Hope

We all have desires in our heart that keep us pressing forward to the next day. For some of us, they are upfront for all the world to see, screaming through our body language, waiting to be embraced by others. And for others, it might be buried in the clutter, long forgotten and removed.

Most of the treasures in our heart are not so different from others. In fact, I think we all are similar in our needs to be satisfied and feel validated. The physical conditions of the heart is known by medical experts, but the desires of the heart can only be felt and are more complex to understand. There are thousands of metaphors about this epic organ that have stood the test of time. You have probably heard many of them and wrestled with them first hand. Some of my favorites spoken to me during my hard decision-making times and the ones I still ask myself are:

Should I follow my heart or my head?

Oh, but they have a big heart.
Home is where the heart is.
My heart feels so heavy.
I should speak from the heart.
I poured out my heart to someone.
I have a weak spot in my heart for that person or a cause that draws me.
My head is saying this, but my heart says something else.

We’ve all heard these clichés and use them when the situations seems right to make us feel better about our decisions, as if our brain operates out of our heart. We all know the brain is where we make decisions, but the “happy place” dwells in the heart. So we strive to continue to keep the connection between the two places in alignment through agreement.

Any list of “heart” expression can quickly highlight aspects of human relationships and personalities: attitudes, social behavior, fear, love, acceptance, rejection, and the list goes on and on. The messages of the heart are not yet understood by leading top professionals today, but there is agreement among the group that the HEAD & HEART work together in unity for a persons well-being. This is clear in the damage that stress, anxiety, depression can do to the human heart. The pharmaceutical world is getting rich on this factoid, just look at the millions of people who are taking drugs daily for heart sickness that’s not physical.

The great news is that just as the negative in our life beats up our heart, the positive emotions repairs it and keeps it healthy. We are humans not robots! The heart feels stuff, intangible things like love, kindness, laughter and joy. Did you know that when you are laughing and happy your arteries respond more productively as compared to being stressed out where the arteries constrict? This is a great reason to laugh more and look for funny movies and upbeat influencers to be around in your life. When the heart is at peace and happy, the body seems to regulate at a higher endurance. Scheduling stress free time is necessary and proven that we need it.

Since I began my journey writing, I have discovered many things about myself and about others. Having the time to stop and listen to the trials of others, I have noticed patterns that seems to bother everyone on some level. Every heart has deep needs and probably not so different from some of your very own. I decided to make a list, here is the top 5 desires.

1. The need to feel loved by someone. To be happy and fulfilled with healthy relationships.

2. Approval and acceptance by others, at least someone. Trying to escape loneliness.

3. Recognition or acknowledgment of moving in the right direction for improvement. A positive encourager or friend.

4. The idea of HOPE and the belief it exists for them, no matter how small the amount.

5. The belief that there is a God up there who can hear their prayers and watch over them. Faith.

I believe Helen Keller understood the heart matter and she left us this quote.

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt by the heart”

What are the desires of your heart? Do you know anymore; are you living them out loud?

February, the month of love is on the horizon, how will you share the love?

Love

Donna George 🙂

With all the New Year’s planning, goal setting, and hoopla finished – how is it all working out for you? Hopefully, you are well on your way to developing some new habits or at least courageously moving in a positive direction towards them.

2014 Resolutions

Whether your resolutions were major or minor, January remains the month with a hopeful forecast for most people. It’s a time when renewed commitment meets good intentions and rides the wave of determination. So hold on a second, and read further.

A few things to consider about your resolutions before you beat yourself up:

Resolutions are usually overrated and even the smartest among us get it wrong every year – so there some encouragement to keep your hope afloat.
Most of us pressure ourselves for goals without careful thought, consideration and preparation which sets us up for failure.
And – most of us look back instead of looking forward to measure our progress. Hmm, did I really say that?
No ones knows what’s in the future when you are setting your goals for a brand new year. Resolutions are more like prophesying to ourselves that we are going to do something, and that is the motivation that helps us follow through with the plan. But let’s face it, we don’t have a crystal ball and stuff happens, it’s called ‘life’.

So knowing this about our natural human behavior patterns, I put my own spin on evaluating change and decided its best to keep my eyes on the goal, not the means of how I get there.

Another important point to keep in mind is that we often make decisions based on what we have experienced in the past. Our past is like a safety net that we know is there, and it has a proven track record. It’s a beautiful thing that helps to shape who we are, and gives of life lessons. One of my favorite quotes –

“you can look back, just don’t stare”. (keep moving forward)

First things first, its healthier to make plans instead of predictions. We get distracted and bored with long-term commitments and then we lose sight of the quest. Think baby steps, know that you will fall down, but plan to get back up.

And then we rush to get our list together – because everyone is talking about resolutions and we get swept up in the excitement. Hey, it’s fun, why not…

Just remember, we are still in january so don’t give up yet! Everybody gets off track, distracted, and bored. At the end of the day, the resolve is in the day-to-day journey.