To listen to your heart, start by becoming aware of its beat and the messages behind it, because your heart often interprets your true feelings before your mind can explain them. So many people think that their minds are responsible for decision-making. But before you “make up your mind,” are you aware of the importance of listening to your heart?

Your heart is your alter ego, your secondary or alternative personality, and, if you let her, she can also be your trusted friend. For anyone facing an important life decision or trying to connect more honestly with inner feelings and intuition, learning to hear those signals can make your path through life less bumpy. It is a truism that the mysteries of the heart send our minds our true feelings. Your first goal is to listen to the beat.

In the reflections that follow, I look at why the heart matters in decision-making, how to recognize its signals, and what can happen when you follow—or ignore—what it is telling you in love, change, and other turning points.

I must admit that, as a young woman, it did not dawn on me that my heart gave me a heads up. Isn’t that ironic? As I blossomed into womanhood, I realized that my heart was the barometer of my true feelings, and listening to it brought more peace than forcing answers with my mind alone.

Sometimes, a feeling arrives like a familiar song. You may not understand the lyrics immediately, but something inside you recognizes the meaning. Like music, the heart can communicate in ways that words cannot always explain.

My Heart Serves Me Best: How to Look Sharp Inside and Out

As the years went by, I became wiser as I continued to navigate through the rainbows and storms of life. I realized that when I listened to my heart, I was happiest with the outcome.

After reading one of my favorite books by Paulo Coelho, “The Alchemist,” I figured it out…

My heart is my interpreter, my teacher, my personal messenger. She delivers, through her rhythmic beats, my authentic feelings. My heart is truly prophetic… and so is yours! Learn to become aware of her beat because it will always guide you in the right direction.

I notice my heartbeats quietly when I feel I have a good topic for my musings, signaling contentment. Sometimes a simple little piece of music can create the same feeling, bringing back a memory or a moment from the past.

She beats rapidly when something wonderful occurs, like finding a beautiful new perfume scent, signaling happiness.

She flutters when I lay eyes on my husband, Sheldon Good, signaling feelings of deep love and respect. There is something powerful about the way love falls into our lives when we least expect it.

I remember she seemed to stop and then restart when my doctor told me I had cancer, sending a message of fear throughout my body.

I felt the sigh of despair in my heart when I lost my late husband, as I did when I lost my father.

And, of course, all of us feel a rupture in our hearts when disappointment strikes and we feel we are being wronged.

When the Heart Gives You a Sign

There are moments when the heart seems to know something before we consciously understand it. Perhaps you wake in the middle of the night with a sudden realization, or perhaps you see something that makes you smile and reminds you of someone you love.

These moments can feel like a sign. They may not always make logical sense, but they can reveal an important truth about what we want, what we fear, and what we value.

I have learned to look for those quiet signals rather than dismiss them. They may come through a memory, a familiar notion, a feeling in your eyes, or even the way your body responds to a particular situation.

The heart can be remarkably sharp when it comes to recognizing what feels right and what does not. And when you look sharp—both inside and out—you become better at recognizing the difference between genuine intuition and temporary emotion.

Love, Memories, and the Music of Life

Music has a remarkable way of connecting us to our personal history. One particular album, artist, or song can bring an entire chapter of life rushing back in an instant.

For some, it might be Roxette playing in the background of a memorable evening. For someone else, it might be a song associated with a first love, a wedding, a friendship, or a family celebration.

Perhaps that is why certain songs feel as though they contain a piece of our lives. We hear the opening notes and suddenly we’re transported somewhere else. A familiar melody can turn the past into something we can almost touch.

I believe our hearts work in much the same way. They store the people, experiences, joys, disappointments, and dreams that have built us into who we are.

So when your heart speaks, listen.

You don’t always have to understand the message immediately. You don’t have to have every answer. Sometimes you simply need to pause, breathe, and notice what is happening inside you.

Your heart may be telling you to stay. It may be telling you to go. It may be reminding you that you still have room for love, joy, adventure, and new beginnings.

And if your heart whispers that heaven turns its face toward you after a difficult season, allow yourself to believe in that possibility.

Because your heart has been with you through it all. It has carried every loss, celebrated every joy, remembered every little piece of happiness, and continued beating through every unexpected turn.

That is why I have learned one of life’s most important lessons:

Listen to your heart.

My Philosophy

Dear readers of mine, we are all at times confronted with making important decisions. I know it takes courage. Maybe you are considering a big move, thinking about a divorce, facing a seemingly unsolvable situation with your child, breaking off a relationship with people who have disappointed you by their unkind actions, or trying to choose the right doctor because you are faced with a serious illness.

First and foremost…listen to your heart. She is the true barometer of your feelings. Many times, there is a contest between your heart and your mind. My philosophy: Go with your heart. She is your guiding light in making the right judgment call. Be brave enough to listen to her and she will reward you with true inner peace.

Have You Mastered the Ability to Listen to Your Heart?

How has she best served you? Please share, darling.  I would so love to hear from you either on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram or in the comments section below.

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