If you are in need of wisdom or guidance, you may not need to look any further than your own heart.
In The HeartMath Solution, scientists discovered that the heart’s electrical system is forty to sixty times stronger than the brain’s electrical system. In fact, the heart’s signals – these electrical frequency signals – are so strong that they can be measured anywhere in the body. In essence, the heart has its own brain, and it is the seat of our higher wisdom.
Dr. Ronald D. Bissell, in his short story, Journey into your Heart, says:
It is necessary to listen to your heart for it is in your heart that you will find the peace you are seeking. It is important to listen with care – for in listening to your heart, you will explore the inner recesses of your mind. It is essential to work to overcome any stumbling blocks you see in life and to explore the inner recesses of your heart.
Of course, traditional child-rearing teaches us to ignore the heeding of the heart. We’re taught that the only way to make the “right” decisions is to think “rationally” with the mind – completely ignoring our hearts. As a result, we go against our very nature to “feel” our way through life – cutting off all ties to the powerful intuition that could effectively guide us along the path to empowerment and success.
It is not until later in life that you find out that that approach to life seems to land you in some pretty sticky situations. When you finally give yourself permission to “feel” again, you find that there is no feeling – no heeding. Literally, the electrical path has been pinched closed, blocking any heeding. It takes healing, acceptance, and time to open that path again, and if you cannot hear the heeding of your heart, one way to uncover the heart is to pay attention to the gut…
Feeling what the heart sees – the solar plexus
In his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, author Robert B. Cialdini instructs how to become conscious of signals that can prevent us from becoming trapped by techniques used to gain our compliance. Cialdini specifically notes, “The first sort of signal is easy to recognize. It occurs right in the pit of our stomachs…we often feel strong emotions in the solar plexus.”
You know that feeling….the butterflies swarming in excitement or the heavy warning that weighs you down where you stand…
Oh, how I paid the price in my own life for not listening to my heart’s heeding! The most recent was my participation in a gifting circle. From my first step, something didn’t feel “right,” but my mind wrote it off to excitement. My heart was beating so fast, and my stomach nauseous as I handed over my cash gift to another. In retrospect (after losing several thousands of dollars), I realized it was the wisdom of the heart screaming at me – for it could see that what I was about to do was not for my highest good.
Heed the heart to minimize or alleviate stress
The HeartMath Solution has been an excellent study for me, and an effective way to minimize and life stress. Exercises are designed to calm one’s emotions and body by focusing first on the heart and then extending the focus to the solar plexus. I practice this often, and am amazed that I can actually feel the pulsing of the solar plexus match the pulses of my heart – and when that happens, I feel more centered and grounded. Looking back, if I had used this technique to heed my heart’s message, I would have saved myself from many unhappy life situations.
Another technique I use from The HeartMath solution is tapping the higher wisdom of the heart by asking, “What would be a more efficient response to the situation – one that would minimize future stress?” By asking this question from the heart – not the “rational” mind – my intuition, common sense, and sincerity become more actively involved and available to guide me towards that which is for my highest good and the highest good of those with whom I interact. While I may not initially have crystal-clear insights every time I consult my heart, I have increased my capacity to arrive at practical solutions. Solutions that lead me to outstanding conclusions and happy endings..or beginnings.
My most remarkable insights and guidance have come from finding the time to be alone – and heed my heart. I use The HeartMath Solution to focus on my heart, repeating a phrase, a mantra, if you will. Before long, the chatter of the mind settles down, and I can feel the power of the heart, the wisdom bubbling forth. Once you become more adept at listening to the heeding of your heart, you will receive guidance that’s right for you. No one else truly knows what’s “right” for you – it is something you must learn to do for the sake of your future.
Heed the heart to understand and heal the world
Have you ever heard someone say that one person can’t change the world? You’ve probably also heard disempowering statements like, “What’s the use – it will never change.” How about, “How can I make a difference, I’m just one person?”
Creating positive change is easier than you might think.
In his groundbreaking book, Power vs. Force, Dr. David R. Hawkins scientifically substantiates how the most enlightened 15 percent of the world’s population counterbalances the negativity of the remaining 85 percent of the world’s people. How is this possible? Because scientific research has proven that positive energy carries hundreds of times more powerful than negative. I won’t bore you with research stats, but know that a single loving thought can counteract hundreds of negative thoughts.
Heed the heart to heal yourself and the world
1) Each day choose one person (it can be you) to send positive energy to. You can choose to send thoughts of love, healing, support, or happiness – just be sure they’re positive.
2) Quit paying attention to all the “bad stuff.” The more you pay attention to it, the more it perpetuates all over the world. You can be informed, but you do not need to be consumed. Stop watching the news – especially before you go to bed at night – because it only reinforces and creates more negative energy.
3) Choose to not speak ill of others – instead, speak of their goodness. If you can’t manage that, then simply remove them from your thoughts. There is truth behind the motto, “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.”
It starts with just one positive thought
I believe the lyrics to Michael Jackson’s “We Are the World” say it all:
There’s A Place In Your Heart
And I Know That It Is Love
And This Place Could Be Much
Brighter Than Tomorrow
And If You Really Try
You’ll Find There’s No Need To Cry
In This Place You’ll Feel
There’s No Hurt Or Sorrow
There Are Ways To Get There
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Little Space
Make A Better Place…
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Better Place For You And For Me
If You Want To Know Why
There’s A Love That Cannot Lie
Love Is Strong
It Only Cares For Joyful Giving
If We Try, We Shall See
In This Bliss
We Cannot Feel Fear Or Dread
We Stop Existing And Start Living
Then It Feels That Always
Love’s Enough For Us Growing
So Make A Better World
Make A Better World…
Heal The World
Make It A Better Place For You And For Me
And The Entire Human Race
There Are People Dying
If You Care Enough For The Living
Make A Better Place For You And For Me
And The Dream We Were Conceived In
Will Reveal A Joyful Face
And The World We Once Believed In
Will Shine Again In Grace
Then Why Do We Keep Strangling Life
Wound This Earth
Crucify Its Soul
Though It’s Plain To See This World Is Heavenly
Be God’s Glow
We Could Fly So High
Let Our Spirits Never Die
In My Heart, I Feel You Are All
My Brothers
Create A World With No Fear
Together We’ll Cry
Happy Tears
See The Nations Turn
Their Swords Into Plowshares
