It had been another deeply fulfilling, yet very tiring day. I was homeschooling my two children full-time back then - all in French. What a precious and joyful time that was for our family! I was also working with clients part-time on Saturdays, doing counseling, health coaching and giving various health and wellness talks. It was the Fall of 2015 and I was putting my sweet little boy to bed. The evenings were a time for rest and relaxation, and I was looking forward to doing nothing.
Suddenly, a thought zapped down into my awareness like a bolt of lightning. It was totally unexpected. The thought had an immediate effect on my body - which was instantly energized to the max. Somehow, I could not doubt or question this information that spontaneously downloaded into my brain at that moment. I just felt extremely motivated and inspired to get to work... pronto, despite my deeply fulfilling, yet very tiring day!
It wasn't the first time I experienced these sudden flashes of non-negotiable inspiration. I knew that I could trust that feeling, that rush of "yes, this feels so right, show me what to do next!" During my singing and songwriting years, this happened frequently. The feeling would come, then I would open my heart and let it guide me into birthing a song that seemed to want to be born at that time. So what exactly was the thought that struck me, back in 2015?
It was something like this, although it was not experienced verbally: "You are ready to write Conscious Kids, a mindfulness program for children. Start now. There will be 26 lessons. Follow the guidance." I know it sounds a little nuts, but I did it anyway. It took a while, but I wrote all 26 lessons. Every time I was writing a mindfulness story, I could tune in to the way I was feeling to assess if I was following the inspiration / guidance or not. If it felt easy and light, I knew I was open enough to receive the information that wanted to flow in. I had never written anything like this Program before. It was truly an amazing and humbling process.
So much has happened since 2015! The guidance has never left me. I am so grateful for that, because it has brought so many miraculous gifts into my life. I know what it feels like to try to push and make things happen, as opposed to just allowing things to unfold organically. These two ways of acting in the world feel very different. The ego loves to push and its motivation is generally fear, greed or power. The heart acts out of love, out of inspiration and sincerity. It's easy to know when we're following our heart because whatever we're doing has an energy that feels joyful, peaceful, loving and gentle. Anything we do that is inspired by the heart has greater power. Others will feel it, as it has a higher vibration than any ego-driven initiative.
The spiritual heart guided me to make the Conscious Kids Program available online, then it encouraged me to teach it to kids and their families in person, here in Edmonton. I had to work through a lot of personal fears and anxieties in order to do this, but I'm so glad I did. I am now teaching exactly what I needed to learn and practice the most. The heart certainly knows what it's doing! Back in 2015, I never would have imagined that in a few years I'd be training Instructors to teach the Conscious Kids curriculum, or that I'd be running a Mindfulness & Emotional literacy class for adults, but here I am, in complete AWE and gratitude.
Trust the guidance of your heart. It truly knows best what will bring you lasting peace and joy. Follow your feelings of inspiration, creativity and lovingness.
Kind regards,
Lise Villeneuve
www.lisevilleneuve.com
