Following Your Heart

Here is a recent article that I read and I think that it gives some very good advice!

"You know how it feels when you truly follow your heart. Every inch of your body -- the very fabric of your soul -- feels alive. And even if your head is telling you no, you do it anyway because something bigger, something more primal, is telling you yes.



"You know when you are following your heart because it will feel right even if your mind is uncomfortable," says Hale Dwoskin, CEO and director of training of Sedona Training Associates. "You will feel an openness and aliveness as you follow what is true for you."



Now, when's the last time you followed that feeling? Really threw caution to the wind and went full speed ahead for an opportunity, relationship, or experience that made you tingle with excitement? Been awhile?



For most adults, the answer is yes. As kids, though, we did it all the time.



People believe in beings in their youth like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny not because it really made sense, but because it felt right to their hearts. We have probably all made pledges to remain "best friends forever" not because we thought it out, but because we felt it should be so. And we caught fireflies, had lemonade stands, and played endless hours of tag...not because we thought we should, but because we couldn't imagine life without it.



As we grow older, though, our heads often get in the way. They're filled with "reasons we shouldn't," "things that could go wrong," or "more important things to do." And, perhaps worst of all, they become very susceptible to the opinions of others, including those of society.



Whose Life Is It Anyway?



This is the question you need to ask yourself. Whose life is it that you are living?



Think a moment before you answer. Are you working in a job that makes sense or that you love? Do you surround yourself with people who you should associate with, or those that you adore? And are you living your life the way that you want to, or the way that someone else -- your parents, your spouse, society -- wants you to?



If you can't answer the original question with a heartfelt "MINE!" then you got to this article just in time. What follows is the secret to living YOUR life YOUR way.



Learning to Follow Your Heart



Following your heart is a two-step process. The first step is letting go of your need for approval. This opens the door to things like splashing barefoot through a fountain, giggling at completely inappropriate times, and striking up conversations with total strangers. Because, you see, once you stop caring about what other people think of you, you start caring about what you really want to do.



The second step of the process, then, is learning what it is you truly want. This can be tricky because society conditions us to want certain things (from material possessions to life arrangements). In reality, you may want none of those, or you may want them all. Either way is fine; the key is to notice and realize what your heart is telling you. If you listen, you can do no wrong.



"If you are feeling some doubt it does not mean that the message should not be trusted," Dwoskin says. "It simply means that it is time to let go. When you are wondering whether or not a message is coming from your heart simply let go."