Yesterday I had a great conversation with a friend of mine. His original question was: How does someone know when they are listening to their heart vs. their head?

From experience, I can say that over time, you can learn to identify whether it is your heart or your mind leading you. I can also say that even with a better understanding, sometimes it can be tricky to tell which is leading.

When your heart is leading you, which is the one you want leading, you are more likely to find discomfort. Often, where you are supposed to go requires change, growth, and faith in the unknown—all of which bring discomfort and fear. Your brain is designed to protect you, which will lead you towards comfort and the status quo. When your mind is leading, the reasoning you tell your Self will make sense, and others will support it because it seems “safer”.

If what you’re considering seems scary and other people don’t understand why you would pursue it, there’s a good chance your heart is leading, and you should follow.

Fear and discomfort are not the only signs to look for when determining if your heart or head is leading.

If your intuition is telling you to pursue something, it is likely your heart leading you, and you should follow.

If the approval of others, thinking of what other people would do, or values that you don’t really align with are telling you to pursue something, it is likely your head leading you, and you should really question if you should follow.

The best way to know whether it’s heart or head is to be living your Authentic Life. When you are your Authentic Self, you know your values, your truths, and, when honest with your Self, you know when it is your heart guiding you versus your head. It’s a knowing that you find deep down—it’s a knowing you know when you know your Self.

I can’t explain to you what that knowing feels like, but I can encourage you to pursue your Authentic Self. It’s in your authenticity that you connect to your Self in a way that you can be honest with your Self about what is controlling your Pursuit.

I wish it were easy, and I wish I could tell you exactly what to look for. But with most things, the answers you seek are within. Only you can learn to decipher whether it is your heart or your head that is leading you.

​
​
​

See you tomorrow and keep pursuing,

JC