What's So Important About the Heart?
By Dr. Loyd White
Love and compassion are the very foundation of fully functioning individuals, families, communities of vitality, and ever deepening interpersonal relationships. Although the qualities leading to highly effective people and organizations are often dismissed or trivialized in our world we must involve ourselves in environments and participate in programs providing each human with these qualities of great leaders. In order to nurture our true being we must connect ourselves to fellow travelers walking the same path. This is a path taken by the most experienced human relations experts in the world today.
By carefully choosing your path with the confidence, you are traveling with other pathfinders and you will meet your desires and receive what you deserve in life. Albeit, you will at times be up against social persuasion and a society missing the principles and key topics for wholesome living and abundance.
The heart must become preeminent for the sake of abandoning the self-centeredness that was a byproduct of each person's childhood and may have become a permanent way of viewing life when entering adolescence and beyond. As adults it's important to break ties with self-centeredness, and more often get out of our heads, while entering the arena for action so that our hearts and inner spirits become the ultimate personal guide.
Breaking through to these deeper aspects of the human organism is a path of reintegration so each aspect of the self is working to the advantage of the others. As this takes place we discover the depth of our personal callings in life and ably harmonize our various life environments. As we move toward becoming more pure in heart we are able to tame counterproductive and ineffective emotions, and move steadily away from fear, worry, and doubt into a state of love for self and others.
People who experience increased purity find it is recovered during times influenced by less thought and mind chatter. These times of stillness lead humans into a more insightful and intuitive way of living corresponding to our true and essential nature. You will embrace deeper truths and find the courage to live by them. The heart is central to integrity and as we open our hearts more deeply we also connect with those inner intelligences vital to productive living.
The Typical Focus Placed Upon the Heart
A major concern of most people seems to be on heart health. For example: high levels of cholesterol, irregular heart rhythm, and incoming stressors leading to a pressurized heart and body system. These are very vital concerns yet the other side must also be considered as primary to healthy and wholesome living. That is living with a sense of self-understanding and taking on daily activities of personal, organizational and professional exchanges from a viewpoint of the self and in consideration of others.
At times we must evaluate whether it was a heart-rending act, or merely a hard line business decision. What accentuates our potential in every environment of our lives is when we consider our feelings for others while making bottom line decisions. Awareness of our physical health and well being has great significance and ongoing activities of exercise and wise nutritional habits will extend our lives; however, knowledge of the heart must also include a holistic approach for integrating the emotional/feeling aspects of daily life along with a focus upon the physical. The way we speak to ourselves and others can lead to greater mind/body health and this includes the cognitive/emotional as well as physical concerns.
Helpful Hints Regarding Your Heart
In the past we have participated in and conducted various workshops that describe heart problems as a "disease of isolation." This corresponds to those who conceal their worries and frustrations, as well as various concerns, and do not share these inner thoughts with anyone. This often impacts the immune system just because, "I hold things in and posture differently than what is actually going on down inside of me." Discounting what is taking place inside, as well as frustrations and raging anger, all impact the physical heart.
Through forms of yoga and meditation, perhaps a Tibetan Buddhist meditation program, and methods we will share, begin to calm us so we are more aware of the importance of our lives and how we impart this to others. This also corresponds to a change in living patterns as we become focused on this moment in time and no longer are caught up in past struggles invading our presence. It takes a little while to utilize mechanisms that get us past earlier struggles, things we may not even be aware of, and begin accepting life within the present moment. You sure will sleep better.
Well known people who are human relations experts such as, Eckhardt Tolle, Deepak Chopra, Roy Masters and many others place a major focus on living in the now. Living in the now is the capacity to recognize and delete past knee jerk reactions, that is symptomatic behaviors, as we turn reactions into responses of positive expression. Another reactive pattern is to be overly focused upon tomorrow and when expectations do not meet what your head wants-reality turns out differently than what you have wished for - you can get very down.
Remember that there are mechanisms for change often defying the social realities we have been programmed with that keep us overly tied to the thinking, analyzing side of the brain. Thus, there are mechanisms, such as ongoing meditation assisting us in calming down, living in the present moment and accepting life as it is right now. Obviously this takes a great deal of objectivity, but provides resolution from traumas, neglect, and past experiences leading to subjective emotional incidents that people can now learn to step back from. Situations that bind us up, pull our shoulders up toward our necks, increasing shallow breathing patterns and enhancing the heart rate.
When we have greater self-understanding, we are able to transition through daily activities by being more flexible and resilient. We begin to make decisions - both personal and business ones - from the heart instead of merely from the head. Heart-rending decisions enable our true leadership capacities to take charge while also staying connected to our heads - the origin of reason. Ask yourself, "Are my decisions more analytical and business like, or does my sense of compassion also surface as a starting point for everyday actions?" Choices beginning with the heart are a measure of greater self-understanding and are under the umbrella of "creative personal responsibility," aligning you with the natural positive forces of all life.
Loyd White, Ph.D. created a Financial Health Foundation and a Foundation for Human Intimacy. He has also served as a College and University professor, is still teaching today, with a major focus on creating healthy leadership models. He believes that all human institutions and collective endeavors require healthy leadership to thrive.