Going Deeper in Knowing Next Steps: What is the Mind Without the Heart?

I had the privilege to share an hour of coaching with a colleague.  She coached me the first 25 minutes, then I coached her. 

I love being on the receiving side of coaching.  Coaching is a powerful experience.  And, she provided me the space to get clear on the approach I wanted to take with some of my writing goals.  But for most of the session I was stuck in my head, spinning around and around and putting incredible pressure on myself.  Suddenly I realized, I needed to connect to my heart.  What was it that was really best for me right now?  Was it time to push for completion on the project or, was I to allow the book to emerge in the best time?

When I went into my heart space, the dark clouds of inner pressure suddenly parted.  I knew clearly that this book would be born.  I decided on an approach that fit my current schedule.  I chose to do the work from an energy of joy and peace rather than forcing it to come together.

Funnily enough, as I coached my friend, she was dealing with a similar dynamic.  She had gotten stuck in her head, worried that she had to approach completing some of her professional goals like all the other people around her.   As she verbally expressed the inner conflict, I reminded her of her heart. 

She moved from the mental question of "What SHOULD I do?" to the heart question of, "What do I really desire to do?"  Letting go of the pressure she had been putting on herself to meet up to external expectations brought her back to peace.  She saw the clear set of next steps she really wanted to take.  And, she felt relief.

I've been realizing the power of the heart.  I had grown up learning to figure it all out mentally.  The last few years, however, I began to listen more closely to what I wanted deep down inside myself.  Life has become more of a gentle, loving, compassionate movement forward than a hard-core focused march to achieve.  I still do achieve, but I do so in a much more enjoyable manner.

Notice this week if you find yourself stuck in your head--overthinking things.  Then, go deeper into yourself.  Go down to your heart and your gut.  Listen for whispers of your spirit telling you of what would bring you the most joy on the journey to your vision.

Then, for a little soothing, why not listen to the song Mind vs Heart by Nneka (one of my favorite Nigerian artists):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKE9j6nmYwE .