Certainly, one of the keys to personal growth and development is self-awareness – to know one’s self inside and out. Only by understanding who we are, what we want, what motivates us, and what holds us back can we make meaningful changes that progress us towards being who we aspire to be and having the life we aspire to have.
In the first 3 months of 2013, I have been exposed to a number of different sources that focus on empowerment of the individual. One of them has been through a book written several years ago by a professional musician with an incredible zest for life. Another has been from a coaching conference I attended that talked about the discipline of which I am a part and how coaches both relate to their clients and to the principles they have learned. A third was through an excellent course that has helped me more closely get in touch with my values. During the month of April the writings that I will be providing through my blogs and newsletters will be very closely focused on these themes. They are directly tied to this month’s quote which was one of those featured in the values course. The quote is as follows, and is directly tied into the concept of self-awareness. It reads: “The brain gives the heart sight. The heart gives the brain vision.”
We tend to live in a world that lives more from its head, than its heart. That is not to say the brain is not an important part of our life. Our brain stores all of our knowledge and life experiences. It helps make many of our everyday body functions such as breathing, walking, sitting and talking happen almost “automatically.” However, the heart is the place where your values and aspirations lie. It is where your true personality, spirit and character lie. When you deny your heart, most often unconsciously than consciously, you tend to lose those characteristics that come from it.
Think about where you are at present in your life. Are you obsessed with the local news headlines, (which most likely are presented to you in a very negative way)? Do you beat yourself up for what you have not accomplished, as opposed to recognizing that which you have accomplished? Are you in job search and have convinced yourself you will “never” find a job because your attempts to date have not been successful? These and other situations like them cut at the very spirit of who you are. Often they’re forced on you by the world around you. They’re a product of operating exclusively from within your head and not using all that is available to you.
As you move through the month of April, look to have your brain and heart work hand in hand. They really do both want to work that way. Yes, the brain will provide you the knowledge and experiences that you need to make a well informed decision. However, the heart will provide you the awareness of how you, based on your unique talents and gifts, want to address each and every situation with which you come in contact. Whether it is by turning off the voices of others and practicing and preparing to be the best you can at an activity, or make a list of intentions and determining the steps you will give attention to make them come true, let April and the first full month of spring be the time for new developments to bloom in your life. You have a brain and you have a heart. Use them both in harmony to be who you aspire to be and live the life you aspire to have.
