Within each of us is a spark so bright that it cannot be denied. The Intent and Action blog creates a path to ignite that spark within.
Do you want to be more intuitive? More mindful? More compassionate? More nonviolent? More contemplative? More of who you are meant to be?
Then read on. More blogs are just one click away.
11 July 2023: A Magic Iridescence in the Air
There is a magic, an iridescence in the air. It invites us to surge past worries, anxieties, fears into a land of hope where the possibilities of our dreams and desires rest. What is this magic? How do we get it? Well, I have a secret. I have to confess. We already have it. That magic rests within us — it’s rooted deeply in our core and blossoms with our courage, confidence, creativity, and conviction.
Courage
I don’t know about you, but countless times I have convinced myself that I couldn’t apply for that job — I wasn’t qualified. Or, I couldn’t offer my services — imposter syndrome, anyone? These are just the tips of my fears. But, those times that I called upon my courage and submitted the application, I often got an interview. Maybe I didn’t always get the job, but I got the interview! When I submitted the program idea, I often presented the program. You know what happened? It buoyed my confidence.
27 June 23: A Rebellious Act of Self Love: Even a Willow Tree Can Snap
Willow tree are amazing. They are so supple, so flexible as they move within breezes and strong winds. They remind me of the the saying “we are never given more than we can handle.” But, is that true? With a strong enough wind, a willow branch will break and so will we.
I wonder if there is a way for us to be like a willow tree no matter where we find ourself. Maybe. Let’s explore that.
It is inevitable that the winds of uncertainty and upheaval will blow into our life. They might even be fierce enough to overwhelm us. No matter how flexible we may be, we may reach our limit. “No more,” we may groan. So, what do we do next? We engage in a rebellious act of self love. Sounds simple right? Maybe. Maybe not. Read on!
20 June 23: Intuition Incoming!
Lately my intuition has been on fire. Everywhere I turn, I hear, “incoming!” Sparks are flaring in dreams, on walks, in the words of another, even in emails. Exhausting? No. Exhilarating? Heck yeah! I do admit that it is easy to get overwhelmed by all the stimulation.
How not to get overwhelmed? I don’t get too concerned by the little blips that spark and, in a curls of smoke, go poof! If I need to attend to them, they will return with a brighter light. As the spark flares its way into my life, I can no longer ignore it. I must breathe into it…make it mine.
13 June 2023: I Am Awake
I am awake. Not the eyes opening at the sound of an alarm clock kind of awake. No, the awareness that comes from being in the moment — noticing how I am distracted, acknowledging the distractions, and moving back into the present moment, ready to listen to what is evolving. And, the more I am awake, the more that I discover how I am getting caught in my distractions!
This kind of awareness is not so easy. It takes practice. I remember during my coach training that the instructor told us more than once: practice does not make perfect; practice makes permanent. Isn’t that what being awake in the moment is all about? But, how do we make connecting to our intuition permanent? Read on!
6 June 23: As Natural As Breathing: Being Your Own Crystal Ball
Do you ever want to grab a crystal ball and peer deeply into it to discover the future? To choose without a doubt the best decision to make in this moment? To know what is going to happen and ensure that you have smooth sailing? Me, too. But, life is just too fluid to know with certainty what the future will hold.
What if I told you that you are your own crystal ball? Maybe you cannot peer into the future and see with certainty what will happen, but you can access your inner wisdom in the present moment to make choices that will impact your future self. How do you do this? Read on!
21 February 22: Thin Silvers of Magic
Magic. Within each of us are thin slivers of magic — little pieces of wonder that light the world from within. These iridescent sparklies are within each of us. Their humming glow invite us into our self. They ricochet from our core calling us home, and then moving outward sing the world into a new way of being.
The world can be a scary, uncertain place. Do you ever have days where you’d like to runaway but you just cannot figure out a safe place to go? Maybe you want to hide under the covers. Or do anything but venture out into the chaos.
What do you do when you are in this space? Read on!
14 February 2023: Time Is On Our Side
Earlier this month, the groundhog didn’t see his shadow. We got a reprieve. Six more weeks of winter. “What? A reprieve?” Okay, hear me out. The winter is typically a time to settle into our self and breathe. A time to be. To allow our spirit to shimmer. To pay attention to what our spirit whispers.
So yeah, we’ve got time to be in these shortening nights and lengthening days. There is still time to venture onto the dark side of our moon and rest in the clues and messages found there. We have time. Take a breath. State with certainty, “Show me. Tell me. I am ready.” Because even if we are not quite ready, we still have time. Time is on our side.
We enter a place of quiet reflection. What happens next? Read on!
7 February 2023: Who Is Right?
How was your January? Now that we are moving though the beginning of February, that question has come up a lot. More than one person told me “it was the longest ‘year’ they had been through in a while.” I smiled. Year, not month.
The opposite was true for me. As I wrote my daily reflection arcs and posted them to Facebook, the month flew by! Now we are in February which seems to be zipping by, too.
Who is right? The Other? Me? Neither? Both? It depends upon your perception. What does that mean? Read on!
31 January 2023: Be a Light in a Shadow World
Darkness fell. As the lights went out one-by-one, I breathed deeply of the loamy silence. The awakening of the night made itself known in little scurries and breeze caresses. As the darkness surrounded me, my soul lost some of the tattered-ness. The angst unwound and peace twined within me.
As I peered into the lengthening shadows, the world reached out to me. Courage kindled, I reached back. Fear and courage twined together changing my perception bringing doubt and clarity at the same time. To clear the cobwebs of the day, I breathed deeply into the moment. I chose to surrender into my fear. As its trappings fell away, I took flight on the on the wings of curiosity.
24 January 2023: Big Fluffy Flakes: A Tale of Curiosity
Big fluffy flakes of wet float down upon a chilly world. Peer closely! Within those flakes twinkle wonder. Breathe deeply of the wonder, and the world changes if only for the moment — the barren trees and ground, coated in those big fat flakes, appear magical. I, and maybe you, cannot help but laugh at the joy of those magical snowflakes.
Several hours later the world has returned to its wintery, weary monochrome. Peer into the monochrome. What do you find? Silence. Step into the quiet, rest in the moment. What is there? The ghosts of those flakes that beat with simple wonder.
The ghost flakes whisper, “Life is uncertain…” What else does it say? Read on!
17 January 2023: Magic Shimmering from the Cracks
Magic is in the air. Can you feel it? A wild, wonderful effervescence of being. The magic twines through life’s uncertainty and illuminates the imperfections in our being. Within each of us is the mysterious beauty of imperfection. This wild beauty draws our attention to the mystery hidden within each imperfection.
This is not an awareness that smack our hands and whispers, “bad!” No, this awareness invites us into the mystery of who we are. It awakens our curiosity of the why and how this imperfection, a crack, came into being. From this crack our spirit sings forth and soars high into the stratosphere of our soul. This song urges us into our true self.
10 January 2023: In Like a Lion
In like a lion hoping the lamb shows up soon! Okay, I know that it usually used for January not March, but January seemed to come in like a lion. Not weatherize. No, it feels rather leonine from personal to professional to politics and beyond. There have been lots of opportunity to show up beaming our light from our core.
I know, I know….this is a tall, a huge order. What do we do? Sometimes all I want to do is hide under the covers and hope for calm. While that is sooooooo tempting, I cannot. What can we do? Well, I am a proponent in listening for the messages that show up around me. Lately a lot has been showing up in my inbox about being a prophet, a change agent, a shaker-upper.
We are being called to step out into chaos, into uncertainty and use both as springboards into a new way of being. Sounds scary, right? How do we do this? Read on!
3 January 2023: Dancing in the Middle Ground
Listen. Magic is in the air. A stillness is in the moment. Can you hear a quiet guiding whisper? It’s an invitation to surrender into the New Year. Let go of the what-ifs. Waltz into the new. This is a reminder that when we cling to the what-ifs, we miss the what-might-be’s. Those what-might-be’s are only accessible in the moment.
To get to that place of alignment with the what-might-be’s is no easy task. We all know that life is filled with the beauty of uncertainty. It is filled with joy and suffering, regrets and celebrations, the what-if and the what-is. If we spend so much time on looking behind us, we are not able to move forward. When we focus on what catches us, we are caught in spiral of pain and suffering.
But, this year does not have to be THAT year. 2023 is a year of dancing in the middle ground. How do we do that? Read on!
27 December 22: Surrender
At the beginning of 2022, I chose a word— dare. I attempted to live into it. Then a funny thing happened midway through the year. A word slipped into the cracks of my soul whispering into my core. Surrender spoke to me.
Surrender. It took me a bit to really understand what the word meant to me. I thought, “Doesn’t surrender mean giving up?” Not really. Surrender is an act deeper than letting go. It is an openness to what is unfolding — no more struggling to make things work. To surrender is to be in a state of heightened awareness. By surrendering, we move through life’s tangles with an awareness that the tangle has roots.
This surrender is not about giving up — it is about living in anticipation. What do we do with this anticipation? Read on!
20 December 2022: Beyond Fatigue Into Compassion
I had hopes that I was a bodhisattva in training. You know, some who is here on this planet to help alleviate suffering. Lately I have felt anything but compassionate. In fact, I find myself in a quagmire. Have you every just felt depleted? Like you’re scraping the barrel of your compassion and you’ve got nothing left? I feel that I am there.
So, what is this quagmire? It’s compassion fatigue. This is caused by empathy arousal or being overwhelmed by the feelings of suffering of another. When we are unable to move past empathy arousal, we have compassion fatigue which causes personal suffering. We’ve got nothing left. We act from our suffering and unintentionally contribute to a toxic environment.
13 December 2022: Sparking Life in the Bole of the Soul
The days continue their trek into the longer night as we edge closer to the Winter Solstice — a celebration of light within the dark. I do not remember a December so gloomy, so devoid of Brother Sun. Hoping for a visit from those bright rays soon!
Last night as I peered out my window, the dark was shrouded in mist. The fog twined with the shadows in invitation. I thought climate change — nothing is normal any more. Then I reminded myself that I need to get better at surrendering into the new normal — the unexpected, the uncertain. Yes, I do need to open to surrender and maybe you do, too!
Within my surrender, the mist called to me. What did it say? Read on
6 December 22: I’d Rather You’d Tell Me No
Have you ever asked a question needing a simple yes or no answer to find the question and the response tipped into an abyss? No answer. You get ghosted. Or maybe you were the one to ghost by tipping that question/answer duo into an abyss. Sometimes a simple yes or no is just too difficult to utter.
I admit to being ghosting and being ghosted. At times, I’ve been too afraid to say no or unwilling to commit myself to the yes. In my fear and unwillingness, both I and the querent were stuck in limbo.
Something different happened when I was asked a question. What was it? Read on…
29 November 22: No Time To Sleep
Darkness is encroaching into the day. The nights are growing for just a bit longer. Soon it will be the Winter Solstice, but the darkness won’t go poof! and suddenly be gone. The vibrancy, the light, of life is bookended by the lengthening shadows of dawn and dusk.
Within the darkness from dusk to dawn is a chill that doesn’t quite leave even when the sun is high in the sky. Within that dark, I hear the chill whisper, “Listen. Pay attention. The time of harvest is through. No time to sleep. This time is for you.”
This time is for you? What does that mean? Read on!
22 November 22: A Magical Mindfulness Formula for Difficult Conversations
Communication + the Holidays. Right about now you may be wishing that you had brushed up on your communication skills. Picture this: you are at a holiday gathering and get into a conversation with someone doesn’t have the same beliefs that you do. How do you respond to one more alternative fact?
Maybe you get frustrated and are on the verge of saying something rash. Logically, you know that is not the answer. What is the magic formula to not escalating a difficult situation? Instead of forming a reactionary reply, focus on yourself. This isn’t so hard once you follow a magical mindfulness formula.
Let’s dig into that formula…read on!
Ready for the vlog: here you go!
15 November 2022: 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? Ready to learn more? Read on!
8 November 22: Growing Shadows & Flying Sparks
The shadows grow. The light grows dim. Within the darkness a single flame flickers. Follow it through the angst, the uncertainty. What is this light? It is you.
It is inevitable that the world darkens as we edge into the final weeks of the year. The days grow shorter. The shadows grow longer. (Okay inevitable in the northern hemisphere!) The shadows are not a creepy, dismal place no matter what you have been taught. No, they are a place of curious exploration.
I can almost hear you say, “the shadows are a place of illusions cast.” Well, yeah. Why are illusions so important? Read on!
1 November 22: Autumn is Peaking…Time to Let Go & Live!
The leaves are falling and the sky has taken on that decidedly November hue. I realize that Autumn is peaking! As I breathe in the crispness and pile on the layers, I feel the cold nipping at my being. Soon the trees will be bare, and the naked truth revealed.
With the unveiling comes a sense of urgency that ruffles my complacency. It nudges me to wake up. With a groan I shake myself awake and peer into this new, increasingly barren world. What does the March into Autumn have to tell me? I discover the message by listening with my being.
“The time is now,” I hear whispered through the crinkling leaves. For what? Read on!
25 October 2022: Life is a Journey…or Maybe a Highway
Life is a journey or maybe a highways filled with rest stops. Sometimes I am excited to be on this stretch of life-way; other times not so much.
Journeys can be well thought out, planned. We know when they begin and exactly where they end. We know how we are getting from point A to point Z. Other times the journey is more uncertain. We take that first step not even aware that we are beginning a trek. Only later do we realize where we are.
Even if we do not recognize it, each journey has a pivotal moment of beginning. How do we notice it? Read on!
18 October 2022: A Tale of Two Cats: Chaos & Change
My life passed in a haze as a pair of cats traipsed through my days. The pairs’ names was Chaos and Change.
Everywhere that I looked those recalcitrant cats slinked — in my life, in the lives of friends, throughout the world. Dancing to a frenzied tune they resisted any attempts to control or re-direct. So caught in the upheaval of these mischievous cats, I could not see the opportunities waiting to shift my perspective.
Finally I focused on that tiny whisper riding on the purrs of Chaos and Change. What did I hear? Read on!
11 October 2022: A Cornucopia of YOU!
We are edging closer to the last harvest festival — Samhain, October 31. What began with the heat of summer’s peak (Lammas, August 1) and reached it midpoint at the equinox, is now almost at the end of the reaping time. What have you been harvesting this summer.
This has been a face paced year. The icy storms of winter and the yearning for warmth don’t seem so long ago. Then came the bright, cool days of early spring: we sowed seeds. During the heat of summer, we watched them grow. Now it is time to reap the harvest. Wow.
What did you sow? What grew? What have you reaped and will continue to harvest as we move into the quiet time of year?
Answer these question using a cool intuitive technique! Read on!
4 October 2022: Where You Are Is Where You Should Be
So last week the wheel turned — completing the 61st cycle for me. On to number 62! Wow! I don’t feel 61. Sometimes I ask myself what this seventh decade of life should feel like. Have you ever questioned how you should be acting at a certain again? Or what should be happening? After I asked these questions, I realize that there is no should, no living into expectations, no mirroring the life of another. Where I am is where I should be.
You’ve heard it before: age is just a number. Wherever I find myself is an invitation to live into who I am. I hope that you are discovering the same.
27 September 2022: Into The Messiness
Sometimes we run so fast — away from or toward, who knows? — that we don’t notice the slippery mud that splatters our shoes. Maybe we even think, “If I stop, I will be sucked into this quagmire.” Or, “I’m almost there, I can’t stop now.” We run and run until we drop from exhaustion right into that slimy quagmire that we feared.
Now what? Well, we can no longer ignore our circumstances. So, we stop. Survey the landscape. Maybe point out the positives, you know, those things that we like. At some point we realize that in order to avoid falling into the messiness, we’ve got to do something. That something is to realize that while we do need to identify what is going on, we don’t have to like where we find our self.
What do we do with what we know? Read on!
20 September 2022: Tricky Coyote Words: I Am Sorry
Tricky coyote words casting us into a healer’s world of realization, responsibility, recognition
I am sorry — three poignant words. Within them is the power to defuse suffering, quiet anger, create peace. Three words. When I use them, I find less is more of an apology.
How many times have you received or given an apology that begins with “I am sorry…” and ends with an excuse or a lack of responsibility? Some of my least favorite tag-ons: I am sorry IF/I am sorry BUT. I find myself wondering where the heck is that all about? I remind myself, “less is more.” In the less I show up humble and vulnerable.
How do you give meaning to the worlds “I am sorry”? Read on!
13 September 2022: I Got No Words
Someone experiences the death of a loved one. An unexpected illness. A disappointment. A perceived failure. What do you say? How do you respond in events like these? That is a tough question for which there are no easy answers.
Often I think to myself, “I just want to make this better. How can I do that?” Yet, I feel impotent as I admit to myself that I’ve got no idea how to put my empathy and compassion into words. I so want to alleviate their suffering, make their world a little less uneven. Even for this writer, words seem a paltry response.
I’ve come to realize that sometimes there is nothing I can do, nothing I can say, to make the situation better. Sometimes the only thing that I can do is to do nothing. Show up in wordless solidarity.
6 September 2022: Oh The Places That Scare You!
The world is this magical, wondrous, uncertain place. Sometimes I grapple for the words that will make the world a little less uncertain, a bit more harmonious, somewhat more in alignment with who I am. Then I realize that this world is a magical, mysterious uncertain place that I am meant to navigate with fierce courage.
Yes, the world is devastatingly uncertain. That can be scary. Don’t we all want some certainty in our life? I know that I do. What’s that saying? Oh, yeah: the only things certain are death and taxes. True or not, we want so much more to be certain while never realizing that life is meant to be lived courageously within the cracks of uncertainty.
What are within those cracks of uncertainty? Read on!
30 August 22: Day Comes with Fierce Opportunity
wonder slips across the horizon, wonder slips across the horizon, hope streaks across the sky igniting the fierce courageous sparks slumbering in your core
Day comes
The sky streaks with color. Day comes with a fierce freshness. What will this day bring? Who knows? One thing is certain: there will be a surprise or two! Surprise…good, bad, indifferent. No matter how you define it, within each surprise is a time of celebration, a time to grow, a time to breathe in the essence of your soul.
How do you discover this fierce opportunity? Read on!
23 August 2022: I’ve got a secret
I’ve got a secret. Wanna know what it is? I’m scared. Yeah. I don’t like to admit it. Maybe you don’t either.
Just this week I admitted my fear to a friend. The world events — natural and human — are plain scary. I found myself saying, “If you aren’t scared, you are not paying attention.”
This is not the fear that paralyzes me. Although if I ignore it, I can get tripped up. No, this is the fear that like nails on a chalkboard, scratches into my consciousness. A reedy, strident voice grates, “Pay attention. Listen to me.” And, I do.
This fear splashes cold dread on my being. Is that where the story ends? Of course not! Read on!
16 August 22: A Time of Wonder, A Time of Despair
As I look at the world around me, I am aware of life’s fragility. We live in a time of wonder, a time of despair. Personal loss. Community loss. National loss. Global loss. Within the loss I sense a void that is a vessel of opportunity.
That void? It won’t stay empty for long. When we are unaware all sorts of things sneak in to the empty! As individuals, we cannot choose how communal vessels will be filled — that takes a community of commitment. We can choose how we fill those empty spaces within our self.
How do we fill those spot? Read on!
9 August 22: Who Are You?
Have you ever asked yourself, “Who am I? If you are like me, you’ve asked yourself this question a time or a thousand. This is not a one and done kind of question. No, it is meant to be reflected upon over and over again as you discover yourself anew. It’s the curiosity of how my perception has shifted that has me answering this question over and over again.
The answers are found not in the roles we play, but in the roots growing deeply into our core. That which twines throughout our being and manifests in how we act. It’s from our roots that the evolution of our answer flows!
How do we discover the me in this moment? Read on!
2 August 2022: A Whisper of Wisdom: Do You Hear?
Within you is a whisper of knowing that gets louder when you listen to its voice. What is that whisper? You choose. You can call is god’s whisper, internal guidance, inner wisdom, the voice of a guide. Me? I call it intuition.
How do you connect with your intuition? Let’s focus on how we ignore it first. I’ve been there. Maybe you have, too. I can remember that friendship I so wanted, that job I took despite reservations, that relationship I engaged in even though I felt unease. I can be a slow learner…the list is long. But, it is hopefully getting shorter with listening to my intuition!
Wanna listen to your intuition to you can act in your best interest? Read on!
26 July 2022: Growing Newness from Mystery
through the cracks in my being something mysterious shoots up growing magical newness amid the destruction of old
What is this mystery? Newness? Well, let me tell you a story.
At the end of June I went on a two-day retreat. The cabin in the woods was in the middle of Nowhere, Kentucky. It was a wondrous two days — the ticks even stayed away! To be by myself in the silence was spaciously peace evoking.
19 July 2022: It’s Within You
Are you aware? Did you know? The world is a wild, wonderful, magical place. Sometimes I forget. Maybe you do, too. If you are like me, you get stuck in the chaos, the drudgery, the unexpected. You forget to see what is just beyond the surface.
As the uncertainty angels into us, we become imprisoned in an illusion of futility. I know, you don’t want to hear that. Neither do I. But, within us is the power of awareness, the ability to meet the uncertainty. In the meeting we dissolve the tangles.
I am not saying calling upon our awareness and abilities is easy. What I am saying is that we need not stay in this place of despair. It may not even be as hard to climb out of it as we think. So, what’s next? Read on!
12 July 2022: Grieving Into Hope: Communal Grief
Communal grief ricochets off each of us and burrows deeply into the collective consciousness. This is the grief that becomes a living palatable, gritty thing. Untethered, it takes on a life of its own. It festers until we are overwhelmed. Lost in the dark, we cannot articulate the question, “if not now,” much less answer it.
How do we grieve into hope as a community? Within each of us is a kernel, no matter how small, of hope. Each of us has the potential to be the change even if it means moving through the quagmire of grief. That is the energy each of us brings — the energy that will sustain us through the grief into a new way of life.
Surrendering through the collective grief. What does that even mean? Read on!
5 July 2022: Grieving Into Hope
It feels like life has given us a barrage of one thing after another. Each of us can reflect upon our life, and I invite you to do that to pinpoint when you began in earnest to grieve a loss. The loss can be something personal. The loss of a loved one, a joy, a pet, something that was uniquely yours.
Recall a grief — it can be one tempered by time or one that is still poignantly fresh. Sit with the grief. Breathe into it. Which of the stages of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross calls to you? Are you in denial? Are you angry? Do you need to bargain? Are you depressed? Are you accepting the loss?
What do you do with these emotions? Read on!
28 June 22: Navigating a New World With Tingling Spidey Sense
A friend of mine reminded be earlier today that nothing is permanent. Fortunately, or unfortunately, this is true. Because, hey! We all want to hold onto the good stuff and rejoice when the unevenness fades away. Impermanence — we have this tug-pull relationship with it.
We are in such a time of upheaval. Intellectually, I know that the roller coaster of change is bringing about a new way. Honestly? I’m not sure I am liking where we are. But, when I am nonjudgmental, I can taste my concern, listen to my anger, and see the shimmer of fear. I’d recommend that you pay attention to how you are feeling; to discover why you are feeling what you are.
We live in a world that kind of reminds me of how I was raised: Because I told you so. I know what is best. But, really? How can we navigate now? Read on!
21 June 22: These Time Are A Changing
These Times they are a changing…what are they changing? Us — me & you!
We are in a wonderfully amazing, fiercely terrifying, possibility-filled time. Yeah, there are times that I jump past the wonder and amazement through the possibility and right into fierce terror. These times might be chaotic, but do I really need to get caught in the snare of my fear?
Do you really need to get caught in your fear? Read on!
14 June 22: A Wild Ride Into Question
This current ride is wild. Honestly? I am not a roller coaster kind of gal. The dips and turns. Wow! It seems we are living in a time where the good, the bad, and the ugly…all happen simultaneously. There are times when I get so caught up in the melee that I just have to disconnect less I get mired in despair or just overwhelmed by everything.
How did we get to this place? How do we get out? Those questions overwhelm me until I remember that to answer any question, I need to calm and centered into myself. Only when I am calm, can I hear a gentle voice rising from my core. It tells me that I am not asking the right question. “So, what is the right question,” I ask?
7 June 22: Fierce Magic
Each time I walked this week the world became more and more alive. With each turn around the building I saw something new. The world was alive, wild, and free. It woke up something inside of me. The newness called me to move through the uncertainty and enter the fierce beauty of the margins.
Nature reminded me that life is fluid and dynamic. I heard its whisper, “What will you choose?” In that moment on the margins I chose to be fiercely, unapologetically me. That is, I chose to live from my core.
Let’s return to that thickness I felt. It seems that the world is atilt. Can you feel it? What do you do with this feeling? Read on!
31 May 22: You are Not Alone
We have gone through a rough patch. I find myself wondering how I can connect to the peace at my core despite all the uncertainty. Breathing through the chaos isn’t working as well as I like. But, there is solace in recognizing that I am not alone. I talk to people who feel frustrated and others who have just disconnected.
WAIT! This isn’t the end of the story. Those feelings of despair need not swamp us miring us in inaction. This chaos is only an interlude that invites us to discern our next steps. I am here to affirm that you are not alone. We are #inthistogether. Together we will find the way through.
24 May 22: The Anchor & The Antenna
In the stillness of the night. In the quiet of the breeze, dreams slip through the subconscious of our soul making themselves known. In those dreams magic and mystery bubbles.
This isn’t the magic or the mystery of sleight of the hand. That really isn’t magic. This is the magic of manifestation and the mystery of hope. As dreams slip through our consciousness the possibility of realizing our purpose increases.
Okay, I can almost hear you say, is it that easy? No not always. But, you can increase your awareness by anchoring and being an antenna. Read on!
17 May 2022: Possibility and the Simplicity of Me
There is an effervescence in the air. Kaleidoscopic possibility. It surrounds me lifting me into incredible lightness of mystery. I am free, free to live within the mystery of life. I can finally channel the spark in my soul.
Possibility is often seen as an outside opportunity that flows inward. What if we saw possibility as being something that simmers inside of us? Something that slumbers quietly in the shadows of our soul waiting to be nudged into the light of manifestation? Something that is of us that flows through us raising us to our best self?
How do we bring this possibility, be it inside or out, into the light of our being? Read on!
10 May 22: A Gift To Be Given (That Would Be YOU!)
Each of us is endowed with unique gifts. How did we get these gifts? Well, let me tell you a story…
The Creator sat across the table from me before I was born. The Sacred said, “which gifts would you like to carry through this life?” I chose my gifts. The Creator and I agreed upon the accompanying challenges. You cannot have gift without a ribbon of challenge! They go hand-in-hand. In the embracing and sharing of my gifts, I would learn life lessons and share my real. Curious about how this story goes on? Read more…
3 May 2022: An Inside Job
We recognize that ultimately we can only change our self and, in doing so, become a change agent whose actions are transformative. Vanessa F Hurst
Change — one of those quotes I hear way too much is be the change you wish to see in the world by Mahatmas Gandhi. I wonder if there is another quote we can substitute for this one? Okay, I can her the wheels of outrage turning, but, seriously! You got to admit that it is an overused quote.
Now I can hear you say, what quote about change do you like, Van? To which I answer, one that doesn’t have the word change in it. To mollify those who thought I was dissing Gandhi, I’ll even reference another quote of his: my life is my message.
Much like our message, change is an inside job. What does that mean? Read on!
26 April 22: the earth speaks. what do you hear?
the earth speaks the language of mystery
The earth speaks the language of mystery that only the soul can hear. With each breath mystery twines into our body, curving around our heart, lighting shadows. Lifted into the light, infused with courage, we no longer fear what lurks in the shadows. Curious we move into the unknown.
Breathe deeply of its magic. What do you notice? Read on…
19 April 22: Illusion and the Beating Heart
Deep inside my heart beats a tattoo — a reminder to be me.
We live in a world filled with illusion and authentic. Sometimes it’s really hard to tell the difference. In the confusion it is really difficult to live authentically. I think we’ve all been there: any illusion is so good that we get sucked into it.
Then there are the illusions we feel that we have to perpetrate. How many times have you’ve found yourself acting in a particular way because it was expected of you? If you’ve worn the false face of that illusion, you know how exhausting it is.
12 April 2022: Taking Life As It Is…What Does That Even Mean?
When I think about life as it is, I am reminded of a saying that has been attributed to the mystic Julian of Norwich, “All will be well and, in the manner of all things, all will be well.” At times life is messy, chaotic, and filled with what we do not desire. We may attempt to hold tightly to our illusions and create a more palatable, if unrealistic, view of what life, our life, should be. That creation is a fantasy, which supposedly fulfills our desires and wants. Unfortunately it does not, because it is not real.
Chaos is inherent in life as it is. Of course, within chaos lies possibility. In our struggle to live life according to the illusion we hold to, we throw our life and authentic self out of balance. Until we accept life as it is, we lack the springboard on which to launch a life that is all it can be. All will be well when we align our personal experience of reality with life as it is. Only through this alignment will we discover the possibilities that are beautiful, right, and life-giving in our world.
Life is… read on!
5 April 22: Showers & Flowers
April showers bring May flowers. Remember that? Lately, I’ve found that those showers that bring flowers don’t always happening in April. With ongoing climate change, flowers can pop up after showers in just about any month. And those other showers in our lives? Well, they bring flowers anytime, anywhere.
What about those showers and flowers in our life? Do you have showers in your life? I know that I do. They can be an irritating drizzle wearing my attention down or the clap and flash of a thunderstorm. Most are every day showers that wet the ground of my soul.
No matter what, those showers say to me, … (what do they say? Read on!)
29 March 22: Have You Noticed? It’s Alive!
Have you noticed? Everything is coming alive. Even the trees that haven’t leafed out feel more alive. The vibrancy of their bark speaks to me. Yeah, spring has sprung even if winter is still clinging on.
I admit to grumbling when I awoke to 28 degrees. I mean, end of March…brrrrrr much? But, hey! At least it is not the teens that I woke to several weeks ago. Yeah, the world is coming alive, and I can feel it invigorating me.
In early March it seemed that every time I walked outside a murder of crows squawked loudly. Now those big black birds (large crows or ravens, I am not quite sure) are less interested in gaining my attention than in building nets.
What was happening? Read on!
22 March 22: Don’t
Don’t feel resentment. Don’t be angry. Don’t be afraid. Don’t. Don’t. Don’t. Have you ever heard the don’ts? I have. In fact, earlier this week, I had someone tell be don’t be resentful…turn it into gratitude. Yeah, right. Like that has worked when you ignore resentment and instead force yourself to feel grateful?
I am the kind of person who follows the rules. It has taken me decades to give myself permission to follow my heart and not some arbitrary rules. This is why the word “don’t” impacts me so much. When someone who I admire talks about not being resentful, instead to find gratitude, I twine into despair.
What is wrong with me if I cannot make that leap? What’s wrong with you if you cannot make the leap? Probably nothing…read on!
15 March 22: Wanna Have Magic? Mystery?
Wanna be intuitive? Wanna have magic? Mystery? Mystical experience? Enjoy this excerpt from my book: As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive.
Mystical. Magical. Mysterious. Intuition is viewed with a bit of awe and a dash of fear. Does an intuitive have the ability to peer deeply into our soul, uncovering our deepest secrets? Perhaps. Do they have a special connection to the beyond, the other? Yes, but we all have this connection.
What stops us from being intuitive? Our fear prevents us from recognizing our connection to intuition. With this book, I provide resources to strengthen your connection to inner wisdom. By creating a bridge from your logical/analytical being and your creative/intuitive one, you learn to identify, decipher, understand, and respond to your intuition.
8 March 22: Name It. Don’t Blame It.
he world is frenetic, zinging from here to everywhere. So much uncertainty and angst that the empath in me is tugged all over the place. Are you like me? Do you feel like your emotions are paper thin? Do you feel them throbbing deep inside, see the emotions rip the veneer, see the paper become soggy with emotion?
An empath overwhelmed is a person untethered. They sail go down a rabbit hole of emotions until a voice shouts, “Enough! You are getting too twisted. Breathe into the moment. Settle into your being.”
Calmed, it is easier to decide what to do. Recognize that there is always a choice. What is this choice? How do we move into being our best self? Read on…
1 March 2022: Moving From No Need To Yes Please!
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I am overwhelmed by the shoulda-coulda-wouldas. I look at the past, at my perceived non-action. Then, I get stuck in needing to do SOMETHING! I want to change the world for better. Yeah, that is a tall order.
A little voice rises through the chaos of my mind. It twines around my spirit leeching out the chaos until I can hear a whisper — no need. What does that mean? Do I have no need? Do I need to do nothing? What a quagmire!
So, how can we move from no need to yes please? Read on…
22 February 22: sauntering with your body, mind, spirit, & heart
Let’s saunter — a slow meandering from here to wherever the paths calls. Who knows where a saunter might lead? You may be asking, what is a saunter? A saunter for Robert A. Johnson is “to walk on the earth with reverence for its holiness.”
As I read this quote, I smiled. To saunter is to live contemplatively. Being contemplative is living in alignment with the Spirit. Each moment is spent focusing our attention on however and wherever the sacred shines. Let’s see how we saunter through the four aspects of self: body, mind, heart, and spirit.
Learn how you saunter with your body, your mind, your heart, & your spirit. Read on!
15 February 2022: listening in the cold
A cold wind seeps through the cracks of my being. A not so gentle “Wake up!” nudge. Sleepily I open my eyes to a chilly darkness. I feel cheated out of sleep…the day is not yet here! I cannot see the cold that grips me. I can feel its urgency — it won’t let me go back to sleep.
I shudder and shudder and shudder. Do I give into these shudders of fear? Shall I breathe deeply into the chill? Feeling daringly courageous, I choose the latter. I breathe in, welcoming the cold into my core. As it wraps me in its icy embrace, my curiosity rises.
What will it tell me? What does your intuition tell you? Read on!
8 February 22: All You Need Is Love
…a not so trite blog
What is love? Is it really all you need? I answered those questions — or at least asked the questions and discovered a few answers — as I developed my March Bellarmine University class: All You Need Is Love.
Love is…
Instead of love being affection or desire, let’s see love as allowing someone to be themself. Caring for someone unconditionally. Giving them the room, the opportunity to grow into themself. This is a paradigm shift in which love as unconditional takes on a whole new meaning.
Love…read on!
1 February 22: Wanna be a walker between worlds?
The chaos, the uncertainty, of the last couple of years have spilled over into this year. The first month was a wild ride across the margins. It invited me to have one foot in the mundane and another in the extraordinary.
No matter where I found myself, each gallop provided different ways of seeing the world anew. Chaos and uncertainty aren’t necessarily “bad,” but the past month did call for awareness and its outgrowth, flexibility.
If you’re like me, I do not set resolutions. I have aspirations. I listen to my intuition as guide through the uncertainty. Through it, I decipher the messages, reflect upon them, and then respond to the world.
What does any of this have to do with walking between the world? Read on!
25 January 22: Whenever, Wherever, However: Thank You
Gratefulness is seeded in our awareness. Blossoms from intention. Is revealed during reframing. Gratefulness shows up when least expected.
The pure joy of gratitude blossoms without conscious thought or action. Often, I am not sure what seeded this sudden joy-filled thanksgiving. It seems to magically appear…but really it does not. The gratitude blossoming in our interior garden is a result of awareness.
Gratitude is a celebration. During it, I recognize that my life is beyond blessed by people who show up — my son, furry companions, family, friends, colleagues, and the intimate stranger. It is sparked by the beauty of a sunrise or the playful antics of squirrels. When I focus on the beauty of what is right, the world becomes magically extraordinary. Where do you find gratitude? Read on!
18 January 22: What makes all the difference
The world is covered in a dusting of snow. Everything is more beautiful with this thin winter veneer. In the quiet, the world whispers: surrender to what is, acknowledge the fear, kindle the embers of courage, trust in the ability to move through.
That seems like a tall order, doesn’t it? If you attempt to master all the suggestions at once, yes. But, begin with surrender, and moving on to acknowledging, kindling, and trusting become more doable. You know, put one foot in front of another or the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
How do you begin the journey? Read on!
11 January 22: Totally own who you are
Sometimes I return to my Reiki roots and the intentional practice of mindfulness. Those three words that begin each Reiki Principle: just for today bring me into the moment. These just for today words tumble from my intuitive core: just for today totally own who you are, be your own person, shine your light, the world needs you as you are.
Let’s break down this intuitive message. Read on…
4 January 22 Focus on Your. Transform the World!
A message for the New Year: Lots of clearing this year. Don’t hold tight to anything but the truth at your core.
This year is about you letting go of what prevents you from being your true self. This is a year to focus on YOU — not in a selfish, self-centered way that excludes everyone else, but in a way that connects you to your core. This is your year to become strong in who you are; to shine your best self into the world. To clear the way to the truth of your core.
The really cool thing? When you connect to your core, your relationships with others, the sacred, and all of creation become better. They really do. When you show up as your best self, you encourage others to do the same. Win-Win.
How does all of this happen? Read on!
28 December 21: A Tale of Tattered Edges
In the quiet of the moment, in the stillness of the night, I hear the determined uttering of calm in a chaotic me.
Yeah, you heard/read that right — chaotic me. I bet you thought I was going to say chaotic world. I thought about it. Then I realized the chaos of the world wouldn’t impact me so much if I was calm at my core.
How do you quiet the chaos inside? Read on!
21 December 21: The Great Unknown
I woke to the silence of predawn wrapping gently around me. A voice lifted me into wakefulness. “It is time.” In those almost wake moments, I felt something greater than me flare in my core. Surrounded by its dark embrace, I recognized the Great Unknown was not out there; it is within me.”
The Great Unknown…what is this? Read on to learn more
14 December 21 Have You Noticed What Goes Bump In The Night?
Have you noticed? The days are getting darker — there just aren’t enough hours of light at least for me. It is just sooooooo dark! Sometimes I find myself wondering at what goes bump in these dark nights. At other times I feel the velvety caress of the dark night comfort.
But, most of all, I’ve learned to breathe into these dark moments . In fact, I call these moments between times. Moments that provide opportunity to just be. To adjust to the time of dark. To listen to what is being uttered within the darkness. To find sparks of light within the dark. To grow into my truth.
How do we do this? Read on!
7 December 21: Courage & Compost Tea
It’s raining sheets of renewal washing away the person that I thought I was — the me that labors under the grime of illusion heaped upon me — by others and myself.
This isn’t gully washer rain. There is no flash flood warning in my soul. No, the rain is steady, cleansing. My soul takes a deep breath; the ground of my being inhales in the murky compost tea. Because, really, how can I grow into me without this rich brown compost tea created by misstep and learning?
30 November 21: Who? A Birther of Miracles? Yes, You!
Within each of us is a miracle waiting to be birthed. That sounds really cool, doesn’t it? I can hear those creaky gears turning in your head, “Me? A miracle. I. Don’t. Think. So.” I believe in you, in your ability to birth a miracle, even when you can’t believe in yourself.
What is a miracle? Let’s start with the basics — the definition. According to Merriam-Webster a miracle is something extraordinary. It is an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment. For me, this definition changes everything. It brings my sphere of possibility closer to miracle realm.
23 November 21: Life Is What It Is. Or, Is It?
It is what it is. Now that is a phrase that means different things to different people. Some believe that it is a statement of defeat. Others believe it is an objective statement of life that hold the possibility of growth.
Where is the truth? It is one or the other? Is it both? It might be one or the other. It could be both. It depends upon how you see life. Is life dynamic and ever-changing or is it static? Can you live into your best self or must you live within the narrow straits you find yourself in?
16 November 21: Of Dust Bunnies & What Ifs
The winds are blowing through cracks in my soul. I can feel the chill of uncertainty seeping into the dark corners of my being. Long-hidden dust bunnies of fear twirl lazily on a cold gust. I shiver in the wafting fear as the dreaded questions of “what if” and “is this all there is?” rise into my consciousness.
In that paralyzing instance of fear, I rest in the space between heartbeats. In this place of nothingness, the silence calms me pulling me deeper into myself.
What do I find? Read on!
9 November 21: Step into the Wild. I Dare You!
Step into the wild. A place of fierce beauty, whispering mystery, sparking magic. A place to listen and respond to the strange tattoo sounding from your core. Step into the wild and be forever changed…for the better.
The wild is not a physical place although you can certainly discover yourself in untamed spaces. The wild is a state of being in which grace flows through you.
How can you live the opportunities in the wild? Read on!
2 November 21: You Are
Have you ever reflected upon the question, “Who Am I?” I mean, really sat with the question? Dug deep — past your roles, past the illusions you cast, past the illusions others cast upon you? If so, what did you discover at the core?
I have taken a deep dive into this question. More than once. I am sure that I will do it again and again and again. The questioning is part of a lifelong journey of self-discovery. What have I discovered? I am dynamic and evolving — as more of who I am is revealed, I know that there is more to uncover.
How do you uncover over and over again who you are? Read on!
26 October 2021: Of Rain and Veils
It’s raining big fat splats waking me from my slumber. Even Einstein, who never ventures into my darkened room, stalks in. He loudly purrs before laying with me quietly for less than a minute. Then with a loud squawk-bark he jumps off my bed. Perhaps those moments with me provides reassurance that the storm is happening out there and that he is not alone.
It’s raining. In those predawn moments I listen to the splattering, hear the rumble of thunder edging ever closer, wait for the lightning that never comes. I am soothed not into a slumber but into the day.
What is the rain, the thunder, the non-lightning saying to me? Read on!
19 October 2021: Missteps Are Risk Steps
So, I did a thing. Invited the wisdom of others into my life. A big, humbling wow to those people who shared! Throughout this year, I will share the wisdom gifted to me. So far, within the wisdom I have discovered a powerful reframe — all my missteps are risks that drew me closer to who I am.
The questions that I ask myself…and invite you to answer:
Who am I? What parts of me make me uncomfortable? How have I made peace with the edgier parts of me?
12 October 21: It’s Your Turn — Choose
We are in the midst of the most beautiful time of the year — autumn. Okay, I might be biased. This has always been my favorite season. Maybe it’s because I am filled with relief after the heat of summer. Maybe it’s the brilliant splashes of earth tone colors. Maybe it’s the fact that my birthday happens just days after the autumnal equinox. Maybe I love the season for reasons I am not even conscious of.
I do not know the reason, but autumn has always pulled me back into the moment. As the leaves turn colors, crinkle up, and drop from the trees, I catch glimpses of tree skeletons. In those bare-boned trees, I recognize that although change is inevitable, I do have a choice. I can be stuck in the moment or realize that the letting go is happening with or without me.
5 October 21: To travel you must yield
The phrase, to travel, you must yield, jumped out at me as I read a recent Charter for Compassion email. It spoke of the way one must travel a one lane road that was open to two-way traffic. I was intrigued by this saying. Of course, a few days later, I put it into practice as I walked the labyrinth.
Five of us walked a labyrinth on Sunday morning. The labyrinth was a bit smaller than I was expecting. The path was narrow. The border between lanes was ever narrower. As I walked, I understood that saying: to travel you must yield.
What does it mean to yield? Read on!
28 September 21: Be a Troublemaker
e a troublemaker, a risk taker, a game changer. Be courageous. Identify unevenness. Go against the flow. Transform yourself, and, in doing so, change the world.
Being a troublemaker is not for the faint of heart. Not for sleep walkers. It requires that we are awake to the moment. That we live with eyes wide open. That we willingly navigate the fog that obscures living from our core. That we courageously name the fear of what lurks in the shadows of souls — ours, others, and the collective.
How can you practice necessary trouble? Read on!
21 September 21: Wise One
So, it is here! I am less than a week away from my croning — the BIG 6-0. I am intentionally entering my wisdom years. Because, well, croning is all about wisdom — seeking, keeping, and sharing.
While crones are traditionally older women, accepting your inner crone or being wise transcends gender and age. It doesn’t matter if you are male, female, nonbinary; young in age, elderly, or somewhere in between, the crone speaks to us whenever, however, wherever she wants. We have only to be open to the ways wisdom presents itself to us.
How do we engage our wise one? Read on!
14 September 21: The Bright Light that You Are
May you light shine…may your spirit soar…may you breathe in magic…may you ignite wonder…may you know the beauty of your soul
Life is easy until it is not. Those moments of dis-ease create an illusory dimming of our life. But, do we really dim? Of course not. I hope that you, that me, that we, can find a way past the illusion into the light.
7 September 21: Go Out On A Limb
That’s a tall order — taking a risk, going out on a limb — heck sometimes waking up is hard enough on any give day. But, what happens when we REALLY wake up? When we pay attention to the world around us? That comes with a big risk. Awake, we cannot ignore what is happening in the world. It is in the waking up to risk taking that we change the world by changing our self.
Risk — are you ready to take a journey into the unknown? Read on!
Watch this week’s vlog!
31 August: Walking the Middle Way
Do you ever reflect upon the past? Try to make sense of it? Or, maybe connect what happened then to what is happening in the present moment? I know that I do.
Last week I read through some blog posts from over a decade ago. In retrospect, 2010 was a chaotic year — both personally and weather-wise. I accepted a new position, my mother died, a series of extreme weather events happened, wildfires ravaged the US west…and there was more. It was a chaotic year.
Fast forward to 2021. There’s a lot of uncertainty this year. A lot of calamity happening — how do we navigate the chaos and maintain inner calm? Read on
24 August 21: Friction Burns On Your Soul
The more you hold on to what was, the slippery it becomes. In a surprising moment it will slide free of your clinging grasp. Detached, you plunge into change.
How many times have you held on to something long past the time it brought you peace and balance? This could be a job that no longer suited, a relationship grinding to a slow halt, or a situation that just doesn’t fit anymore. Instead of letting whatever go, you gripped more and more tightly.
How can you avoid those friction burns on your soul? Read on!
17 August 21: Simply Beautiful, Fiercely Wild
Life is experienced in the moment. It is a journey not spent scurrying from here to there but taken relishing each step along the way. To live simply, beautifully, fiercely, and wild is an experience of taking time, of noticing, of be-ing.
When we are truly present, we notice what is causing imbalance in our life. We name what pulls us from the here and now. In those moments, the worry, the frustration, the fear leach from our being.
How do we stop the pull from the moment? Read on!
10 August 21: Mending a Resilient Heart
Resilience. How flexible and open to change are you? As I slip from one year into the next, I am increasingly more aware of, well, how stuck in my ways I can be — how resistive I am to change because change is HARD.
Maybe I am not as resilient as I would like to be, but I am now able to use my wisdom to choose which change I will integrate in my life . What is the power of your resilient heart? Read on!
3 August 21: You. Are. Loved.
I. Am. Loved. Say those words. Let them flow over your being. Feel them sink into your soul. Allow them to resonate in your body.
I. Am. Loved. Let the sweet nectar of those words flavor burst inside of your. Breathe in the wonder, the joy, the grace of those words. Awaken to the beauty at your core.
I. Am. Loved. Believe it. Be it. Know it without a doubt.
What happens when you believe in your love-ability? Read on!
27 July 21: I am my dream — that is all the hope I need
As I edge closer to a milestone birthday, I find myself returning to the dreams of my younger self. Wondering why they didn’t quite manifest. How I went in a totally different direction of where I thought I’d be. Sometimes comparing where you are now with those dreams from time past can be difficult if not downright depressing. If I am not careful, I can get stuck in the if-only doldrums.
Then I remind myself that there are no guarantees, and life is not a static line from here to there. How do you move through the curlicues of life? Read on!
20 July 21: Through the Veil: Into Your Truth
Slip into the veil. The between place where the magic of transformation occurs. Slip into the veil where dreams are made real. Slip into the veil where you find your truth.
How do you do this?
Why is it sooooooo important?
13 July 21: dancing from my soul
Quiet expectation. That is how I describe that feeling. My life is opening. I can feel the rhythm of my soul feet moving. Have you ever felt that? Or, maybe you yearn for a melody to pick you up and twirl you around. Perhaps you sense that something is just beyond the horizon. It’s coming. Or maybe you are heading toward it. No matter the movement, this change is coming nearer and nearer. You just cannot gain clarity about it!
Something is opening…dancing from my soul. Can you feel it, too? Read on…
5 July 2021: Free to Be Me…& You
Freedom: the ability to choose how you live. Let’s go deeper. Being free reminds me of the Buddhist vow to take life as it is. What does that mean?
Let’s begin with the first two vows that it grows out of. The first is to cause no harm and the second is to alleviate suffering. I am paraphrasing these vows and have modified them a bit to fit into my experience. This modification is part of my expression of freedom!
How are you free? Read on!
29 June 2021: Just Around the Corner
How have you been reintegrating? That feeling of too much is slowly dissipating for me. Maybe I am adjusting to the brightness in the world, the poignant smells, the breeze on my naked face — hurrah! No mask! This weekend instead of ordering a carry out meal, I had an early sit down lunch in a restaurant. Yeah, my world is slowly getting back to normal.
But what is this normal that waits just around the corner? Read on!
22 June 21: Let’s Get Real
t’s time to get real. To look beyond who others think you are — who you think you are — to be that person who is patiently, and not so patiently, waiting in the shadows of your soul. You know that person. In fact, I am betting that you get a glimpse of them every once and in awhile. And, that glimpse give you the energy to sustain yourself through the hard times.
This part of you empowers. How can we harness that power? Read on!
15 June 2021: An Emotion is Just an Emotion
There is a brightness in the world, a turning of perception. Can you feel it? I can. I am not sure what it means, but the world appears different — it pulses with opportunity. I feel change within each breath.
But, change is a tricky thing. Just when you are certain that every thing has slipped into place, you discover another piece of the change. As change realigns, the whole image of what you believe is happening shifts. Sometimes that realignment is really tough to move through.
What do you do in that moment? How do you navigate the emotion? Read on!
How do you identify NOT identify with an emotion? Watch on!
8 June 2021: Finding The Pink New Shiny Me …How ‘Bout You?
Have you ever been through a particularly rough patch in your life? I am guessing that we have all been there at one time or another. And, some of us have had longer rough patches than others. The last 8.5 years have been tough. It felt like I had a lot of false starts only to be pulled back into yet another challenge.
I got to tell you, there have been some pretty discouraging moments. But, as a master reframer, I have usually been able to find the challenge, hear the message, and take the next step on my wild, uncertain path. How do you find the pink, new shiny you? Read on!
Let’s uncover more of that shiny new you! Watch the vlog!
1 June 2021: Growing Anticipation
We are in that time of year when everything seems to be bursting forth. The growing season is here. Those cherry tomato plants I bought on Mother’s Day have quadrupled in size. The wooded area behind my house has greened up. The sun creates dappled patterns as it slips through the leaves of the trees. It is a time of growing anticipation.
With anticipation comes joy. In this joyous time, it seems that life cannot be contained. And, from this growth hope spills into my life. How can I not be hopeful when everything is so full of life? For me, the key is in balancing the hope with the distress that I see in the world.
How do we hold on to joy? Read on!
Watch this week’s vlog!
25 May 2021: 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.
What does this navigation look like? Read on!
18 May 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. What is key to accessing your intuition? Read on!
Watch this week’s vlog!
May 11, 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. Read on!
Check out this week’s vlog!
May 4, 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.
We navigate this world one imperfection at a time. Name it. Reframe it. Read the blog to learn more!
April 27, 2021: Fear Shows Us Where Hope Lives
The world is shifting, morphing into something new. I do not believe we will return to what was. I see this time as an evolution into what will be. This is a bold time of uncertainty. And, there are time I am afraid. Maybe you are, too.
One of the things that I’ve realized is that Pema Chödrön had it right — we live in places that scare us. Well, maybe you don’t, but I will own being scared by the unfolding uncertainty in this time. Does it stop me from living in this new world? Of course not.
How can we navigate the scary moment with hope? Read on…
April 20, 2021
I don’t know about you, but these past months have given me ample opportunity to practice being the moment, to rest in the silence, to spend a lot of time with myself. (If it weren’t for my part time job, I’d say I would have been in alone time overload.)
A friend described this time we are in as being on the cusp. We both wondered, “The cusp of what?” If a cusp is a transition point, what are we transitioning to? That is the question. Maybe knowing the question allows us to consciously live into the answer. What happened in the silence? What was discovered? Read on!
April 13, 2021
Gandhi had it right: be the change you wish to see in the world. But, how do I/you do that? Another Gandhi quote sums up the path of transformation nicely: “my life is my message.” When each of us truly shares our message, lives with soul purpose, then we are the catalyst for powerful change.
Sometimes I want this change to happen overnight. Maybe you are just as impatient as me. Although radical, quick change is possible, that seldom happens. Change begins with a seed of awareness that is nurtured with each resolute drop of determination. Transformation is built upon the little things — the seeds of hope and acts of determination. What else is needed? Read on…
April 6, 2021
There Is Just Try (Sorry, Yoda)
Lyrics have been written. Songs have been sung. Quotes have been made for this tiny, one syllable, three-letter word. Does the word try get a bad rap? I think it does. Remember the Yoda quote? “Do or do not. There is no try.” Was it a little shortsighted? I think so.
So before you read any farther, I have a confession to make. I am an unapologetic Try-er, a risk taker who has gone out on a limb or two that have cracked. But, I have also leap from limbs into the great unknown and discovered myself on the thermals. How can you be a Try-er? Read on…
March 30, 2021
Reframing you life as chaos to Celtic knot opens you to opportunity. And, those opportunities lead you to transformation.
Do you ever feel the chaos in your world closing in on you? Maybe you feel a great big knot getting tighter and tighter. Your mind jumbles. You just can’t focus. Does this sound familiar? It does to me.
Lately I have been thinking that maybe it isn’t chaos I am feeling. What if my reaction to a particularly difficult leg of my journey manifests as jumble? What if I just breathed through the feelings? What would I discover? Read on…
March 23, 2021
Why run when you can walk? Yeah, you read that right. Sometimes we are in such a hurry to get where we are going, that we miss the treasures within each moment. So, why run when you can walk?
Hurry. Hurry. Hurry. Rush. Rush. Rush. Inevitably we miss. miss. miss. Sometimes I get in such a big hurry to get there, that I miss what is happening in the moment. And, maybe you do, too.
How is walking instrumental to slowing down, being in the moment? Read on!
March 16, 2021
A friend asked me how I do-what-I-do meaning how do I get my intuitive hits. Now, that was a question!
I never really thought about the how of intuition until I wrote the book: As Natural As Breathing: Being Intuitive. What I realized upon reflection was that intuition just bubbles up inside of me. In order to write the book, I needed to understand the how of this bubbling so that I could explain it to others.
March 8, 2021
Within me is what I need to grow and thrive. Somedays I don’t feel that way. Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone outside of me hoe the garden? Pull the weeds? Even choose which seeds to plant and which to let go for another day? But, I am the seed, the rain, the soil — even the compost of my garden. And, you are yours.
Now, I am not saying that there are no outside influence. We are people, not terrariums! Although we can make choices, there are a lot of outside influences that pull at us in many directions. We need to be open to what is happening and be willing to grow within our circumstances. So, what do we do? Read on!
March 1, 2021
Water. We just had a deluge of rain (3.5 inches) this weekend. As I navigated rain filled roads in the predawn hours, al I could think was thanks be that it was raining and not snowing. Later that day, I got an email about being like water…so here’s to being the flow.
Water flows at a drip-drip trickle, a raging crashing. But, mostly water flows somewhere in-between. Water goes wherever, whenever, however it wants. It wears down barriers, slips through cracks, changes the landscape.
Do you wanna be like water? Read on!
February 23, 2021
Misty color water memories of the way things were. Memories. We all have them. Sometimes we remember the joy-filled, the celebrations of our life. Other times we remember the hitches, the sorrow and grief.
I’ve always loved the line from the Barbra Streisand song, “misty water color memories of the way we were.” Of course, when I sing that line, I change the “we” to “things.” Sometimes, more often than we like to admit, our memories are misty water color — they represent how we see what happened and not always what is real. Our socially constructed reality blurs the real.
Is There a Message in a Memory? Read on!
February 16, 2021
So, this past summer I did a thing. I cut my hair really short. Well, really short for me. I have been enjoying wearing hats because short hair doesn’t stick out in unsightly tuffs!
Searching for the perfect hat, I came up disappointed. A friend posted pictures of her works of crochet art. I remembered the afghans I crocheted decades ago. I am sure you can see where this is headed. So, I did another thing — researched crochet patterns, asked for advice from my crochet artist fried, and bought yarn and hooks. So, that might actually be three things.
What does this have to do with the unexpected? Read on!
Watch this week’s vlog here.
February 9, 2021
Change isn’t coming. Change is here. A subtle shift in the wind. A lightness of being. A shiver down the spine. How will do you respond to its invitation? If you are afraid, that is totally okay. Because anytime there is change, there is fear. Maybe it is not change that we fear; it may be the fear of responding the right way.
Sometimes we focus so much on what might happen that we make change harder than what it is. We can make it simpler. When we center, connect to our core, and listen to the voice within, change is not so daunting. What is this inner voice that guides us through the morass of change? Read on…
February 2, 2021
Hush. Listen. The world is coming alive. So are you. The Goddess Brigid. Imbolc. Candlemas. St. Blaise. February begins with a bright flash of light drawing our attention, guiding us home to our self.
The brilliance of illumination lights your world. Like a flash of lightning across the terrain you can see the path clearly — the way and the obstacles. So, what do you do? Do you burrow into yourself throwing the cover over your head or do you take those tentative first steps into the light of who you are?
January 26, 2021
It’s raining those chilly drops that don’t quite seem to clean the grime of the world. Instead, the rain puddles and laughs as the cold wet seeps through my shoes. It’s raining, and I can’t help to wonder why the rain cannot be the fluff of snow dancing from the sky and painting the landscape in flurry white.
But, then, the realistic optimist inside of me says that this rain could be sleet, and I could find myself pinwheeling never quite gaining my balance. At least this rain creates reflection puddles! What would I find if I peered deeply into the pitter pattering rain? What do we find? Read more!
This week’s companion vlog is available. Watch it here.
January 19, 2021
Once upon a time the world tilted. It took a slide and was never the same again. If you are like me, the world has never seemed so uncertain. Do you find yourself grappling for balance? Looking for solid ground? Or, maybe you just shake your head and say, “What the heck do I do now?”
Maybe this world and finding our places in it is less about having definitives or living in certainty and more about living into the moment.
How do we do “live into the moment” and what does it even mean? Read more…
This week’s companion blog is available! Watch it here.
January 12, 2021
It has been a tough week to be an American. I have spent the last six days reflecting upon national events and then running from what I found only to return again to reflecting.
This has been tough time for one me. I generally have an optimistic view — I can usually reframe most any situation.
I am having difficulty understanding how some people go to outrageous limits to incite anger in others. Then, some people go to even more outrageous limits to express that anger. We cannot run, we cannot hide from what is happening.
What can we do? How can we make a difference? Read more…
January 5, 2021
It seems that the uncertainty of 2020 has leached into 2021. Maybe you’re thinking, “If I can just get through these next weeks, life will even out.”
But, what if you do not find balance? What if these twists and turns are the only certainty that we find in 2021?
Take a breath. It will be okay. This isn’t a doomsday scenario — this isn’t an all out despair message. No, this is about taking a long, loving look at your real. This is the time to acknowledge where you are. It is time to survey the lay of your land and decide where to go from here.
December 29, 2021
Being the Gift of Small Things, Blessings, and Beauty
Have you ever wondered about the secret to happiness? What is the key to feeling that deep contentment that seeps into your bones and flows into the world when you are happy? Once that happiness is cultivated, it becomes a gift you give to yourself and share with others over and over again. But, how do we cultivate this gift within our self?
Let’s begin with what happiness is…and is not. Let’s deep dive!
December 22, 2020
Darkness drapes me in her fragrant embrace. My heart beats wildly. What lurks in the dark? And, is something slithering across me or is it the breeze blowing through the cracks in my soul? I do not know.
The tempo of my heart increases. Instead of being carried into the place of fear, I remind myself to breathe: Inhale. Listen. Exhale. Let go. Reminding myself that I am safe, I inhale and exhale over and over again until I connect to the courage sparking from my soul.
What will the next year hold? I do not know.
Will we make a series of unattainable resolutions or live from our core? Read on, friend!
December 15, 2020
A magical mindfulness formula for difficult conversations. Did you read that blog? Better yet, did you practice the formula? (If you missed the blog, it is available here.)
Are you ready to take the next magical mindful step? Let’s dive deeper into mindfulness for recouping after a difficult conversation.
As soon as I can after a difficult conversation, I spend some time debriefing and defusing. By debriefing I mean that I get dig into how I reacted during the conversation. By defusing, I mean that I allow all the residual gunk — thoughts, emotions, physical sensations — to leach from my system.
How do I debrief and defuse? Read on…
December 8, 2020
Communication + the Holidays. Right about now you may be wishing that you had brushed up on your communication skills. Picture this: you are at a holiday gathering and get into a conversation with someone doesn’t have the same beliefs that you do. How do you respond to one more alternative fact?
Magic is changing the art of consciousness or so says Dion Fortune.
Is there a magical mindfulness formula for communication? Yes! The secret is in focusing on yourself instead of the reactionary comments of another.
Let’s have a little magical conversation this holiday season! Read on…
December 1, 2020
The sun rises. The sun sets. Then sun rises again. In the between we live moment by moment. But, how aware are we of these moments? If you are like me, instead of relishing some of those moments, you skip ahead yearning to be anything but in those moments.
Each moment is as important as the next. Life is to be lived within each moment — within the mundane. Within those small seemingly inconsequential moments, we find meaning. Sometimes we do not recognize their importance until we are well down into the path into another moment.
How do we stop jumping ahead? How do we stay focused on the here and now? Read on to discover the key…
November 24, 2020
It’s raining. I can hear the splattering — not a rumbling that brings me into alert awareness but a gentle nudge urging me to pay attention. Of course, this rain is not hard enough to wash away the grunge of the past days. It is a pattering that dampens the landscape.
Peering into the dark, I look at the rain drenched wonder with new eyes. I imagine the lumpy, wet pile of leaves transformed into a glittering wetness of many colors that fill my nose with the earthy smell of change.
For now, that pile of leaves is shrouded in shadows for the moon is hidden by heavy clouds. But, the night will not last forever. The world, and I will see the light again. Read on…
November 17, 2020
Have you ever taken a longish journey with a child? Before setting out, you put stuff every distraction imaginable into the backseat with them. Then, you cruise along dreading the inevitable. Waiting to hear those four words: “Are we there yet?”
If you are like me at this point in 2020, you feel like that small child wondering if we will every put this year behind us and get to the destination — 2021. You may even be hopeful and excited about what the new year will bring. I know that I am.
But, there have been silver linings in 2020 — lots of intuitive messages and plenty of distractions.
I still cannot wait to stretch my legs into the hope that 2021 brings. How about you? Read on…
November 10, 2020
As I look outside, I realize that soon all the leaves will have transitioned to a carpet of detritus crackling as the squirrels dance through it. But, that is soon — not today.
Today is a day unlike any other. It has never been before and shall never be repeated. In this knowing is a letting go. Today is a letting go that lays bare what was and invites us into deep contemplation of what truly is.
Sometimes we spend so much time chasing the illusive that we lose sight of who we are in the moment on this unfolding journey. As a friend told me — we’ve got to stop chasing the next shiny thing and be who we are.
What is true for you? Let’s dig deeper. Read on…
November 3, 2020
Beliefs are curious things. They speak to us from the depths of our being. Each whispering is a reflection of who we are. They provide limitless opportunities to share the truth within. Each is an echo of how we interact in this wild, uncertain world. Each belief is a stone in the foundation of how we engage others.
I don’t know about you, but these past several years have given me ample opportunities to survey my foundation. To name what I believe — to rejoice in what is truly me and confront those shadows that tangle deep inside me. I recognize that these tangles are not who I am.
Have you recognized your tangles? If not, how do you recognize the shadows and untangle them? Read more…
October 27, 2020
I admit that the word enemy makes me really nervous. Sure I have people in my life that I have perceived to be antagonistic and seeking to cause me harm (the definition of an enemy). But, can we really know the motives of another? I wonder if those people were truly an enemy or if there was something deeper, something more insidious festering within them that caused their reactions. It was probably the latter.
A comment said to me this morning triggered a re-awakening in me. I was reminded that our actions are based upon our beliefs, assumptions, and judgments. Unaware, we get tangled in them. We react. Then someone we have labeled as an enemy reacts to our reaction. Or vice versa. The tangle gets tighter, more knotted. We are no longer seeing the other person as a person. Instead we other them. How do we get past othering to the real enemy? Read on…
October 20, 2020
What if I told you that all your answers are within you? What if you had the power to access those answers and harness their power to create a wave of transformation?
What would you do? Would you rise to the challenge of self discovery or say tomorrow is soon enough knowing that tomorrow may never come?
Well you do have the answers inside of you but there is one big catch. You have to become the key that unlocks those answers. Seldom does the key we become unlock every door without a bit a jiggling! And, sometimes those doors don’t stay open.
But, how do we become the key? Read more…
October 13, 2020
There is a magic, a mystery of the world that is revealed by opening the door of the unknown. Entering this unknown is not a fear-filled adventure undertaken in the stealth of night but a courageous stepping forth with eyes wide open to intuition.
We are intuitive. This much is true. However our intuition comes to us, it beckons us into relationship with the unknown. In this relationship, our steps are taken with curiosity — don’t you want to know what waits just beyond reach? Aren’t you eager to take that next intuitive step?
These steps are taken with daring and trust as we have the courage to seek answers to questions we fear to utter. Let’s take those steps with intuition. Read on!
October 6, 2020: Compassionate Honesty
The responses to Donald Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis were fast and furious. Some were supportive while others were not. Yet another group of people took the road of neutrality. Needless to say, this was a hot topic.
As I reflected upon my first reaction to his illness, I asked myself how compassion would call us to respond? A little voice whispered, “With the compassion of enough+.”
I am the kind of person who reframes every challenge into a life lesson. For me, a challenge is a situation or occurrence that calls me to use my skills and talents to live from my best self to overcome obstacles. A challenge is a paving stone on the road of soul purpose.
How can we meeting a challenge reflect our best, truest self? Read more…
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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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