The Hard Truth About Following Your Heart
You might think that the outcome to living a heart-centered life is everlasting contentment.
A life filled with rainbows, unicorns and butterflies 🦋 Chocolate ice cream, money trees and sunset walks on the beach 🌅
I am here to tell you that's not the case. Let's get real.
Living from your heart, listening to your intuition and making choices that align with your values actually requires courage and a whole lot of grit.
Anyone I know who chooses to live intentionally understands this struggle...
🙇♀️ The rawness of feeling ALL your emotions - the good, the bad & the ugly. As oppose to avoiding, shielding and numbing.
🙇♀️ The choice to relinquish control and surrender to better timing, even when you want something right now. (Right meow!)
🙇♀️ The leap of faith into the unknown, with no guarantees. No parachute. Is your stomach in knots yet?
🙇♀️ The crippling fear that wraps your body from head to toe when taking an action out of your comfort zone. That feeling in your chest and throat. You know exacly what I am talking about.
🙇♀️ When making an empowered choice for yourself, while everyone around you questions your decision. Then, another layer of the old guilt patterns surface.."Urgh I thought I dealt with that trigger already".
It's also about...
💗 Living your values and making choices that align to what’s most important to YOU. Yes, and those choices sometimes mean making the tough choice.
💗 To connect deeply to what's most important to your heart & soul - even when others don't agree or understand.
💗 To feel connected deeply with yourself and cultivate a deep relationship with spirit/the universe - even in the face of uncertainty.
💗To have clarity in your direction while filled with passion in your pursuits - All that inner reflection leads to the answers you seek.
💗 To feel nourished with self care rituals that bring you peace & comfort - Making yourself a top priority, knowing you are worthy and setting boundaries even when it's difficult.
The heart-centered path may not look as enchanting now, but I can tell you that it's 100% worth it.
A journey of self-discovery, continued learning and growth.
A beautiful ongoing transformation.
If you're thinking that you must be doing it all wrong, here are 3 truths about following your heart that I hope offer you a shift in your mindset:
Truth #1 - Questioning Yourself Is Part Of The Journey
"Self-doubt undermines the process of finding our gifts and sharing them with the world" - Brene Brown
Anything I have pursued in my own life, I have once or twice (and many more) questioned my choices. Especially in the beginning when learning something new and finding my footing. I describe it as 'finding your sea legs', as if you are on a boat for the first time and trying to get used to finding your equilibrium. Changing anything in your life - whether it be a habit, mindset or life change will bring up resistance. In fact, plan for it.
Try This:
Questioning yourself is part of self-discovery & self-awareness. It's a powerful skill you can leverage to increase your emotional intelligence. Try changing the type of questions you are asking yourself:
Instead of,
"Am I making the right decision?"
"Why can't I just be normal?"
ask yourself,
"What are the possibilities if I take the chance?"
"What can I do to feel anchored in this choice?"
"How can I learn to appreciate my curiosity and inspired desires?"
Truth #2 - Feeling Fear Regularly, Continuing Forth Anyway
“If the edge was easy, it would be called the couch” - Eoin Finn
If you want to live a heart-centered life, be prepared to feel fear about 98% of the time. Your heart will nudge you to lean into places that help you evolve, whichs leads to your fear voice kicking into high gear.
Try This:
The idea is not to eliminate fear, but to change your relationship with it.
Fear is necessary for survival as your brain is designed to keep you alive and make decisions that keep you safe. Fear has a lot to say, tends to have a future-focused voice and digs up painful memories preventing you from taking risks. Fear will also show the worst case scenarios of your future. It will try to keep you safe & small as much as possible to protect and perceives change as a danger, even if it's positive.
It has an important place in your life, but should not be calling the shots on your decisions. Determine what role it plays in your life.
Truth #3 - The Uncertainty Will Sometimes Be Too Much
"When nothing is sure, everything is possible." - Margaret Drabble
Following the voice of your inner guide requires you to cultivate trust in the unseen. To feel your way through the darkness.
Your intuition comes through via sensations, usually in hints & an inner knowing. Your heart doesn’t have a lot to say (unlike your head), which is why we question it. It speaks within the moment where you are now and your potential in moving forward.
Leaning into uncertainty is your opportunity to trust in a higher force, embrace the present and knowing that you will be guided in the right direction. One step at a time. When following your heart, you will not know all the steps. Only the first one (or two if you're lucky!). You move in that direction, trusting that the next step will unfold in beautiful timing.
Try This:
Surrendering to the experience of uncertainty will bring you experiences, opportunities and insights that you may have never imagined or thought possible. Cultivate a mindset of curiosity & open-awareness to new insights beyond what you can control.
Uncertainty is the gateway to transformation.
What are your greatest struggles when it comes to following your heart? Share in the comments below.
It can be challenging to navigate this heart-centered journey on your own. Join my free on-demand workshop where I go deep into how you can Activate Your Intuitive Self and learn to work with these challenges.
