The adage that suggests follow your heart points us in the direction of our due north; the road toward personal fulfillment. The problem is that sometimes (more often than not) the musings of the heart can become overshadowed by the loud ramblings of the mind as it attempts to get and keep our attention. The key is to train ourselves, or better yet, tune ourselves to the language of the heart.

The mind is a tool and a powerful one at that. Unfortunately, unless we are vigilant, it will assign itself the title of Head Honcho in Charge of You. It will initiate, direct, and control your thought process. It will decide what thoughts are essential and worth repeating. It will tell you what to feel and how to act, without necessary regard to what is in your best interest.

If you want to consciously create and navigate the course of your life, it is vital for you to set the ground rules for who is in charge and become intimately acquainted with how your mind works. This will enable you to hear the whisperings of the heart and receive the wisdom that resides within.

A good place to start is by learning to distinguish between the two voices that speak to you all the time.

The mind will vie to be in the forefront of your awareness. It will speak convincingly of shoulds, have tos and what ifs. It advises from a place of fear, mistrust, and past conditioning, although you may not always interpret it as such. It is relentless, very persuasive, does not like change, and can convince you that what is in your heart is misguided.

The heart, on the other hand, speaks softly and is patient. While the mind will provide rationalizations to back up a thought, the heart’s voice is calm and certain. Its guidance will lead to your expansion. If an answer feels constrictive, rest assured it is not your heart speaking.

Peace of mind comes when our life is in alignment with the desires of the heart. The mind is a gift meant to allow us to create our life, but it is the heart that holds the map to our joy and fulfillment. And remember, for a more joyful journey,  keep compassion by your side as you move towards being more centered in your heart. CompassIon: I On Compass.