PERSONAL SPECIAL................ THE HEART HAS ITS REASONS

THE HEART HAS ITS REASONS





Let neither fear nor guilt dictate your life decisions. Follow your heart and you will never regret it

Follow your heart. But take your brain with you!“ The second line is one of the best addendums I remember to an oftquoted saying. For if followed in letter, but not spirit, quotes that are handed down generations are in danger of becoming excuses for willful behaviour and selfishness.And, the heart becomes a muchabused excuse... When we say that our heart desires something, very often we ascribe a desire to the organ that it knows nothing of. In pursuit of ego, we choose to ignore what we know deep within, whether it pertains to our personal, professional or spiritual life. That `deep within' is the seat of the heart ­ the place where our instincts and intuition emanate from. And very little that comes from here can be misleading.

For somehow, we intuitively know the good from the bad, the right from the wrong ­ and which one to choose at what point of time. For, the good may not necessarily always be the right choice, and sometimes the right can be wrong for us too. Who is to know?
Accumulated wisdom handed down the ages may be a good fallback, but does it always lead us to happiness and fulfillment?
Something I admire about the youngsters today is their confidence in themselves and what they want. I hear most parents of my generation say that children today know what they want, and you can seldom guide them away from what they set their hearts and minds on. They are not amenable to the wisdom of generations, preferring to learn from their own clicks and disconnects. In other words, they allow their intuition to guide them.

Intuition isn't all that elusive or difficult to come by. All it needs is an uncorrupted heart and spirit. A heart that arrives at a desire weighing and checking of balances with least hurt to others, and a spirit that is willing to take the risk of going against the general accepted wisdom. Add to that a brain that intelligently guides the process and you have a winning combination.

Times have changed and what was right or good some years ago, goes by different definitions today.We may not be able to trust the cacophony of voices outside; but the heart and spirit almost always guide us right. Take for instance the case of this lady in her mid-sixties who was lonely and sad for a decade, scared of what society would say if she moved in with a male widowed friend who was more than willing to co-habit with her. Neither wanted the hassle of getting married, but craved com panionship. Finally, encouraged by her children, she took the plunge and very soon all friends and family accepted the situation and put it behind them.

Then there is this bureaucrat friend who after much hesitation, gave up his steady career to pursue writing and is happy and contented today. There are any numbers of such examples. Guilt or fear of the world is no reason to shout down the dictates of your heart, for in not following your instincts, you are living life as dictated by others. Instead of pursuing your own dreams, you are doing a fine job of fulfilling the dreams of others. Instead of listening to your instinct, you are being dictated to by others. In short, you are living someone else's life rather than your own, if you allow fear of the world to dictate your life decisions.

vinitadawra nangia

TL10JAN16