Going to the source

As a columnist, I regularly receive emails from readers.

• Sometimes, they are complimentary.
• Sometimes, the person just wants to share their own experiences.
• Other times, the writer wants to set me straight.

I appreciate every person who takes the time to read The Happiness Connection and honour the opinion of every email I receive.

Putting my thoughts into the public realm means I may get some harsh feedback. With that in mind, you may wonder why I write this column.

Taking time to examine our values and beliefs is an important element of growth and self-development. If my words cause you to stop and think about your own point of view or encourage you to see things differently, then I have been successful.

You don’t have to agree with me. If I interrupt your habitual thoughts and beliefs long enough for you to see if you still resonate with them, then my job here is done.

That’s why I write this column.

I recently received an email. I would like to thank the writer for telling me I was wrong in such a respectful way. It is good for my thoughts to be interrupted, too.

“As for most of the articles you write (and specifically the last one), I would have to say you are wrong. We as humans should not "listen to our heart" or "follow your heart,” or “let your inner GPS guide you.” This is a big contributing factor of why the world today is so messed up.

"Following your heart is a pop culture, post modern, millennial myth and mistake that should be forgotten, no ... erased completely.

"Our hearts were never designed to be followed, but to be led. Our hearts were never meant to be gods in whom we believe, but to believe in God and the Savior, Jesus Christ. “

This is only an excerpt, but it gives a flavour of the contents of the email I am referring to.

If you want more context and you didn’t read my column from July 19, you may want to start there.

I believe that your heart is one of the most powerful ways to communicate with source. There are many ways to define source. It might be God, another divine being, your higher self, or your moral compass.

Listening and following your heart means you are following God, Allah, your higher self, your regular self, or whatever you believe in. It doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want and say your heart told you to do it.

There are many religions and beliefs in the world. I am accepting of them all. You get to choose what you believe guides you, or not.

There isn’t one right belief and a slew of wrong ones. That’s the sort of thinking that landed the world into the state it is now.

If we want to save the Earth, we need to band together as a species and work as one. This is an approach that the millennials have got right. They are probably the most collaborative of all the generations.

The traditional approach hasn’t worked. It is time to do things differently.

Perhaps that’s why I encourage people to make conscious choices for themselves rather than just doing what they believe society, or the neighbours expect them to do.

If you follow the beliefs of anyone other than you, then are you responsible for what happens?

If you check with your inner guidance system before making an empowered choice, you can’t blame it on anyone else. You are responsible for your actions.

Listening to your heart means you are open to accepting your own inner wisdom, regardless of where you believe it comes from.

Perhaps by making choices more consciously and taking personal responsibility for the results, we can work together to fix the mess the world is in.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.