A Guiding Hand episode. The author reflects on a photograph of the Northern Lights that appears to take the shape of a jigsaw piece and contemplates how life is like a jigsaw puzzle. They ask readers to consider what their vital pieces are and how they fit together. The author then explores the concept of vulnerability, explaining how rejecting and judging our vulnerabilities can negatively impact our lives. Instead, they advocate for embracing vulnerability as an essential part of our wholeness and for facing our fears rather than automatically judging them. The author encourages readers to foster wholeness and inner peace, accepting and relating to others without dividing or seeing conflict.

“A Guiding Hand” is a set of cards and a book inspired by the author’s 10-year pilgrimage to the Arctic Circle where they observed and photographed the Northern Lights. The cards feature words and phrases that came to the author during moments of deep contemplation while observing the Lights. The author drew a card each week and wrote a blog based on the words and phrases, hoping to offer practical guidance to readers facing personal and professional challenges. The author’s intention is to provide readers with a guiding hand through these weekly conversations.

A guiding Hand episode. The text explores the tendency for people to revert to perfectionism and a partial version of themselves when under pressure, due to a belief that they are ‘not good enough’. The author encourages reflection and introspection, asking questions about the consequences of perfectionism and the needs of the imperfect parts of ourselves. The text emphasizes the importance of turning our attention inward to attend to those aspects of ourselves that need care and attention, rather than striving for an impossible goal. The author suggests that embracing our imperfections can lead to a sense of wholeness and fulfillment.

A Guiding Hand episode. The pressures of life can make us feel anxious and frustrated, causing us to live superficially and present only a fraction of ourselves to the world. However, if we align with our longing, we can remember an innate source of power that inspires our growth towards wholeness and fulfillment. By reflecting on what we long for and feel called to, we can recognize our inner compass and be continually reminded of our depth and aspirations toward wholeness. We must take time to stop and reflect and remember that there is guidance within to which we can continually re-orientate.

A Guiding Hand episode. The author reflects on the true nature of power while admiring the Northern Lights’ strength and power. They observe that while control over things and situations may provide a sense of certainty, it does not necessarily lead to empowerment or engagement. Instead, empowering others requires a creative “not knowing” space where people can discover their own answers and engage wholeheartedly in the task at hand. The author invites readers to consider how to empower others and foster engagement and growth in daily life and work.

A Guiding Hand episode. The text discusses how our constant need to problem-solve and judge creates anxiety and tension in our lives, and how we should resist the temptation to judge and instead look for peace and appreciation in life. The author suggests that we may spend our lives searching for answers, but the answer we seek is found only when we learn to end our need to search further. The text uses an image of a boat finding sanctuary to illustrate the importance of resting and resisting the temptation to constantly seek.

A Guiding Hand episode. The article explores the concept of wisdom and how it comes from an appreciation and understanding of the whole, rather than individualistic thinking that separates us from others. By suspending our compulsion to judge and embracing both sides of an argument, we can open our minds to receive wisdom. The author invites readers to reflect on a recent situation where they judged someone and imagine what they could have learned if they had listened without judgment. The article encourages readers to resist the temptation to judge and open their minds to receive wisdom.

A Guiding Hand episode. The article discusses the importance of rest and reflection in daily working lives. The author encourages readers to create sanctuary spaces at home and take time to restore themselves. Incessant busyness can lead to a lack of pace and space for reflection, which can result in a lack of choice and opportunity to select what is most important. The article invites readers to slow down, reflect, and choose in line with their values. By doing so, they can bring vitality back to their existence and enable others to be clear of their chosen goals. Ultimately, the article encourages readers to practice slowing down before quickening and to gift the importance of having choice to others.

A Guiding Hand episode. The article discusses how humans can learn from nature and experience their own “seasons of self,” similar to the changing seasons of nature. The author encourages readers to take time to rest and restore during the winter seasons of their lives, and to recognize the value of hibernation and self-care. By remembering that winter is but spring in waiting, readers can reflect on what brings them joy and vitality, and remember the essential energy that will move them forward. The article encourages readers to find their own inner compass and be guided by their own originality, with the help of wise others who can create the space and opportunity for them to remember and align their inner compass.

‘A Guiding Hand’ episode. The article discusses the importance of silence in recalling our true selves and discovering our fullness beyond distractions. It encourages readers to take time to remember who they naturally are and what they most enjoy, and to gift themselves the opportunity to enter into silence. By doing so, they can inspire others to come to know themselves more fully through reflection. Andrew invites readers to imagine carrying a place of silence within themselves and giving their attention to those who are commonly overlooked. Ultimately, the article encourages readers to be restored and refreshed by silence and to offer this gift to others without distinction.