Follow Your Heart
The first time I've heard of this cliche was back when I was much more idealistic than I am now and yet I thought: that's a whole lot of bullshit. Following my heart then meant being (then!) with my then-boyfriend, hitting the most happening clubs {I must've just turned of legal age} and/or staying in bed and reading all the books I buy every week. Following my heart will not get me good grades, and following my heart meant I'd be blowing off the hours I needed to complete for my internship. So follow my mind it is!
Eight years since, I have a number of years as a member of the working class, enough to merit another degree, and now practicing yoga and I want nothing more than to follow my heart. I want nothing but to hear it, listen to it, stay tuned to it, nurture its voice.
In yoga, my teacher would say that if we hesitate on which direction to follow, we just arch our bodies to where our heart goes and everything will fall into place.
Now that I am a twenty something corporate slave {a term I use loosely, you'd know I am kidding, I'm hardly a slave to anything}, I realize that following your heart was more than the idea of wasting the day away, or limiting oneself to the fun stuff.
Today, following my heart means dressing up extra nicely because there are extra special tasks at work {Oh who am I kidding, I always put effort to my clothes at work!}. Following my heart means dismissing a part of my lunch hour so I can make it to gathering with friends and/or events I'm lucky to be invited to at 6 PM. Following my heart means ditching post-work beer for an hour and a half of yoga --- an activity that inspires me to unbelievable levels that I'm almost always compelled to write my thoughts every after practice for fear of forgetting them. Following my heart means stepping away from my humongous computer screen, walking to the garden with paper and pencil in tow and start writing. Following my heart means putting a smiley or two to a work-related email only because I know the recipient would most likely benefit from it. Following my heart means using my heart at work, and in business relationships so that I don't forget how to be kind. It doesn't mean that these things will leave me penniless {as most follow-your-heart directions are cliched to}. It means that I am filling my heart with happiness so that my mind can function well. Well, well enough to keep me earning my keep, too.
But ultimately, I follow my heart so my mind know which directions to take, which roads to tread, whether to fight or take flight, to know if the things I do every single day, the tasks I cross of each list I make are worth it.
So this is what I do: every single day, I do something that falls under the category of "Following My Heart" and so far, everything I've done has been making me happy. These are the things that I look back into before going to sleep and think that my day will never be a waste if only for that matter. Revolutionary Road taught us that the little things we sacrifice everyday make up for the huge loss that's going to be in our lives. This lesson I wouldn't want to learn myself.
When was the last time you followed your heart?
xx
Illustration By: Lottie Frank
Eight years since, I have a number of years as a member of the working class, enough to merit another degree, and now practicing yoga and I want nothing more than to follow my heart. I want nothing but to hear it, listen to it, stay tuned to it, nurture its voice.
In yoga, my teacher would say that if we hesitate on which direction to follow, we just arch our bodies to where our heart goes and everything will fall into place.
Now that I am a twenty something corporate slave {a term I use loosely, you'd know I am kidding, I'm hardly a slave to anything}, I realize that following your heart was more than the idea of wasting the day away, or limiting oneself to the fun stuff.
Today, following my heart means dressing up extra nicely because there are extra special tasks at work {Oh who am I kidding, I always put effort to my clothes at work!}. Following my heart means dismissing a part of my lunch hour so I can make it to gathering with friends and/or events I'm lucky to be invited to at 6 PM. Following my heart means ditching post-work beer for an hour and a half of yoga --- an activity that inspires me to unbelievable levels that I'm almost always compelled to write my thoughts every after practice for fear of forgetting them. Following my heart means stepping away from my humongous computer screen, walking to the garden with paper and pencil in tow and start writing. Following my heart means putting a smiley or two to a work-related email only because I know the recipient would most likely benefit from it. Following my heart means using my heart at work, and in business relationships so that I don't forget how to be kind. It doesn't mean that these things will leave me penniless {as most follow-your-heart directions are cliched to}. It means that I am filling my heart with happiness so that my mind can function well. Well, well enough to keep me earning my keep, too.
But ultimately, I follow my heart so my mind know which directions to take, which roads to tread, whether to fight or take flight, to know if the things I do every single day, the tasks I cross of each list I make are worth it.
So this is what I do: every single day, I do something that falls under the category of "Following My Heart" and so far, everything I've done has been making me happy. These are the things that I look back into before going to sleep and think that my day will never be a waste if only for that matter. Revolutionary Road taught us that the little things we sacrifice everyday make up for the huge loss that's going to be in our lives. This lesson I wouldn't want to learn myself.
When was the last time you followed your heart?
xx