The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Peering down a darkened tunnel, a  pinprick of light shines. Step by step I edge closer until it becomes a light so bright that I am temporarily blinded. Eventually my sight returns; my vision shifts. With new eyes, I recognize that light at the end of the tunnel. It isn’t out there; it emanates from the core of my being. 

Imagine that. The light that teases us, beckons us forward is us. Its rays are intuitive messages that whisper, “Be yourself.” And, then it provides hints how to reconnect to who we truly are. Within the light is the power to be our self; the power to transform; the power to shed the darkness of doubt and illusion. 

Perhaps you are doubting that you have that light of potential within you. Trust me. It is present within each of us. It ignites with each formed thought, each uttered word, and each relayed action. It can also be tamped by a thought, a word, or an action. Mindfulness is key. Transformation comes as we foster our connection to the light though our awareness. We listen to its message and respond. 

But, first, we accept that we are the light. How does your life change when you know that you have the capacity to shed light on difficulties, obstacles, barriers — those things that prevent you from realizing you soul purpose? Through this light opportunities are revealed. Your life shifts when you realize that this brilliant light reflects your truth. 

Accepting this premise, that we are the change in our life, is not for the faint hearted. In fact, it isn’t even the end of the tunnel. We don’t suddenly realize this and transform. Within this acceptance we gain the courage to take the next step and the next and the next. With each step, we become more curious about what that journey offers and more daring in how we respond to those offerings. 

You may be asking, “How do I begin?” Feel, with all your senses, your inherent goodness. Remind yourself that you are enough. Name what ignites your light. Identify what tamps it down. Open yourself to the message that flickers in the light. Act with courage, curiosity, and daring. Know that no matter the outcome each step is a success. Bathe in the light that makes you whole. Own who you are. 

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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Consensus on the Bridge Between Head & Heart

The longest night of the year wrapped me in her warm embrace whispering, “it is time.” And, I wonder, “for what?”

As we near the end of the second decade of the twenty-first century of the common era, how would you to “it’s time” as an individual and as part of community? The answer is fashioned by how we are living in the moment. 

I believe that we can all agree deciphering the meaning of “it’s time” is tough. The first step in forming an answer is to navigate the longest distance we will ever walk — that between our heart and our head. What we want logically is not always met with enthusiasm in our heart. We cannot always figure out why our emotions pull us in a particular direction. 

Through discernment, conscious reflection and introspection, we shift through the debris littering the between of our head and our heart. Crossing the bridge, we reach internal consensus. Now, I bet you are thinking, I didn’t know I could reach consensus with myself. Well, you can. When head and heart collaborate, we change our consciousness. The magic of the seemingly impossible manifests. 

We create a bridge between head and heart. On this bridge we create strategies that encourage us to be our best self without extravagance of too many wants. We are gentle and compassionate to our self as we create a space of joy and gratitude by exploring “it’s time” with our four aspects:

• Physical/body aspect: ask yourself: do I really need another sweater, that piece of chocolate, or some other material thing?
• Emotional/heart aspect: ask how you are getting caught in drama be it yours or someone else’s.
• Mental aspect: what thought(s) fling(s) you onto the hamster wheel of judgments, assumptions and mindlessness drawing you away from this moment?
• Spiritual aspect: where is your connection to the sacred manifest in your life? Or, how do you live with compassion, joy, and gratitude? 

So, it is time — not to create another movement of resolutions that may bring about change in the new year. No, it is time to create a way of life in which you listen body, mind, spirit, and heart to the  wisdom that speaks on the bridge connecting head to heart.

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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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

Compassion's Power Dance: Response

Each moment of every day is an opportunity to  make choices that draw us closer to who we truly are or cast us in to the murky shadows of who we do not want to be. I believe that most of us would say that we do not want to be “that person” who lives in the margins of reaction and struggles to step into the sunny warmth of response. All of us spend time in those gloomy shadows because, unfortunately, sometimes our triggers get the best of us. 

At the root of every reaction and every response is a trigger — something that a stirs our emotions. This catalyst may catapult fear or anger or some other unsavory emotions to the surface of our being. Caught unaware it informs our thoughts, words and actions. We react. This subsequent reaction hurts our self or another. The dankness of those shadows surround us.

A trigger does not always bring about a reaction. Sometimes our triggers are noticed before they wrap us in reaction. We feel the churning of uncertainties and feel our imperfections rise to the surface. But, we are aware of the potential for reaction. Instead of allowing this percolation to burst to the surface of our being, we lovingly acknowledge it. We gently make peace with it. We choose to respond with compassion. Just. Like. That. 

Each time we are aware of a trigger and choose to respond we are empowered. There is a Reiki symbol that means “put the power here.” For me, each response is a way of affirming that we need not be manipulated by our triggers. With each response we recognize that we can live a life of compassion. With each responsive thought, word, and action, we power our self with the light of our authenticity. 

How do we get there? The power of response is seeded in the silence of our quiet mind and nourished by the clarity of our spirit. As we learn from our triggers, we get better at listening to their cries for help.  We understand that they are not bad, but lesson-imperfections that guide us to being our best, highest self. 

So, be forgiving. Be compassionate. But, never forget the triggers that force a reaction from the depth of your being. Don’t give away your power that shines the way of your true self.  

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

A Pilgrimage of the Heart

The heart yearns and the soul listens. The  response is a pilgrimage to a place where the song of your spirit sings with unfettered joy. With a yearning heart, a listening soul, and a joyful spirit, I undertook such a pilgrimage on my birthday.

Into the sunrise, I drove the almost three hours to the Great Serpent Mound, the largest earthen effigy in the world. My  eager anticipation, mimicked the lightening of the sky lightened and the sun peaking over the horizon. I wondered if the Serpent Mound of memory would be as wonderful as reality.

Of course, Siri decided to direct me down a different path. But, what is a pilgrimage unless it is tinged with the unknown and unexpected? As I turned onto Tranquility Pike, I chuckled. Did I ever need tranquility! The road was scarcely bigger than a path and had so many twists and turns. It felt like I was riding the serpent to the mound! 

Once I arrived, I breathed in the beauty of the place. After weeks of hot weather, I was graced with a fall day. I walked the mounded, practiced Tai Chi, and journaled, but mostly I let its serenity permeate my bones. I felt a resolute connection to the land and the mystery that pulsed from it. My jagged edges were soothed. I connected to my sacred spark and my spark connected to that of the Mound.

Was the pilgrimage a magic balm that made everything right in my world? No. The pilgrimage allowed me to touch upon the sacred created by an unknown community from the past. The energy of the snake twined around me and rooted deeply into my heart igniting the sacred spark within. 

That is the true nature of a pilgrimage. We travel outside of ourself not expecting a miracle, but as a means of paying homage to the divine spark within. This spark connects us to not only the the sacred but to all of creation. The pilgrimage is less a panacea for what ails us and more a gentle reminder that within  us is the capacity to live our sacred purpose in the many ways we are invited. 

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

We live in a time of effervescence — a joyous  never-ending rising of possibility. If we are mindful, the pop of our action follows. We must remain vigilant for we never quite know when the bubble of possibly rises and where potential pops into our life. If we listen intently to our inner wisdom, we hear the rising fizz and prepare to ride that possibility bubble to the height of our potential.

There is so  much happening in our life. When we are so in the moment, we cannot miss an opportunity when it arises. In those moments when we breathe in the anticipation possibility and potential merge to create the path of purpose. Through our breath, we experience the joy and incredible lightness of hitching a ride on that bubble. We living our soul purpose.

Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned. Sometimes we slide off the bubble and wind up where we never thought we’d be. This can trigger a time of despair and soul searching. We may ask, “Does this mean that we are a failure?” Certainly not. It is means that the bubble provided an autocorrection in our life. We wound up exactly where we needed to be. We meet a challenge or learn a life lesson.

Isn’t it exciting to be cast out of a mundane, not so reliable existence into a place that is wildly daring and curious? In a place where we daringly ride the bubble of possibility? I think so. For this place resonates with possibility when we open our fierce heart and courageously try one more time. And, one more time. And, one more time knowing that this “one more time” is the rhythm of our journey. 

In this effervescence of living, we understand that we control nothing but our response. It takes vulnerability to accept that within every emotion, every situation, every person is the power to change us. It takes humility to accept that another may not be changed by the interaction. Fiercely remind yourself that you have no control over the healing of another. You can only heal yourself. 

So, choose to heal. Practice self compassion. Forgive yourself and others. Give your self permission to release any grudges while not forgetting the lesson. Know that the next effervescent bubble is beckoning you to be your best, truest self.  

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.

Website / LinkedIn Profile / Facebook / 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