Playing by Heart

By Debra Markert

My brain gets too loud.  Personally, I’m torn between dreaming and seeking with my heart, and thinking and analyzing with my head.  Truly I am an Aquarius who was raised by a Virgo; my carefree dreams come naturally, while my logic and organization have been instilled.  At times they coexist peacefully and perfectly, and other times one stages a royal coup de tat over the other.

Last night, I had a difficult decision to make.  My heart was telling me one thing, my head another. The fight between the two was so loud, and so overwhelming, that the only way to gain perspective was to sit and silently listen to both. 

I rarely meditate, but when I actually do, the benefits are immediate and profound.  So yesterday I gathered my sage, went into the bedroom, and started my mission.  The goal was to clear my brain, so that my heart could be heard.  The heart, I believe, is there to rule us spiritually; conversely, the brain rules us socially.  The world we live in, with all its norms and requirements, is not a place for the heart to speak; we have to create our own safe-haven in order to be guided by our inner voice.

As I sat there, introspectively, a sense of calm and wonder swept over me.  I felt relaxed, safe, and loved.  So often I only concern myself with only helping others, and I wind up completely overlooking myself.  I need to focus on understanding that taking time out for me is not selfish, it’s not greedy, and it’s not a waste of effort; it’s mandatory.  The adage of you cannot love another until you love yourself rings truer and truer the more I reflect, and the deeper I dig.

My heart did more than speak last night, it sang.  And as I closed my eyes and listened to its lyrics, I fell in love with the melody.  I heard a world where hearts rule.  I heard everyone reaching their highest potential, without fear of failure or material downfall.  I heard nurturing and harmony between the masses.

My decision was made, and the social-induced arguments my brain had set forth seemed almost ridiculous in comparison to my heart’s natural rebuttal.  Imagine if we were able to reflect on every decision in such a fashion.  Imagine a world where hearts rule…