Living From Your Heart
by Caroline Sutherland
 If you've
decided to get to the summit of your mountain and not just hang around base
camp, then know that ascending to the highest level of living is going to
involve your heart. Take a second to check how it's doing right now: Put your
hand on your heart and ask, "Is my ‘love tap' flowing inside of me?"
You see, we all have a small but powerful golden tap
inside of us -- while it might be covered over and obscured by leaves and twigs,
it's still there. Get to know it, and check in with it on a daily (even hourly)
basis. Is your tap turned on enough so that the love from your heart is flowing
out to everyone you meet? Even though you may be taxed and burdened by a life that can be fraught
with many disappointments, you can still love.
Every night before you go to
bed, it helps to examine the day and review your thoughts and actions to find
how they could be more loving. Ultimately, when you leave this plane of
existence, that's what's going to count.
In order to reach the summit of your own personal
mountain, your mandate must be to love, inspire, and serve others in whatever
you do -- not in some lofty purpose "over there," but in your daily life, right
where you are right now.
Three Loving Techniques
Julie Anderson's book, The Heart: The Final
Destination, seeks to provide insights, inspiration, and
guidance about loving more. (Please visit: www.destinationheart.com.) Here are three techniques (in italics) to help open
your heart center:
1. Welcome everyone with love. With
everyone, including animals, I meet, I automatically say to them mentally, "I
welcome you into my life with love." This technique has diffused so many
situations I have been confronted with over the years. It puts out an energy
and feeling of peace and understanding, whether the other individual knows it or
not.
Like Julie, whenever I meet someone, I always know that
he or she is bringing me the next step. I stay aware, listen, and offer a
greeting, knowing that out of his or her mouth will come the next piece of
information that I need to know. Everything is connected. I bring something into the life of each
person I meet, and vice versa. This is a loving, positive exchange.
2. Listen to others. Truly listen with your
undivided attention when someone is trying to convey something to you. Then
repeat back what you think was said. These two techniques not only clarify the
information you are receiving but allow you to truly understand where an
individual is coming from. So much of our communication between individuals is
misunderstood. Listen with the heart into what someone is actually saying, as
it may not at all be what you thought you heard.
3. Breathe in love and breathe out blessings.
Make this a continual mantra throughout your day. This is a technique I start
my day with and continually repeat. It reminds me to think well of others.
Remember there is no time or space, and every time you say this you are actually
emanating blessings and love to everyone and everything around you. This
actually creates an energy field emanating from your heart like a beacon. Every
second of every day, you always have a choice of how to be and how to react to
any situation. Pick your choices well and bring harmony to all.
I've personally enjoyed the
work of the Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. His books are filled with
the central themes of peace, love, and compassion; and he teaches the art of
mindful living and embracing our own reality, which can be tough to do when
we're dealing with the effects of this world.
My Inspiration for You
I believe that diseases begin when we
disregard the messages of the heart and deny what gives us happiness -- good
things will come if we live in joy, harmony, and gratitude. Through any personal health challenge, the miracle of the
body still prevails. With a little help, it knows what to do and can repair at
any age -- I've seen it happen countless times.
When the body repairs, the energy
returns, the lights go on, the vitality pours back in, and everything lines up!
Then emotions take on a rational perspective and spirituality is aligned; thus,
we witness the true miracle of the connection between the body, mind, and
spirit.
I believe that we can slow down the aging process at this
particular point in our history, and that there are tools available for us to
do so. Because we're living longer, it behooves us to find these tools and use
them. But our highest level of mastery is going to be our personal spiritual
evolution -- the perfection of our soul.
This brings us to the art of surrender, or the top of the
mountain -- that is, when you can accept, allow, and enjoy the mystery of life as
it unfolds and then ends. I hope that you can look back on the piece of patchwork
that you've left on the planet with a sense of pride and accomplishment. And,
as you review the life that you've passionately lived, may you be able to say,
in the words of the famous French chanteuse Edith Piaf: "Non, je ne regrette
rien" -- "No, I do not regret anything."
This article was excerpted from:
The Body Knows... How to Stay Young
by Caroline Sutherland.
Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Hay House Inc. www.hayhouse.com. ©2008.
For more info or to order this book or the Amazon Kindle format.
About The
Author
 Caroline
Sutherland is an internationally recognized medical intuitive, lecturer,
workshop leader and author of many books
and audio programs on health, personal development, and self-esteem. She
is the founder of Sutherland Communications, which offers Medical
Intuitive Training Programs; intuitive assessments for weight loss,
menopause and general health concerns; consultation services and related
products for adults and children. Visit Caroline online at
www.carolinesutherland.com.
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