In a room full of people and noises, where electric fields collide to create a web of invisible discomfort I try to listen to my heart. I put my headphones in a desperate attempt to isolate the outer world but the TV is too loud.
Blaise Pascal believed that "All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone." but today I am faced with the challenge to sit in a noisy room surrounded by people while trying to have a conversation with my heart.
My attempts remind me how hard it is to differentiate between all the voices in my head and actually know when my heart is speaking.
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| Photo: Doc Oren |
Have you noticed how sensitive young children are and how simple the world is to them? Have you considered why your world is so complex compared to your 5-year-old self?
The reason is that you have stopped listening to your heart.
You have become so accustomed to do what is expected and to think what is suitable that you no longer hear the voice of your heart.
Except if you experience something mind-shattering and you find a reason to change your life, to live close to nature, to slow down.
Do you need a tragic event in your life to acknowledge the voice of your heart?
Our lives have become increasingly busy over a short period in the history of humankind.
Work, technology, fun, multitasking, competition, extraordinary pressure of information all around us... It is easy to get lost if you disregard the gentle voice of your heart.
But there area few easy steps you can take in order to learn listen to your heart and live a simpler life.
1. Ignore the ego. It is the false you. Once you turn its volume down you will open the door to the voice of your heart.
2. Spend more time alone. Slow down and enjoy being by yourself. Make sure you spend at least 30 minutes a day alone in a quiet place without any electronic devices, preferably outside. This reconnection will turn the volume of your heart's voice up and it will be easier for you to hear it.
3. Create. By involving yourself into creativity your mind gets in a higher state, which takes you a step closer to your heart. Take the time to do whatever you like - paint, knit, sew - any creative activity will provoke your heart to manifest itself.
4. Give up. In Western culture we are taught that we should be proactive in life and so we act accordingly. But once you take a step back and give up you allow yourself to go with flow. You get rid of the burden to direct life. You stop forcing things to happen around you and they can bloom and direct you along your road.
5. Follow your heart. Your heart's voice may contradict all else but try to follow it. It is the only way to reclaim your true self and to start liking your decisions, which will help you like yourself!
Simple as these steps are they might take some time to get used to. But if you trust yourself you will start trusting your heart too.
“The only way to get what you really want, is to know what you really want. And the only way to know what you really want, is to know yourself. And the only way to know yourself, is to be yourself. And the only way to be yourself is to listen to your heart.” Mike DooleyWhat is the major obstacle that keeps you from listening to your heart?
Great text! I couldn't agree more with everything you said. It's sad to see how people often neglect their true selves only to live up to social standards and expectations.
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading, Milena.
Deletelovely to visit .. beautiful thoughts ...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Elaine!
DeleteLOVE this post (yes, I'm pinning it!). Your words ring true. Life is so busy, and as we grow older, it just gets busier. Sometimes it's hard for us to slow down and take moments to just - breathe. There is so much beauty in simplicity!
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of suggestion #2: Spend more time alone. Alone time is something that I had a ton of when I was younger. I was (and still am) able to tune out the world at times and direct my focus to one thing, but I just don't do it now. This post reminds me that I should make more of an effort for a few minutes to listen to my heart.
Thank you!
Kim
Thank you, Kim! And thanks for pinning the post as well!
DeleteSetting 15 minutes a day aside for just being by yourself is so refreshing. I love to spend said time outside walking - a great way to listen and actually hear my inner voice.
Great post, full of very doable ideas. Very inspiring, Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteValerie
Everyday Inspired
Thank you, Valerie.
DeleteThis post resonates deeply, Sonya. It took two "shaken to the core" life events in a row for me to stop the madness that was my former life, slow down and start listening to and following my heart. There are still moments and days when I feel like the piling up of every day responsibilities gets the best of me, but I am learning how to keep coming back to center, looking inward, focusing on love, nature and creativity to see me through the challenging times. I agree that quiet, alone time is essential for introspection and hearing what one's heart is saying.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is when we feel physical pain or when our life is in danger that we allow ourselves to get shaken and reevaluate our lives. I wish we had a system that could allow us to provoke the feeling without the actual pain and danger. Thank you, Lisa, for sharing with us!
DeleteI spend a lot of time alone, but I am almost always doing something, making something, reading or on the computer. I need to spend a few minutes each day doing nothing. I used to actually enjoy part of my daily commute because it involved walking outside and just letting thoughts come to me. I miss that. I think without a few minutes to just be and not do anything else, except maybe walk, the days go by too fast and I quickly lose perspective.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of my walks to and from work a few years ago. I too loved the 30 minutes because they opened a window to nature sounds and sights that were otherwise unavailable to me.
DeleteAnd you are quite right, days fly past us when we are always busy (especially in front of the computer).