However, although we have all been taught, or rather, encouraged, to rationalise, none of us have ever been taught to listen to our hearts. Listening to the heart means listening to our gut feel, and then acting upon those feelings, rather than acting upon rational assumption. The rational mind is in fact only the human being’s own inbuilt computer and, just like any computer, it is only as good as the information stored in it. But the information stored in the computer, in the rational mind, is what constitutes one’s view of the world. This view of the world is based mostly upon preconceived ideas and prejudices, and is therefore quite literally the way in which we have become conditioned into looking at everything in our lives, including what it is to be male.
Because people have become conditioned into living in their heads, that conditioning, which is part of their view of the world, has had the effect of breeding in them the desire to rationalise, in an attempt to justify wrong action. As a result, few people really know how to listen to their hearts. Instead they engage in endless internal chatter that goes round and round in the mind indefinitely. But clearly, that internal chatter has got nothing to do with listening to your heart.
As paradoxical as it may appear, listening to the heart, as opposed to rationalising, is in fact what constitutes true thinking. The academics of this world do not like to admit it, but the truth of the matter is that all so-called “great minds” act upon feeling. Irrespective of whether it is a new invention, a remarkable discovery in science, a musical composition or a great work of art, the creativity that has led to such works has its origin in feeling. Only once that feeling has been translated into a mental vision of what can be, does the inventor, scientist, composer or artist use the rational mind to work out the practicalities involved in materialising his vision.
When we try to listen to the heart it is crucial that we cultivate the good habit of always looking upon our life as one whole, that has both meaning and purpose. If we do not do this, then our life always appears to be a mixed bag of unrelated mishaps and luck that seems to make no real sense at all, and if we see our life in terms of a mixed bag of odds and sods, then it is clear that we cannot possibly glean any real sense of purpose, let alone gain a vision of our fate. So we need to take stock of all of our life’s experience. In so doing, we must keep striving for that openness of heart that allows us to sense, to feel, the connecting threads running throughout our life. These threads will not only point out clearly what is really taking place in our lives, but they will also inspire in us the sense of purpose that will ultimately lead us into fulfilling our fate. In addition to these threads, we are always surrounded by more than enough guidance from the world around us. Therefore, all we have to do in following the threads, is to listen to this guidance, by not allowing our view of the world to close us off from what we can sense is our purpose and our fate.
December: True Thinking
