Her Story: Veronica Torres Hazley
her |həː, hə| pronoun 1 used as the object of a verb or preposition to refer to a female person: Her strength and faith were inspiring.
Last night, we had an incredible time together as we listened to Veronica Torres Hazley share her beautiful heart and story of surrender.
Veronica serves as the Experience Director for VisitDallas, the creator of the Healthy Latina Lifestyle and Hey Chica!, and a certified yoga instructor at her own studio in Dallas, V12 Yoga. Veronica has been honored by the Dallas Business Journal 40 under 40 and D CEO Magazine Latino Business Awards 2016 for Latino Advocate Nominee, but above everything—she is a loving mom, wife, and grandmother with BOLD life experiences. Her life started as a teen mom at the young age of 15. She was married at 18 and divorced at 23. Losing her father at the age of 22 was life changing for her and transformed her fear to determination and faith. Veronica later remarried and has two little girls at home. Her spiritual journey has led her to a deeper meaning and purpose—a beautiful story of surrender and hope.
You can follow Veronica’s journey on Instagram at @healthylatinalifestyle and read a little more about her heart below!
Q&A with Veronica Torres Hazley
1. What do you think you were put on this earth for? What is your biggest dream?
I truly believe that I came here to experience a life of struggle and resilience with optimism. I found this out in my teenage years. I come from a tough life with young parents who were addicts and constantly struggling to survive. When I got pregnant at 14 years old, my entire life was clear and purposeful. I later experienced BIG pain and loss my entire journey to now, 41.
My biggest dream is that I want to help build EQUITY for women and disadvantaged communities. EQUITY in conversation, opportunities, and relationships.
2. What are some of the obstacles you have had to go through to get to this point?
The easiest way to put this is in bullet points because the loss and struggle have been more than the average 41-year-old person experiences in their lifetime.
Witnessing my father kill someone at the age of 6.
Watching my mother and father do drugs in our home with needles and drugs everywhere.
Having a baby at 15 years old and getting kicked out of my home—still staying in high school on Welfare. Working 2 jobs to pay daycare.
My parents' divorce and my mom abandoning me and my siblings for weeks at a time.
Getting married at 18 and going to college away from Texas.
Divorce at 21 from an abusive relationship.
Losing my father to drug overdose (he was 42 and I was 21).
Raising my daughter, brothers (3), and my mom (she was fleeing from an abusive relationship).
Remarried at 34.
Losing my twin son a day after he was born.
3. What motivates or inspires you?
I am motivated by spiritual change and soulful connections with others. I am consistently inspired by people who experience energy shifts in their life and change what their old mindset tells them. I meditate every day and discover a new part of myself that I never knew existed.
4. What do you want to be remembered for?
As being a Changemaker-Sacred Self-Care Healer. I want to help women learn how to love who they are and to hold themselves sacredly. I want people to learn how powerful SURRENDER is and to share my life story to inspire and shift destinies.
5. What advice would you give other women searching for their purpose, passion, & faith?
Start with finding your heart-song, spend alone time with yourself and your breath. Learn to love yourself and your light. All it takes is an inventory of goods to understand what you need and being vigilant about the time and energy you spend with those things that do not serve you.
6. What has been your greatest achievement in life?
Losing a child and living through it.
7. How does what you do reflect what God placed on your heart to share with the world?
Learning how to SURRENDER has been the greatest gift given to me. GOD poured resilience and love into my heart in the grandest way. I want to spend my life trying to find the right words to explain how that feels and the miracles that come with that experience.
8. What books are you reading?
Sacred Pampering Principals by Debra J. Grandy, 12 Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong, and A Return to Love by Marianne Williamson.
9. How do you stay encouraged & faith-filled?
Once you learn and experience the ease of surrendering, it becomes easy to release the EGO and allow your heart to move you. I meditate daily and I stay connected to women who pour into me authentically—but MOST importantly, I make it a point to reach out to someone every day to send them words of encouragement.
10. Favorite scripture of the moment (or ever)?
"May the LORD bless you and keep you, May he make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May he lift his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26
Thank you for sharing your heart and story with us, Veronica! We’ll see you all next month at Equipped by Faith with the beautifully talented, Niya Cotton!
XO-
Sabrina