Follow Your Heart

A person I care deeply about told me recently that he was choosing to follow his head, instead of following his heart. He told me that his heart and his head were each telling him to do something differently. Part of my heart broke when I heard this news, but boy, could I relate with him.

We grow up with our parents telling us to think things through before we act and with our teachers telling us to prove how we came to a conclusion. We are taught in school that the answer can always be found in a book or that we should do group projects to see if - as a group - we can come to a better solution. But nowhere, really, are we told to listen to our heart.

When I am trying to make a major decision, I talk to my husband about it; I ask my friends what they think; I feel my family out for insight. I research trends and make lists and think through all possible scenarios. I devour books like the answer will spill onto the page right in front of me. But do I ever go inside and listen to my heart? Do I ever really hear what my heart is telling me? And when I am quiet enough to feel and sit with my feelings letting my heart speak to me, how do I respond? Do I actually listen?

No. Instead, I tell myself I am dreamer. That no one truly lives a life of passion. That what speaks from my heart cannot exist in the current reality in which I live. I go back to my head, back to outside sources, and let fear of the unknown win the battle and clamp down on my heart's voice, trying to forever lock it closed.

I would love to tell this person to follow his heart. That life is about love. That life is too short to not choose your heart. That dreams can come true. That what people think doesn't matter. That somehow things will turn out OK. But I can relate so clearly to the act of following my head instead of following my heart, that I feel like a phony to share this with him.

But then I look back at my life. I remember the times that I HAVE let me heart speak and have actually listened to it. I sat with my feelings and experienced them, and thus, the answers I needed appeared. I feel the peace these decisions have brought me. I feel the love these decisions have allowed me to share with the world. I know the better place I am at for following my heart. I guess I need to gather the courage to follow my heart again and share with this person from a place of love.