Making Decisions From the Heart
Have you ever been hiking, or just going somewhere you are not familiar with when GPS or the map your are using is not helping? And so, the question is, which road do I take? Taking one road or the other when you come to a junction is the act of deciding.
Sometimes we take a long time to make a decision and sometimes we make them habitually. For instance, when we wakeup in the morning we usually have a routine of cleansing our bodies, eating breakfast, or perhaps exercising before eating. We may spend a bit more time on choosing what to wear, and we may give some reflection on putting together our ‘to do’ list for the day.
Other times we may face a fork in the road that can have major consequences in the future. If you are a young person, you may have a choice about which courses to take in high school or college, or what career you want to have. More mature adults may be considering accepting a new job or quitting the one that they have. Or at any age we can face decisions about finance, health, housing, social connections, family relationships. The list goes on.
Analyzing Pros and Cons with the Brain
Many of us have been taught that to make a good decision, we need to be clear headed and analyze all the pros and cons. In other words, we need to put our thinking caps on and make a score card with pros and cons. A lot of useful information can come from that process which hopefully leads to a ‘good’ decision.
Sink into your Heart Wisdom
However, there is another approach to making a decision that is more ‘heart based’. This is an approach that allows you to sink into your heart wisdom and let your heart speak to you. That does not mean that you don’t think about the consequences of your choice or the commitment and resources that it will require to accomplish it. But listening to answers from the heart means that you are following the guidance that brings you deep joy, happiness, and a sense of fulfillment. Our emotions and feelings do not come from the brain, they come from the heart. And following your heart leads to fulfillment.
Practice Breathing from the Heart
Awakening to your heart’s wisdom is a process that takes patience and commitment, but it is one that is easy. Learning how to breathe from your heart and how to rest and remain in the steady and calming rhythm of your heart energy will help you to make the right decision. When you tap into your heart wisdom you also optimize the relationship with your brain, so that those two major organs have a harmonious relationship. So get into the practice of tapping into your heart and learning how to stay in that harmonious relationship.
Do this 10 minute breathing practice to learn how to breathe from your heart.