Meet Heather Burt, the visionary behind Your Individual EvoLution Directive, or YIELD. With a diverse background spanning law enforcement, manufacturing, and ballroom dance, Heather has a unique perspective on the importance of listening to and following one's own path.
With over 20 years of military experience, Heather may seem like an unlikely advocate for her mission: to support people in navigating their own paths. In her book, Personal Evolution: Four Essential Elements for Navigating Your Life, Heather draws on her life experiences to demonstrate how we can use our lives as catalysts to experience fundamental change.
Heather M. Burt, YIELD Coach
What drives your passion for Personal Evolution, and what inspired the name of your company?
In my mid-thirties, I realized I was continuously repeating unhealthy patterns despite my efforts to change. To break free from the past, I embarked on a journey of self-discovery. It became clear to me that the conventional approach to change often focuses on doing things differently. Still, true transformation requires change at the level of being, or personal evolution. My passion is born from this clarity of understanding: what we choose to do can only create a context for who we are (being); regardless of what we do, it will only reflect who we are.
Meaning is important to me. Your Individual EvoLution Directive (YIELD) is more about identifying my mission than simply naming a company. When we slow down or yield to life and begin listening to and living from our hearts, life responds or yields in the sense that it gives back.
What is the core value that drives your passion and your business?
Integrity. While I imagine most people appreciate integrity as a value, I don't know that people put much thought into what it means to be in integrity. Often, it's defined as "doing the right thing even when no one is watching," which is nice but not always helpful, since "right" can be subjective (even though we like to think it's not). To be in integrity is to be whole. When we are whole, what we believe, what we think, what we say, and what we do are in alignment. To be aligned, we must know ourselves and the values guiding our lives. We become unshakable when we know the values guiding our lives and deliberately make choices and respond based on those values. It's not about being perfect; it's about knowing ourselves well enough not to abandon ourselves when we face life’s challenges.
In your experience, what are the biggest hurdles to Personal Evolution?
Across the board, conditioned thinking is the biggest hurdle. My most pivotal moment came when I attended one of Dr. Joe Dispenza's retreats, and he said to "become aware of what you are unaware of." It disrupted my pattern of thinking to the extent that it broke open my brain, so to speak. I didn't know at the time that it's when we challenge our thinking in this way that we begin to expand our awareness, which is the foundation for change. However, conditioning extends to habits as well. As humans, we value safety and stability, relying on routines and habits to help us feel safe and in control. While routines and habits can be helpful, they become barriers to change when they don't serve us.
What sets YIELD apart from other services in the personal development industry?
As I mentioned previously, to evolve requires a fundamental change in being. Before writing my book, I pursued several coaching certifications. I became acutely aware that the standard approach to change is to do something different. Whether starting a mindfulness practice, a new exercise routine, or eating differently, if you're not already the person who does those things, you don't become that person simply by doing them. Through The Four Elements of Evolution, YIELD offers a framework for change. In reality, there is no specific thing you have to do differently to experience personal evolution. When you understand how change works at the level of being, you realize that all (lasting) change occurs internally. As you evolve, the way you show up changes organically.
Where would you tell someone to start who is inspired by your vision and wants to begin their Personal Evolution journey?
The easiest place to start would be the reSOURCES page on my website. Here, readers can find introductory videos explaining The Four Elements of Evolution and how to apply them in their own lives. If they want to go deeper with the concepts, they can explore each element individually in my short course, Becoming an Evolution Engineer. Additionally, my book, Personal Evolution: Four Essential Elements for Navigating Your Life, is available on Amazon, and I can always be contacted directly through my website.
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