Welcome dear Friends and Colleagues, to VAST Institute, 2022, where we help each other Imagine a Better World into Being.

To address ongoing personal and worldly challenges, at the onset of a New Year it serves to ask ourselves new questions.

My 2022 Question is…

How can we begin to address our challenges from a refreshed vantage point; seeking solutions that address them as a part of the Human Condition?

What if… all it took to amplify our collective trajectory toward a brighter future was to ask ourselves, very gently, a new question? How can we as human beings solve this particular issue?

What we have in common is as important as that which makes our family, group or team unique. If each of us understood that our own private challenges are a snapshot version of those all humans must face and solve, it could heighten our sense of belonging and empathy as we experience our shared humanity.

To strengthen your unique brand of Leadership Genius™, VAST has curated the talent of Original Thinkers who offer a kindhearted approach to upgrading your imagination and resilience toolkit. This is when having a proven strategy in you comes in handy. We refer to them as our six competencies.

This month we focus on the artful gift of Empathy tools and perspective.

We launch this year’s adventure with Maria Ross, author and branding wizard as she delves into Leading from The Empathy Edge through her findings of implementing empathy as a profitable business strategy.

“During my three-year quest to understand empathy and leadership…What I found is…a lot of studies out there that showed that empathetic cultures lead to more innovation, more innovative products and services. They lead to better collaboration and better communications which is sort of a virtuous cycle.” - Maria Ross

from VAST Balancing on the Empathy Edge podcast

Listen to Maria's incisive interview here as VAST Taste of Original Thinking podcast on Leading as we  Balance on The Empathy Edge.

On January 25^th, tune in to Maria’s fascinating Empathy Edge podcast interview with Michelle where they explore the synergy of Empathy with Imagination as explored in Kindling the Flame. Link to follow.

Maria’s business centric approach to compassionate action is uplifting and a hallmark of the VAST Conscious Commerce leadership movement of employing trust, respect and mutual benefit in all transactions.

Let us create fresh approaches to solving the same old problems, together.

Welcome 2022.

Happy and Healthy New Year to each and All.

Let us imagine that compassionate action prevails and each day, through our personal choices we are closer to harmony within and throughout our world. Your presence is our gift.

~ Michelle