Somewhere between midnight and 5am on Earth Day, April 22, 2012, I had a dream.

In the dream I was in a city in chaos.  Nothing specific remains in my memory of the chaos, but just that it seemed to all the people that their world  as they knew it was falling apart.

I went into a shop, where a beautiful young man, a teenager, stood behind the counter and emanated despair.  I could feel his sadness throughout my body.  I placed my hand gently on his cheek, and I looked into his eyes and said, “I know that this feels impossible, but you will survive this.  You have all that you need within yourself, and your future holds much joy.  Hang on, it will be difficult, but once you get past this rough time, the world will open for you and embrace you, and your life will be amazing.”

He calmed under my touch, with the sound of my words sinking deeply into his core.  I gently removed my hand, and went out into the street.

A voice echoed throughout my being, and woke me from this dream, etched into in my soul

You are the heart of compassion.

This is the beginning of that journey….