I love this quote from Carlos Castaneda:

“Look at every path closely and deliberately. Try it as many times as you
think necessary. Then ask yourself and yourself alone one question.
This question is one that a very old man asks…Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path is good. If it doesn’t it is of no use.”

But what does Carlos mean by “heart” and why does a path need one? 

When I think about following the heart path I’m reminded of a wonderful story a therapist friend told me some time ago.   My friend, when in her 20’s, worked at a summer camp teaching art.  One of her students contacted her years later to tell her how impacted she was by the joyful relaxed feeling she had during art class. This student decided when she left summer camp that in the future she would always base every decision off how she felt in her body.  So, during the course of her life whenever she had to make a choice between two things, she choose the one that made her feel closest to how she felt in summer camp.  Her life had been a joy because she followed her heart rather than all the “oughts,” and “musts”

Anyway, I love this story because it’s a treat to see a young person figure this out so early in life….  So many of us have lost touch with our hearts.   And some of us are fortunate to have life nudge us back into our hearts once in a while, it can be painful, but worth it.  I’m reminded of a painting given to me by a friend which I have in my office by Brian Andreas called different plans.  In the painting there is a poem that reads:

“I don’t know how long I can do this, he said.  I think the universe has different plans for me & we sat there in silence & I thought to myself that this is the thing we all come to & this is  the thing we all fight & if we are lucky enough to lose, our lives become beautiful with mystery again & I sat there silent because that is not something that can be said.”

Wow, I love that every time I read it.  For me, nothing speaks to the power of cracking our hearts open to our true path more than that.  Thanks Brian.

So, what gets in the way of following our hearts?  And how do we resume following our heart?  I have some ideas about both of these, but will hold off until my next post to share more.  Any thoughts you’d like to share? 

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