Follow Your Heart
Listening and connecting to your inner voice and hearts wisdom
What does be yourself mean? How do you step inside yourself and figure out what you want or what your heart desires? I’ve sometimes found this concept to be confusing or difficult to figure out. Other times I think what you want, or desire is unattainable because of external life factors, such as lack of money, opportunity, time, or personal connection. Most people have got used to ignoring their needs or what lies within their heart or inner landscape. By focusing on the day-to-day, other people, work, or external factors you can become disconnected from yourself and what truly brings you joy or happiness.
Learning to tune into what’s in your heart and your inner landscape of hopes and desires will allow you to live more truthfully and honestly with yourself and this in turn should bring more happiness, satisfaction, and peace into your world. Sometimes it’s not about big changes or grand plans, sometimes it’s about reconnecting to yourself and listening to what your heart wants, in that moment.
I have epilepsy and I had another seizure back in February this year. It affected my confidence and left me feeling quite low afterwards. During my recovery I turned inwards and re-connected to my passion and love of dance, by dancing around my living room to tunes and songs from my past. Dancing is truly in my heart and soul but since I stopped teaching it a few years ago I had disconnected from this passion. By listening to my heart and letting myself go, I re-connected to myself and the freedom I feel when dancing. I brought joy back into my life, which in turn helped in my recovery. Small things can bring the greatest benefits and following your heart’s desire and not countering it with your minds questioning can allow you to find joy.
Thoughts can generate problems
Re-reading an article I’d taken out of a magazine back in 2020, called ‘Have you been living a lie?’ by Marianne Power, I feel optimistic and hopeful and realise a lot of what causes people difficulties in life, is this disconnection from their heart. And, for some, the negative thoughts that consume their minds, fed by inaccuracies in thinking and delusions stemming from a lack of self-worth or self-esteem.
The article is talking about the work of Byron Katie which essentially seeks to help people re-connect with their internal wisdom and transform their inner landscape and outer reality. Her work with people starts with a simple question that challenges negativity, ‘Is that thought really true?’. Marianne Power talking with Byron Katie in the article ‘Have you been living a lie?’ illuminates the process:
‘And how do you feel when you believe this thought, that you are not meant to be with someone?’ probes the American. ‘I feel rejected, unwanted, like there is something wrong with me.’ ‘Uh-huh,’ she says, listening carefully, ‘And who would you be without that thought?’ ‘Um … ‘I’d be a person who is free for life to go in many different ways. Maybe I’ll meet someone; maybe I won’t. I’m not trapped on one path. I feel alive and like everything is possible.’
Thoughts cause the problems and if you can tune into and listen to your heart, it will know what it wants to do. The heart knows the truth. Connecting your heart with your mind is where the power lies and then acting on it brings about change, happiness, opportunity and a greater sense of satisfaction and peace.
But how do you connect to your heart and learn to follow its messages and insights?
There are different ways to tap into what lies within your heart, journaling works for some people, writing out your thoughts and feelings, asking yourself questions like ‘what brings me joy?’ and then writing out your response can all help in developing that connection with your inner landscape and your heart. For me the greatest connection to myself and my heart is through meditation and the use of my Heart of Light Crystal in meditation.
The Heart of Light is a master crystal, heart shaped from rose quartz. The crystal of peace, healing, and unconditional love. You programme the crystal to work for yourself and it strengthens your heart connection to Higher Self and works to open your heart chakra. By meditating for 10-20 minutes each day, by either holding the crystal or placing it on your heart chakra (centre of the chest), you will begin the process of connecting inwards and listening to your heart.
For more information on meditation and the Heart of Light visit: shewaliving.co.uk/meditation
The simple act of doing this either weekly, daily, or just when you can fit it in, will start a process of change that will create a greater sense of calm and an understanding of what you want or need, a reconnection to yourself, your joy and personal happiness. Let your heart and inner landscape speak to you and see what it says. It might provide insights and encourage some simple alterations that could bring about greater change. It may direct you to a greater truth and prompt you to take bigger steps and take action to bring about your hearts’ wishes or desires.
Wherever it leads, quieting the mind so you can connect and trust your internal messages is key to begin the process of following your heart and instigating action and change. The mind can deceive, talk you out of things, pass judgements and generally give you a hard time. The heart is truthful and full of wisdom, especially for your personal growth and life’s journey.
Be yourself – for me means, tune in frequently to your heart’s inner wisdom on everything from small problems to large decisions. Keep practising and doing the daily work to listen, grow and change. Finding fulfilment, peace and joy starts within. I also feel that external factors will always be there but by changing your self-talk and seeing things from a different perspective, perhaps even these can be surmounted.
______________________________________
For more information on Byron Katie’s work visit: https://thework.com
Visit shewaliving.co.uk for more information on Claire Donaldson
Comments