Many of us have been faced with this question. Here’s a great article from our partner Wai K from JMC Coach Mastery on whether to Follow the Head or the Heart! Happy reading…
Have you ever felt that you need to do certain things in life and yet find it difficult to because of a conflict and confusion within? Does your heart nudges you in one direction and your head says otherwise? If yes, you are not alone. Instinctively, the role of our head (brain) is to find ways to keep us safe from physical harm and emotional hurt. It has an incredible ability to anticipate failure and imagine the worse possible situation. Hence, we experience anxieties and fear.
The heart on the other hand, has the wisdom to inform us of what is right and wrong. It is the seat for passion and compassion. It nudges us to move forward and grow which, sometimes, conflicts with the head, which wants us to stay in our comfort zone, status quo and be safe.
Do you know that our heart and our head communicates with each other through the vagus nerve? In these conversations, the brain shouts while our heart whispers. So, guess who wins most of the time? Our head is masterful in painting a scary future, littered with failure, pain and embarrassments.
We have somehow learned to believe that these imaginations are true (despite the promise of a brighter future). It is skilful in justifying and offering great reasons why we shouldn’t venture out of our comfort zone.
So what do you do when the head’s fabrication of fear overpowers the heart’s passion to grow? One way is to ask, “What am I assuming to be true that is creating this fear? Identify them and then ask, “What if my assumptions are not true, what will I do?”
My invitation is for you to consider listening to your heart for directions and using your head to help you get there rather than just relying on the head to make all the decisions. Find that balance. If the heart wants it and the head thinks it makes sense but is afraid, find a way to explore further. If the head thinks it makes sense but the heart is uncomfortable, pause and listen deeper to the heart. Since the heart only whispers, pay closer attention to the whispers and nudges. Take heed of the direction that it is guiding you towards. Use the head to plan and help you get there (not to stop you from getting there).
You know that the heart has a message for you when you feel guilt, discomfort or dis-ease. Our emotions are our teachers. Notice how the head might intervene and look for logical reasons to, sometimes, redirect that discomfort through blame and justifications towards another person or situation. Then, summons up your courage. It is this strength that is needed most when our head disagrees with our heart. When we are able to have our head and heart collaborate, we will experience freedom, peace and authenticity.
What has been your experience?
Wai K, MCC (www.jmcconsult.com)