***Living from the Heart

Living from the heart, throwing logic and practicality to the wind, and following the voice of love and inspiration takes strength and courage. But, as we break free from the chains of reason to follow our soul’s callings, a universe of possibilities opens up to us. Unforeseen assistance guides us and supports us on our journey. As a result, our hearts open and expand in love and trust. Strength and courage build and soon we find ourselves living the life of our dreams !
In the movie, Field of Dreams , Kevin Costner hears a voice that tells him to build a baseball field, which would eliminate part of his farm crop and income potential. Listening to the voice instead of logic and reason, Costner builds the field and miracles unfold. At one point in the movie, he is about to lose the farm. Instead of living from fear, he continues to listen to and act upon the voice’s promptings and events continue to transpire beyond his wildest dreams .
Today, my husband, John, and I are in a huge transition with regards to where we will be living and the type of work he will be doing. More than ever, we are living in trust that our path will be revealed to us one step at a time, and that we will continue to be guided and supported to make decisions in alignment with who we are. During this process, the more we are able to let go of control, trust the unknown, and go with the flow, the more our decisions are confirmed. For example, John left his job, and the very next week, we received an offer on our house. Further, within days, my business picked up to new levels of prosperity that I had not previously experienced. It was like the Universe was saying, “Yes! Yes! You are on the right path!”
How do we know when we are following our hearts and making decisions from love instead of fear? For the most part, we feel a deep sense of peace and an inner knowing that our actions are in alignment with who we are. Even though we may not know the details of how things will work out, we are headed in a direction that is true to our values. For example, before selling our house, we created a vision of returning to a simplified lifestyle. Rather than knowing how we will accomplish this vision, the specific steps are being revealed to us one at a time. When living from our hearts, we may also feel a sense of freedom, abundance , excitement and joy along with a childlike feeling of wonder and awe about all of the possibilities. Further, unexpected doors open and synchronistic events transpire to confirm our decisions like the above examples.
Following our hearts, letting go of control and living in the unknown can be scary and uncomfortable at times. Here are some tips for navigating uncertainty:

• Live in the moment. When you start worrying about the future, tell yourself, “I will cross that bridge when I come to it.”
• Take time out of your day to check-in with yourself. Go on a walk, journal, meditate or pray. Tama Kieves, author of This Time I Dance! Creating the Work You Love, says, “Quiet time is nectar for vision and clarity.” We need time to listen to our heart’s callings so we know how and when to move forward.
• Get support! Join a support group or create your own of others who are also going through life transitions. Work with a therapist or life coach who can assist you with listening to and living from your heart, as well as working through fears and obstacles.
• Pray to be shown the next step and trust it will be revealed. You don’t need to see the entire picture to take a small step forward. You never know where it will lead!
• Keep a dream journal. Our subconscious communicates to us through our dreams and often reveals clues for us to follow.
• Remind yourself of all of the resources and blessings that you have in your life including your own strengths and gifts.
• Remember a time in your life when you successfully navigated uncertainty. How did you acquire the courage and strength to be in the unknown? How did you know when it was time to move forward? Where did your inspiration come from?
• Journal for 5-10 minutes answering the question, “What do I know for sure?”
• As you respond to your heart’s callings, ask yourself, “What do I have to gain by saying ‘Yes’?” Write down all of the possibilities for your life!

As we learn to trust the inspiration of our souls to guide us one step at a time, we open ourselves to receiving the exquisite blessings and richness of life.

“The greatest friend of the soul is the unknown.” – John O’Donohue