The mind and the heart

When making decisions we can find ourselves in a dilemma between what we want and what, we believe, will be most beneficial for us. It is about the eternal struggle between the mind and the heart that we all face at some point.

Within each of us live two realities: one that tells us about impulses and desires, and another that brings us closer to logic and prudence.. To have a balanced existence we must develop the ability to combine both directions and find a common point. Guiding ourselves only by one of them will lead us to chaos or frustration.

The heart’s power

The heart symbolizes our most primitive, childish and free part. It drives us to act in an uninhibited, spontaneous and natural way. The heart does not value risks: it feels the intensity of desire and moves to achieve it. He doesn’t understand pride, caution or strategies. It is the force that leads us to fully trust, to surrender, to show ourselves vulnerable and to forgive.

It is the spark of innocence and passion that allows us to enjoy life, get excited and dream. When we follow our heart we feel that everything is possible, that the world is fair and people are full of goodness. The heart screams at us to jump into the void, that we will be able to fly.

Thus, under his command, we are able to abandon that work that does not fulfill us, to risk loving again, to give second chances and forget the pain. However, depending on the occasion, this behavior can be called brave or reckless.

We may achieve success, but we may also come face to face with disappointment. Moving through life without filters can lead us to be hurt, betrayed, and even mistreated. Experience is a degree and we cannot ignore it. We have to learn from it, because perhaps checking if the pool has water before jumping in will be more beneficial than blindly trusting that it will.

The advice of the mind

The mind, for its part, is the voice of sanity, analysis and responsibility. It is formed from the norms received at home and the values ​​transmitted by society. He is the one who urges us to remain seated at school, to have good table manners and to reflect before acting.

The mind compiles the information from each experience and generates a strategy to anticipate the results. In this way, it selects the best way to act based on the expected consequences. On the advice of the mind, the child does not play with the ball inside the house (she knows that this would lead to a reprimand). And in the same way, adults try to use logic in our personal decisions.

The mind alerts us to explore other work alternatives before leaving our job. It urges us to be reluctant to trust again those who betrayed us. It reminds us that the world is not always fair, it is not always easy and that it is our responsibility to take care of ourselves.

In the face, for example, of a harmful relationship, the mind whispers to us “leave” when the heart screams “don’t leave.” The mind reminds us “you deserve respect” while the heart begs us “one last try and everything will change.”

Finding the balance between mind and heart

As we see, Neither the heart nor the mind are infallible. If we cling to the first we can get hurt, but if we cling to the second we can end up living a gray life. Neither caution nor illusion are sufficient by themselves, a combination of both is needed (specific for each case).

Thus, try to stay in touch with both poles of your being. Learn to detect where each message comes from and analyze which of the two tends to have more power over your decisions. Next try to balance them every time you face a dilemma. Enhance that aspect that you have less developed and you will balance the balance.

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