Where there is fear in the heart, there is confusion in the mind. Likewise, where there is smoke, fire is often sure to follow. Emotional crises in our lives sometimes cause a loss of balance, rationale, and sensibility. Our psychological alarm collides with our physical feelings to confound our poor bewildered brains. During these moments of intense inconvenience, none of us really know what’s going on. How then are we supposed to be objective when our passions are so powerful and our preferences so pronounced?

Passion is the heartbeat of life. It pulsates through the veins to the blood that penetrates to the heart. Your heart is the operator. It regulates every emotion it encounters be it pride and desire, love and hate, pleasure, pressure, or pain. When feelings are running high, our emotions get the better of our intellect. We say things we don’t mean, things we ought not to say and sometimes, make impassioned announcements that leave a lasting impression. It is easier to get into an argument than to openly and honestly talk about matters that matter. What is often overlooked is that our fears, hurts, and resentments can become healed if we choose to discuss them with a brave heart and a sympathetic soul.

Nobody is ever right about everything all the time. Nor is anyone ever unremittingly wrong. Even the wisest and most experienced will make mistakes, as will the most misguided and unwise have occasional success. In knowing this, perhaps we can better understand the faithful function of the heart.

The heart is fragile yet free; sensitive yet strong. And as with everything, with the heart, timing is critical. Just as a first responder manages an emergency call, the heart serves as our first responder to emotional emergencies. The heart is our ultimate survival kit and needs to be steady and strong in order to get blood where it needs to flow. Each time a section of the heart contracts, it forces blood from one point to another, just as we obligate where and how we wish our energies to take course. This is just as important for our mental stability as it is to our physical existence. Whether you are going through the upheaval of a relationship, a medical diagnosis, the challenge of economics or a divorce, the survival mentality is a reflex you can master.

The rhythm of the heart guides us in many ways. Passion originates from the soul of the heart while logic ascends from the brain. The mind is quick – but the heart is quicker. First, we feel something. Nanoseconds later, we deliver a clever explanation for why we feel it. It is never the other way around. No matter how smart we are, our cover stories rarely reflect the true reasons for our deeds and actions. That’s because passion is our heart’s magnet. It’s what keeps the rhythm moving.

The heart is our greatest resource. Over the decades, numerous albums and lyrics have been written to remind us of the rhythm of the heart and its’ deep-rooted power. The heart is intrinsically connected to the physical, psychological, emotional, mental, and spiritual properties of who we are. When we are in pain, cold, thirsty, brokenhearted or exhausted, little else matters. Too many things to tend to. Our heart warns us that we’ve got an issue to address. Until it is dealt with, it is hard for us to function. When we allow the issue to become greater than the resolve, like a heart-attack, it can overtake us. Some people bounce back from adversity while others are consumed by it. Different people cope in different ways. What is most important is the speed at which we recover from it. The heart must then be unblocked, rebooted, and restored once more.

What is your heart’s emergency? Listen to what it’s telling you when the alarms sound off. You are stronger than you think. Lead with your head but listen with your heart.

Be kind to the one you love! Happy Sweetheart’s Day Sweethearts, February 14, 2015

Love and Light for your Tuesday!