Chances are you learned it differently, but if you really want to make decisions that make your life better, more vital and happier, it’s better to listen to your heart over your head.
You probably recognize that you are walking around with a question that you can’t figure out. Maybe it has kept you awake at night or the question has been lurking somewhere in the background for years.
- Will I change jobs?
- Shall I make a deal with my competitor?
- Shall I move abroad?
- Shall I take my father in?
- Shall I sell my business?
MAKING DECISIONS WITH YOUR HEAD
Often we tend to make these kind of important decisions with our heads. Weigh the pros and cons. Dealing with priorities. Ask others for advice. And ultimately make the wisest choice.
A few weeks, months or years after such a choice, something starts to gnaw at you, maybe your body starts to hurt, you feel unbalanced and tired, sometimes even anxious. Inside you, a voice in the background screams, “This isn’t right!” But you don’t hear that (yet).
It is not customary in our culture to listen to your inner voice. You would rather let a stream of thoughts flow in your head again. While ignoring your inner voice for a long time can lead to chronic pain, fatigue, insomnia or burnout. Because you are constantly justifying with your thoughts what you feel. What you do and what you feel are not in balance. And your body tells you.
YOUR HEART SENDS MORE SIGNALS TO YOUR BRAIN THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND
If you want to feel vital, it is crucial to connect with your heart, your soul, your Self, your inner wisdom or whatever you want to call it. Your heart often already knows. While your head is deceiving you with all the information and beliefs stored there. Did you know that 80-90% of our thoughts are repetitive and useless? While your heart sends more signals to your brain than the other way around.
Like the brain, the heart has a network of tens of thousands of neurons. The heart can perceive information very quickly, without first having to process or reason it like your head. As a result, your heart sometimes ‘knows’ something faster than you could have imagined it. And this knowledge is not clouded by all kinds of thoughts that you make up later on.
MAKING DECISIONS FROM YOUR HEART INSTEAD OF FROM EMOTIONS
By listening to your heart, I don’t mean listening to emotions. That you choose for a life with your mistress because you are in love or your hormones are playing up. Or quit your job because you don’t feel seen. Emotions are based on patterns, events and beliefs from your past. They have nothing to do with the voice of your heart, your Self, your inner knowing. This voice is not afraid or eager and does not want to accomplish, convince or shout. This voice is clear and mild.
HOW YOU (DON’T) LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE
It is therefore much more efficient to learn to make decisions with your heart and then determine the strategy with your head. Or align your heart and head so they can work together.
But how come we continue to follow that stream of thoughts? Often there is little room to turn inward. We are distracted by what is happening in our outside world: we still have to work, cook, pick up the children from school and go to a networking drink.
STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
In addition, it may also be that you prefer not to focus your attention inwards. Because what if you find out that you are not so happy at all? Or would it actually be different? Then it may be necessary to take action. And what consequences does that have?
Do you dare? Do you dare to listen to your inner wisdom, to live outside your comfort zone? Beyond what is expected of you and what is the safest choice? Do you dare to live your full potential?
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