Living With an Open Heart

Living with an open heart seems to have its advantages and disadvantages. If we don’t want to hurt or experience painful emotions, it may seem like a logical choice to guard and protect our hearts. Who wants to feel pain? Certainly not me! It is easy to buy into the notion that to erect walls around our hearts can prevent hurt from overwhelming us and can keep tears from flowing - unfortunately, it is not all that effective.

I think I avoided shedding any tears for over a decade. My heart felt pretty protected. I thought it a compliment when people called me the Ice Queen. However, I suffered constant colds, bronchitis and flues. A healer told me it was from repressed grief....and I needed to cry – a lot. I did not want to heed her advice, or even allow one tear to fall and resisted it for as long as I could. However, the circumstances of my life became so overwhelming I finally cracked; the dam broke, and a torrential downpour of tears ensued. I felt my heart break into a billion pieces as tragedy after tragedy presented in my life. I thought the tears would never stop, but eventually they slowed down and an interesting thing started to happen. I started to feel more alive, my health started to improve, and there were brief glimpses of happiness.


As I was meditating one day I asked the question: “How can I be happy?” The response was: “Allow your heart to guide you home.” And isn’t that what we all want? A sense of being home? I have come to know my heart as my best friend and unfailing inner compass that always knows “true north.” I used to think my emotions were the enemy and that sadness made me vulnerable. But in truth, my heart and my feelings are my best friends. When we shut our hearts down to one end of the emotional spectrum, (sadness, grief, anger) we shut off to the other end, (joy, happiness, love). The very walls we erect around our hearts to keep out hurt and pain, also keeps out love, happiness and that sense of connection we so desperately want. I have come to know this quote from Deepak Chopra to be a great truth: “The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers.”


I now live with an open heart and highly recommend it to others. Of course it takes great courage and commitment, but the rewards for saying YES to this adventure are beyond words. I believe opening my heart has not only helped me manifest an incredible relationship with a remarkable man, I have deep authentic friendships, I connect easily with people I meet every day, animals and kids love me, and I have a sense of profound love, connection and support from the Universe. I am open and able to receive guidance from my heart and the universe, Guidance = God, You and I dance!


How open is your heart? Is it open only sometimes and only to certain people? Are you ready to say yes and open it a little wider? Perhaps expanding your heart will make you a little bit more tender, and perhaps the tears may be closer to the surface at times, but you will also experience a deeper sense of fulfillment, connection, synchronicity and lots more laughter....and don’t you think that is why we said yes to this crazy human adventure? I sure do!


Here are some simple techniques that can support you in opening your heart. Center your awareness in the middle of your heart, allow yourself to relax into a place of comfort, and then with each breath you take, imagine it starting to open wider and wider. Perhaps you can see it as a flower coming into full bloom, or feel it as a flame that grows larger and larger. You can also think of someone or something that you love, a person, an animal, or a place in nature that gives you a sense of awe, wonder and beauty. Listening to music that you love can also expand your heart. You can also pray and ask Spirit or God to open your heart more fully. I also believe the act of creativity can open our hearts...especially drawing or painting mandalas. I do one or more of these things each day to support me in residing my heart space.


Please be in touch with your thoughts, feelings, heart musings and heart expanding suggestions, I would LOVE to hear from you! And may you experience today with an open heart and be blessed with great miracles!