In a world that often prioritizes conformity and playing it safe, following your heart has become a revolutionary act. It requires leaving behind the familiar and comfortable, and facing emotional challenges like pain, grief, and uncertainty head-on. But as the great poet Rumi once said, “The wound is the place where the light enters you.” By embracing these challenges as opportunities for growth, we can unlock a life beyond our wildest dreams.
This week, I’d like to offer some practical tools and advice to help you navigate the journey of following your heart. We’ll explore how to leave behind your past self, cope with the inability to turn back, and surrender to a higher possibility. Because now more than ever, the world needs more people like you who are willing to step into their authentic truth and live a life of purpose. Let’s dive in.
When my Portuguese grandfathers left the Island of Madeira in 1860 to settle in Georgetown, British Guyana, they knew in their hearts that they might never be able to return to their homeland or see their loved ones again. Sadly, they never did. However, more than a hundred years later, many future generations of Gonsalves visit the island of Madeira each year to honor their courageous ancestors who ventured into an uncertain New World.
Their story reminds us that following your heart often means making difficult sacrifices. But it’s through these sacrifices that we discover what truly matters and find the strength to create a life of meaning. As you embark on your own journey, remember that you’re part of a long lineage of brave souls who dared to listen to their inner voice and followed their hearts.
Leaving Behind Your Past Self
The first major challenge of following your heart is leaving behind the person you once were, so that you can become the person you’re destined to be. As writer Brianna Wiest put it, “The price of authenticity is the discomfort of shedding your old skin.”
As you move forward in the direction of your heart, expect everything that is not aligned with your new path to fall away. This can be painful, as it may include releasing behaviors, places, and people who no longer resonate with who you’re becoming. However, by practicing self-compassion, cultivating a support system, and setting clear boundaries, you can navigate this process with greater ease.
Practical advice:
- Practice self-compassion: Recognize that letting go is a necessary part of growth. Be gentle with yourself and avoid self-judgment.
- Cultivate a support system: Surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you to be your best self. Their encouragement will give you strength.
- Set boundaries: Protect your time and energy by saying no to anything that doesn’t align with your values or support your growth.
- Create a ritual: Develop a ritual to honor your past self and consciously let go, like writing a letter of gratitude and release or holding a small ceremony. This helps create a sense of closure.
Embracing the Inability to Turn Back
In addition to shedding your past self, another difficulty of following your heart is accepting that you can’t turn back. With each step forward, the old life you knew fades further into the distance. But as author Cheryl Strayed wrote, “Forward is the direction of real life.”
Even if you could go back, you’d likely realize that you no longer belong in that old world. You’ve grown too much. The only way out is through – and on the other side awaits a life greater than you ever imagined possible. By embracing change, practicing heart coherence, and leaning on your support system, you’ll find the courage to keep going, even when the path ahead is uncertain.
Practical advice:
- Embrace change: Trust that change is bringing you closer to your ultimate destiny, even if it feels uncomfortable in the moment. Reframe challenges as opportunities for growth and learning.
- Practice heart coherence: Regularly tune into your heart through practices like deep breathing, meditation, and spending time in nature. This will help you stay grounded and connected to your inner wisdom. Start with just 5 minutes a day and build up from there.
- Lean on your support system: During times of doubt, turn to your loved ones and community for strength and encouragement. Be vulnerable and honest about your struggles. Remember that you don’t have to walk this path alone.
- Celebrate small victories: Acknowledge and celebrate each step forward, no matter how small. This will help build momentum and remind you that you’re making progress, even when things feel hard.
Surrendering to a Higher Possibility
Perhaps the most challenging part of following your heart is surrendering your plans and desires to a higher possibility. This means releasing attachment to a specific outcome and trusting that God, Spirit, or the universe has a plan for you – one that’s even better than you could imagine.
In the words of spiritual teacher Eckhart Tolle, “Sometimes surrender means giving up trying to understand and becoming comfortable with not knowing.” It’s in the space of not knowing that we create room for miracles to unfold.
As you navigate the ups and downs of following your heart, remember that your pain, grief, and uncertainty are not just part of the human experience – they’re signs that you’re evolving into a higher version of yourself. Keep showing up, asking for guidance, and trusting the journey. Little by little, you’ll discover that you’re being led to a life beyond your wildest dreams.
Practical advice:
- Practice self-care: Prioritize your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being through practices like getting enough sleep, eating nourishing foods, moving your body, and spending time in nature.
- Ask for guidance: Lean into your faith and trust that a higher power is supporting you. Pray, meditate, journal, or simply have conversations with the divine, asking for clarity and direction.
- Trust the process: Cultivate patience and trust that even the challenges are happening for your highest good. Surrender to the mystery and allow yourself to be pleasantly surprised.
- Look for signs: Pay attention to synchronicities, repeated messages, or sudden opportunities that arise. These can be signs that you’re on the right path, even if it’s not the path you originally envisioned.
- Practice acceptance: When faced with unexpected challenges or detours, practice accepting what is. Resisting reality only creates more suffering. Instead, focus on what you can control – your own attitude and actions.
Following Your Heart: My Personal Journey
I’ve experienced the challenges and rewards of following my heart firsthand. In 2007, I made the difficult decision to leave behind my comfortable life in Los Angeles and start over in South Africa.
As I gave up my apartment, said goodbye to friends, and boarded the plane, I knew there was no going back. In South Africa, everything was unfamiliar at first. But as I embraced the discomfort, a new version of myself began to emerge. It was painful to let go of my old identity, but as I surrendered, new possibilities and opportunities arose.
Step by step, I was led to where I am today – living in southern Spain, running a professional coaching business, and dedicated to helping others follow their hearts. The more I’ve followed my own heart, the better guide I’ve become for others on the path.
As a Heart Leader, our jobs is not to create more followers, but to create more leaders. Because the world doesn’t need more people blindly following others – it needs more brave individuals who are willing to follow their own hearts, forge new paths, and shine their unique lights.
The World Needs Your Light
Following your heart will always involve some degree of discomfort. And in a world that’s so full of darkness, we desperately need more people who are willing to do the hard thing and shine their light.
So as you continue on your path, remember this: Your courage ripples out and touches more lives than you can possibly know. By following your heart, facing discomfort, and embracing your authentic truth, you give others permission to do the same. You become a way-shower, a pioneer, a light in the darkness.
So keep listening to the whispers of your heart. Surrender to the mystery of life. Trust the journey. And know that with each step along your heart path, you’re not only healing yourself – you’re helping to heal the world.
From my heart to yours,
