Maria Gonzalez Blog
Mindful Leadership
Learn to Skilfully Listen to Your Heart
One of the greatest desires I hear from people is the desire to discover their purpose in life. The previous Blog discussed creating a vision for one’s life, and from this place, to live life “on purpose”.
But, how can you be certain that it is “your purpose”? The answer is simpler than you might think. To be certain that you are living “your purpose”, and not a purpose that someone else has defined for you, you must learn to skilfully listen to your heart. This may or may not be a concept with which you are comfortable or familiar. It takes practice and a willingness to open yourself to possibilities you may have previously dismissed.
Your heart will speak to you if you listen and if you ask. The answers come in two ways. One is through a feeling of happiness. The other is through the experience of passion or great enthusiasm. It’s that simple. Any time that you think of or contemplate a certain direction in your life, notice if it makes you happy and / or if you are passionate about it. If the answer is yes, then that may be your purpose for this time and place. If on the other hand you feel dragged down by a particular direction, then it is likely not your purpose.
If you are not excited about a particular job, career direction, relationship, etc., but you continue to pursue it, ask yourself, “whose purpose you are living”? Are your decisions being formed by others around you, family, competitors, friends, society? By choosing what others consider important, you will not live your purpose. You will be living someone else’s life. And this will cause happiness and fulfillment to be illusive.
The way to start developing the skill of listening to your heart is to practice with small decisions. The next time you need to make a choice, listen to your heart. Notice what it is saying. In time you will likely feel an actual sensation in the centre of the chest. This sensation will carry with it an emotional flavour, one that is pleasant or unpleasant. Learn to listen. In skilfully listening to your heart, you are accessing your own inner wisdom.
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