Gabriel Marin

The choice to follow our heart and do what we truly want in life, can be a challenging one. It shouldn't be, but it is. It requires courage, commitment, inner strength and fearlessness, and as a result it is a path that is often not pursued. Rather than listening to that deep inner yearning to do what we love, many of us instead suppress and deny these feelings. We would rather choose a life that does not deeply fulfill us simply because it provides security, predictability, safety and approval from others. Why do we not follow our hearts? Our society today is driven by our minds, our fear and our ego. We do not place value and emphasis on passion, love, fulfillment and spiritual purpose. Rather it is about external success, money, security, stability and reputation. As a result many of us do not feel it is that important to really tune in to our hearts and hear what it wants. We are too busy trying to get ahead and make something of ourselves in this world. You see, the heart is free and wild and is driven by love. The head is practical and analytical and is often driven by fear. Your head will tell you what needs to be done to remain safe in the world - to get the money you want, the approval you crave and the predictability you think you need. Head vs Heart This is why when you attempt to start following your heart, your head will be very quick to thwart your actions. This fearful mind, often called the ego, will bring up all the reasons why you cannot do what you desire, and why it is a ludicrous idea to even think about it. It will trigger memories and feelings from the past of failures, hurts and rejections that add even more power to the case that it is better to just stay where you are. The path that your heart calls you towards may be an unconventional one. It may be scary and involve taking risks. Following your heart often requires us to take a detour from the well trodden path, and rebel from societal or family expectations in order to find our inner fulfilment. It can be a long and lonely road initially. Often we must be willing to look at our life honestly and really evaluate what parts of it we love and which parts of it we don't. Your heart's desire may not have an initial guarantee of income, or it may require a pay cut. It may mean that you have to go against what your family wants for you, or what your friends expect of you. It may mean facing your fears and doing something that you love, yet are petrified of at the same time. It may mean forgoing the approval you received from always doing what others wanted you to do. It will require you to be different, to do things differently. It will mean learning to listen to a deep inner voice, rather than the loud forceful voices of the outer world. The decision to follow your heart is a journey. If you have been living a life that is not heart driven, the decision to follow your heart will most likely turn your world on it's head. It may be a scary road, but in my opinion this is what life is all about.