"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.

Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us."

We are all meant to shine. When Vanessa Ophelia Rigault first heard those words in Nelson Mandela's inaugural speech, she recognized in them her own philosophy for living.

In her career, Ophelia has worked to share that philosophy with others - to help them identify what is really important and to show them how to live an authentic life. Ophelia speaks from experience.

Holding a B.A. in Sociology and Psychology, she spent many years working in the non-profit sector as a program coordinator and workshop facilitator. While working there, she began to realize that she was meant to do something different.

Her work as a trainer and facilitator opened her eyes to her skills as a coach. Listening to her inner voice, Ophelia left a comfortable job to head off in a new direction and pursue her dream of becoming a life coach.

During the rebirth of her career, Vanessa began using her middle name, Ophelia. Meaning "helper" in Greek, the name seemed to manifest everything that she wanted to achieve in her work and life. As she embarked on her coaching career, Ophelia developed her own definition of authentic living.

To her, authentic living means developing a vision of what you really want and putting all your energy towards realizing that vision. The power of that concept, of realizing your vision, inspired her so much that she named her coaching business after it.

Realize Your Visions (www.realizeyourvisions.com) is truly the culmination of Ophelia's goals for her professional life.

Today, Ophelia is a Coach Training Alliance certified life coach. Knowing the value of lifelong learning, Ophelia is working on her PhD in life coaching through the University of Sedona.

In addition to life coaching, Ophelia is near completion of her certification as a Wellness Coach. Her focus is on the power of creating a life story that takes into account the changes a person wants to make and gives them an action plan for achieving their goals.

With this certification she will teach people to harness the power of their minds to create new experiences that transform the way they think. Combining the philosophy of the life story with her mantra of Dare, Dream, Design and Do, Ophelia has developed a successful guidebook and accompanying boot camp seminar and an exciting workshop and speaking series.

Recognized by clients as "self-empowerment guru", Ophelia brings tremendous positive energy to her coaching relationships. Using her own life experience as inspiration, Ophelia strives to help others achieve a balance between life and work. By guiding her clients through an assessment of their lives and priorities, and teaching them to give voice to their authentic life story, Ophelia helps them shift their thinking and start living the life they really want.