image of your fatigue. Use your five primary senses to describe your fatigue symptoms. Identify the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual components of your fatigue. (You may find components in one, two, three, or all four aspects.)
• Create strategies: name one or two things you can do to blow away the fog of fatigue. Don’t overwhelm yourself with an anti-fatigue prescription of musts and shoulds. Start small and build with more self compassionate acts.
• Transform: make small changes in the moment that add up to a big difference. You do’t have to accomplish the ultimate goal in the moment. Compassionately walk toward it. 

I know that bone numbing tired feeling seems to have no end. Sometimes it feels that the miasma will never go away. But, it can and does diminish. The goal is to identify the symptoms and roots so when it happens again, and it will, you can take quicker steps to alleviate your fatigue though self compassion.  

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive, Coach, Catalyst, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, intuitive consultations, keynotes, and programs.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019

Life's Little Road Blocks

Sometimes on the road to the future we happen  upon a barrier. We come upon a wall that prevents us from reaching a milestone. Instead of being discouraged when that happens, how about peering through the slats of the fence to see the possibilities just beyond the barrier? Look at the barrier as a way station — a place to regroup, take a breath, mindfully engage our spirit as a powerful means of reframing the situation.

For within each barrier is the ability to reframe through discernment. This thoughtful process is one of reflection and introspection. During discernment, we

• are present to the situation by noticing without judgment or defense what we are feeling. We name our experience using all of our senses.
• recognize that there is no shame in our reactions to the barrier and no blame for the barrier’s appearance.
• We welcome the barrier as a time of respite, of regrouping, and of recreating our path.

Through discernment we move through the initial phases of the reframe. Next, we notice what is happening and what we have control over. We name what is outside our sphere of influence. Naming both of these empowers us to create a new perspective. We move from feelings of hopelessness to filling with potential and possibility. 

Think about this — is there something that you really wanted — a job, a car, a relationship, a home, or something else — that you were prevented from obtaining? The barrier that appeared stopped you from gaining the future that you had planned. In the reframe, perhaps you find another path that leads to another goal that is more satisfying or more in alignment with your sol purpose. 

For example: a friend of mine did not get a job he wanted. In retrospect, he said it was a great thing. He started a nonprofit more in alignment with his soul purpose. He, and the nonprofit, have thrived. This would not have happened if he had devoted his time and energy to the mission of the first organization. 

Barriers are not bad; they are not good. They challenge us to look at our lives and discover what is important; what we really need. And, in that discovery lies the power of our soul purpose.

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is an Intuitive Coach, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for personal and relationship transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, keynotes, programs, and intuitive consultations.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019

Being in the Moment for that Moment

Close your eyes. Breath. Feel the flow move into  your lungs and through your body. Each gust of breath moves you deeper into your self. Maybe you feel a letting go, a relaxation. Perhaps you are energized. Or, maybe you are nonattached to the breath’s flow. However you experience your breath, when you are aware of it, you are in the moment for that moment. 

Being in the moment for that moment is our life quest. Sometimes we do it better than other times. We’ve all had those days when we set our intent to be our best authentic self. Instead of showing up that way, we get triggered by the littlest and biggest things. Cast out of the moment, we despair that we will ever find our way home.

Then there are the other days when being nonattached to the world around us is effortless. We are in the flow of our breath and connect to the world with our compassionate response. We can hear our inner wisdom as it wafts up on the exhale and dives deeply with each inhale. We see the hooks that reach out to snag us and deftly avoid their piercing. 

How can we live the latter instead of the former? By developing a contemplative practice. When we spend even 90 seconds in a mindful activity, we retrain our body, mind, emotions, and spirit to crave a connection to our inner wisdom. And, in strengthening this connection, we not only become more intuitive, but we live in ways that transform more than our self — we plant seeds of change in others and the world. 

How can you develop a contemplative practice? Start where you are! Even if you feel you cannot devote 30 minutes at one time, perhaps you can schedule 30 total minutes over the course of the day. Suggestions:

• 5-15 minutes in the morning powers your intent for the day and calms your spirit for the day
• 5-10 minutes midday reconnects you to the calm
• 5-15 minutes in the evening quiets the tumult of the day and prepares you for relaxed sleep. 

What does a contemplative practice look like? My practice includes:

• In the morning I lay quietly and breathe into the day as I wait for my alarm to sound. As an alternative, I might also journal to begin the day.
• Midday I may go for a brief walk, focus on my breathing, or do some simple Tai Chi or Qi Gong.
• In the evening, I may journal, walk, sit quietly as I decompress.

There are no rules as to what you do during this time. What matters is connecting to your core and seeding peace. In time, even in the most tumultuous circumstances, you will find your way back home.   

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Intuitive Coach, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, keynotes, programs, and intuitive consultations.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019

Compassion Speaks: The Practical Contemplative

Contemplative and practical are two  words that don’t quite seem to fit together. A contemplative spends time in solitude praying, right? Well, not always. The contemplative brings that quiet reflection into whatever she* is doing. so, you may be in the presence of a contemplative and not even realize it. 

A practical contemplative reflects her relationship with the sacred in her thoughts, words, and actions. While her contemplative spirit may not always be reflected in her words and actions, she is aware of how thoughts, emotions, and patterns trip her up. Instead of being mired in deep despair when she falls into traps of reaction, she retreats into reflection and introspection determined to learn; and, in doing so, shifts from reactionary into response. 

Compassion speaks through the practical contemplative. For although she has cultivated a reflective/introspective way of being; like all of us, she sometimes flips out of the moment into the real where anything can happen and usually does. The practical contemplative knows that this falling out of the moment is inevitable. She is pragmatic about her less than stellar, reactive moments. To her, they signs to stop and regroup. They are learning moments.

In those falling from moments, and when she returns to mindful moments, she submerses herself in self compassion. This balm not so much heals her imperfections but gives her the courage to blow upon the embers of her being relighting the spark of her authenticity.

There are two compassionate aspects to being a practical contemplative. One stems from he compassionate realization that she is imperfect. She perceives her imperfections not as failures but as vehicles for transformation. The second aspect reflects in her ability to share compassion in its many forms with others. The practical contemplative is strong enough to hear the wisdom voice of compassion and act upon it. 

Practical. Contemplative. Two words that when combined invite us to be our best self as we sail through the world of uncertainties on our boat of imperfections. Join me on the sea!

*Please note: practical contemplatives can be any gender — I am just using feminine pronouns! 

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Intuitive Coach, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, keynotes, programs, and intuitive consultations.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019

Compassion: Power to Truth

Sometimes truth beats so strongly deep in our soul that, even if it defies logic, we believe it. This truth is so compelling that we cannot ignore it; we must compassionately act upon it.

Have you ever felt a truth so fierce that you knew it was accurate but had no way to prove it? What did you do?

It takes courage to act upon a truth so fierce that it dares us to navigate the waters of uncertainty and curiously hold strong to the power of truth regardless of what others would say. Power to truth requires that we stay the course while not harming or hurting others. Power to truth asks that our responses resonate from our authentic self. 

Have you ever wondered why truth is so difficult for some to accept? Why some, maybe even you and me at times, fight against it? Perhaps you remember a time when you, or someone else, loudly proclaimed that the truth was a lie and a lie was the truth. A google search turns up many articles of why we are more likely to believe a lie over the truth. 

Have you ever wondered why someone is vilified for speaking a truth that exposes a lie? If you ask me, I’d say that it is about herd mentality. This following along with the crowd is based upon the fear of being ostracized. We would no longer belong if we saw through the illusion of the lie and acted upon the truth hidden within.

There are lies so powerful that the collective is unwilling to disturb the status quo by confronting them. We can point to the big lies — those at a national or international level where leaders twist their words into whatever is the alternative version of the truth in that moment but, in reality, is a lie no matter what moment. I suggest that we go deeper into our every day lives to discover the lies embedded within our lived experience. We uncover those lies by practicing compassion as we live power to our truth. 

We have all experience those little lies. Here are two examples:

• A situation at work that everyone sees, but no one in management is willing to acknowledge or address. When it is brought to attention of leadership and a resolution is requested, the issue’s existence is denied or the truth sayer is gaslighted.
• Problems in a relationship that speak to incompatibility are recognized. When attempting to speak truth to the concerns, barriers to resolution are erected. Again, lies prevail and the truth sayer is gaslighted. 

When either of these situation occur, or something else, we have two choices. We can deny what we know is true or we can live in the power of our truth. While ignoring the lie is in the short term easier, it allows the lie to fester. Unchecked, it grows into an unmanageable monster. The latter choice is a much more difficult one. With that choice, we respond from our authentic core not only believing the truth but also having trust and confidence in our self. The energy behind the lie dissipates.

Within each truth is the voice of our intuition. When we accept the power of truth, we open our self to the many ways that intuition serves as our life navigator. As the intuitive messages we receive are verified — because they will be — we know clearly, that we are not mad in an uncertain world. No, we fully feel the power of truth and know that when we believe it, truth’s power manifests in ways that matter. We act upon truth, and our authentic self manifests in ways that matter. 

Wishing you the power of your truth! 

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Intuitive Coach, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, keynotes, programs, and intuitive consultations.

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Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019

Nurturing Our Compassionate Heart

Our compassionate heart is nurtured by our intent  and our action. Both are equally important to our compassionate spirit. Of course, life interferes; we get busy. The connection between our intent and action becomes blurred. In life’s whirlwind, we miss or ignore opportunities to share compassion. While our heart may be willing, our actions do not mirror our compassionate intent. What can we do? 

Through conscious awareness, we lay a foundation on which the connection between our intent and action strengthens. We start by practicing awareness and letting our compassionate heart expand into the world. We envision a bridge between our intent and action. 

The image of a bridge is sometimes used as a metaphor for the spiritual life. Bridges are built across great spans; we may not even be able to see one side from the other. We trust that the bridge we cross is secure although we seldom think about the bridge’s structure. Of course, each of its parts serves a specific purpose and contributes to the safety and integrity of the bridge. The bridge’s substructure includes a foundation and pilings or pillars. On that sturdy base, a deck is laid and cables are strung. All of the bridge’s parts, when built with integrity, ensure a safe journey. 

Similarly, our compassionate nature is strengthened within the foundation of consciousness where we form our intentions. By adopting a foundational consciousness built upon certain principles, our life begins to reflect our authentic being. These principles are to cause no harm, to alleviate suffering, and to take life as it is. The foundational consciousness we create is a sturdy base resting upon several pillars. As we nurture our consciousness, the pillars grow deep roots into this awareness. Our conscious intent triggers action through the pillars. 

Through ever deepening awareness, we engage our role as a sharer of compassion with our self, our families, co-workers, and members of our local, national, and global communities. This foundational consciousness, supported by the life pillars, forms the base of our bridge of compassion. As we cross the bridge, we live intentionally and begin to transform not only our self but also the world around us. 

Excerpt from Engaging Compassion Through Intent and Action by Vanessa F. Hurst. Available at www.wildefyrpress.com. 

Vanessa F. Hurst, ms, is a Intuitive Coach, who uses mindfulness practices and intuition tools to create strategies for transformation. She is a professional speaker & author who weaves inner wisdom into all she touches. Her books are available @ www.wildefyrpress.com. Contact Vanessa  (vanessa@intentandaction.com) for life coaching, keynotes, programs, and intuitive consultations.

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / Twitter: @fyrserpent / ©2019