We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Hope Hughes a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hope, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
We all experience defining moments in our lives. Mine happened in 2018 as I was nearing the end of my chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer. It was a pivotal time in my life. The realization of a potentially life threatening illness has a way of paring down society’s extraneous expectations and forcing us to narrow in on what’s truly important.
I knew I wanted to do more than sell real estate all my life. Although I was quite passionate about it throughout my career, it was beginning to lose its shine so to speak. And with my daughters grown up and out of the house I had time to pursue other interests.
I happened across an opportunity, and I had no idea how much it would change my life. At the time I didn’t consider it a grand career move, just something I could possibly do on the side. I registered for and attended a training for holistic coaching.
The seven days of intense hands-on training, connection and sharing seeped into my very being and answered the call I had been putting out all my life. It just fit and answered so many questions about why I had always felt like I wasn’t doing what I was supposed to be doing. It gave a voice to everything I had studied and been interested in all of my life. And it opened the door for me to explore the intuitive gifts I didn’t yet know I possessed.
I went on to complete my training and practicum hours to receive my coaching certificate but that was just the beginning. Since then I began to open up and embrace my intuition. When you begin to follow your heart and get into flow, the universe arranges everything in perfect order. One after another things begin to simply show up for me. And the more I stepped away from logic and expectations and into my “knowing”, the more I was led down a path of self discovery.
I began to sense the energy of everything around me from land, plants and rocks to homes, people and things. It was surprising at first but as I became more comfortable with it, I could see hints and connections going back to childhood. I’d been intuitive all along and didn’t know it.
Like most intuitive people, my gifts were not nurtured or encouraged in a world of logic and material quests. Life can be challenging for intuitive and highly sensitive people. Even though I was very outgoing, I needed time alone. I couldn’t bear to witness violence, drama or any kind of injustice, and I could always sense the ill intention of others even when their words said otherwise. I was interested in things like Einstein, quantum theory, time concepts, life after death and other esoteric stuff, which I often felt I had to keep hidden from friends and family.
My journey of discovery continued and through nearly unbelievable serendipitous events where I kept insisting I was not a healer… I finally surrendered to the notion of studying Reiki. Again, I was amazed to discover not only did it arrive in perfect timing, it gave form and name to a practice I was already doing intuitively.
As I’m recalling the story now it all sounds so magical, and it was… is. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t confess to facing childhood trauma, allowing icky emotions to surface and move through me, getting real about running from my fears and noticing how they held me back, sleepless nights, wondering if it was crazy, sobbing on the floor, keeping a journal of all the strange and magical things that were happening, learning what truth feels like in my body and finally giving it a voice.
“The journey of self discovery doesn’t have a final destination, it’s a path we choose to walk.”
I am now a Karuna® Reiki Master healer, a Crystal Reiki Master, a Holistic Life/Soul Coach and an intuitive reader. This week I set up my second healing studio so that I can offer my clients two in person locations as well as virtual sessions. It is my highest joy to assist others along their journey of awakening, to empower them as they discover their own intuitive and empathic gifts and to help them navigate their world as they step into becoming who they’ve always been.
Every day I strive to live more and more in flow, allowing the constrictions and expectations of society to fall away and bravely step into the opportunities that show up. I’m a testament to how the flow of life can take you in an entirely new and magical direction… if you allow it.
Hope, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Of course, I’m Hope Hughes and I offer energy healing and balancing, in addition to holistic life and soul coaching to support all aspects of physical, emotional and spiritual wellness. I support sensitive and awakening souls as they discover where limiting beliefs, fears or trauma have held them back. It is my passion and honor to help them remember who they are and why they chose to be here on earth at this time. And to support them in their healing journey as they realign their energy to reflect who they are today and where they want to go tomorrow.
Credentials:
Karuna® Reiki Master, Crystal Reiki Master, Certified Holistic Life Coach and intuitive reader.
I offer:
Healing & balancing through Reiki & Crystal Reiki
Intuitive & insightful readings
Guidance & mentorship through life & soul coaching
Home energy cleansing & healing
Personal crystal recommendations
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
The most important thing I learned along the way was to listen to my intuition and internal guidance.
When I started along this path, I was excited and very determined to become a holistic life coach. After completing my training and practicum hours, I set up shop, printed business cards, created a website and did all the things I thought I was supposed to do. But it seemed like no one wanted to talk hire to me. I ran specials and occasionally someone would schedule an appointment but many ended up canceling or just not showing up.
So then I thought – I’ll create classes! I designed content for four different classes. I was so disappointed when they weren’t well attended and I had more no-shows.
However at the same time I began working with crystals and offering crystal readings to friends. People were very excited about readings… and… as I conducted the readings… I was coaching. Not the kind of coaching I intended to do, but coaching nonetheless.
While all of this was going on, I would occasionally come across another intuitive or reader who would tell me I was a healer. Random people would offer this information and I would shrug it off. A friend of mine came across a massage table for free and randomly brought it to me. When I asked her why, she said, “I have a feeling you’re going to need it”. I was utterly confused.
Then a few months later a friend reached out to me. She said her parents needed to sell their home and asked if I would speak with them. I’d been a realtor for 18 years at the time so I agreed.
The next day I made the trip across town to meet with them. They were a very sweet elderly couple and after the full tour of their home and some interesting conversation – they confessed they were both energy healers. That was a strange coincidence, and we instantly developed a great rapport.
The following day they reached out to me to let me know they decided to stay put. They said they didn’t know what they were thinking but they really didn’t want to move. But that wasn’t all they told me. The wife, Carol, got on the phone with me and said that she had a conversation with her guides after I left and they were insisting that she teach me Reiki!
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I threw up my hands, “Alright Universe – you win! I guess I’m supposed to be learning Reiki”.
Carol initiated my training and continues to be a beloved mentor and soon after I started working with her I felt motivated to take my learning to the next level and attended a Reiki School out of Durango. It was like it was made for me. It was like putting a name to something I was already doing and didn’t know it.
It became evident that my coach training was an essential piece of the healing work I was to do. It gave me the foundation I needed to provide supportive and open communication with my clients.
Had I been successful as a life coach back when I first started, I may never have become the healer and reader that I am today.
Learning to listen to my intuition and step into the opportunities that arise has opened up a whole new world to me that continues to unfold daily. I don’t worry about trying to “figure everything out” because I know that what I need next will show up.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
“Never let not knowing how to do something stop you from doing it.” This is a phrase I coined many years ago and it has served me well.
Following my heart and allowing myself to be led by my passions was down right terrifying at times. Without a clear job description, and no blueprint for what I was stepping into I often found myself at a loss for what to do next.
The whole process taught me to listen to my intuition and focus in on where my excitement was leading me. When I tried something that didn’t seem to work or I didn’t get the results I expected, I would ask myself, “what did I gain from this experience?”
Rather than being rigid and following a list of to-do’s to meet specific goals and achievements, as I’d been taught in the world of selling real estate, I began to focus on how I wanted to “feel”.
I wanted to feel purposeful. I wanted to feel that I was making a difference in the lives of others. I wanted to feel my heart expand with joy as I inspired others to recognize their limiting beliefs. I wanted to hold space for them to find happiness right where they are, while also supporting them on their journey of discovering their greater purpose.
When I offered myself to the greater good, I let go of my personal agenda and trusted that I would be shown where and how I could be of service.
Those strong enough to recover quickly from difficult situations are said to be resilient, but I believe it’s about understanding that difficult situations can help us see broader possibilities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hopehughes.com/
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