How to Unlock the Wisdom of Your Intelligent Heart

: By Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com

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How to Unlock the Wisdom of Your Intelligent Heart

by Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com.

Many of us have been raised to think of the ego as the ultimate decider for our body and our life. After all, we’ve been told that the ego keeps us safe, helps us achieve, and drives us to succeed. It is seen as the core of our individuality and power—the “be all and end all.” The ego is often associated with masculine energy, while the feminine energy is seen as coming from the heart.

In less recent times, family and community life revolved around women raising children and teaching them values needed to be wise, compassionate beings contributing to the whole. In indigenous societies, women also taught respect for Nature as they foraged for food, taking only what was needed and leaving enough for the cycle of life to continue.

At some point, however, the ego began to dominate, concluding that it was the most important force. The ego believed it provided life by hunting, growing crops, and offering protection. But the ego based its observations on competition, not partnership. It forgot that the heart’s wisdom and compassion were not only equal but complementary.

Partnership... not Competition

The two energies—ego and heart—were meant to work in harmony, each supporting the other. Over time, though, the ego took over, relegating the heart to a place of perceived weakness, its counsel dismissed as naive or impractical. The ego became the supreme decider for this planet.

But experience—and now research—has shown us something profound: the heart is the true center of wisdom and meaningful decision-making. Ignoring the heart has created significant problems in our society and in our world. After all, would a loving heart pollute the waters for the people living downstream? Would a caring heart let a neighbor’s children go hungry? Would a compassionate heart hoard food, goods, or land while the rest of the village struggled? Of course not.

It’s time for a course correction. We need to restore the heart to its rightful place, or perhaps more accurately, return the ego to its proper role as a supporter and partner rather than a ruler. The ego is valuable and necessary, but I don't feel it was ever meant to be the final arbitrator. The heart, with its compassion and wisdom, is where true guidance originates. The ego, with its drive and rationality, is at its best when it serves the heart's guidance.

The heart understands that our lives are interconnected. Its wisdom comes from empathy, care, and a deep knowing that life thrives when we consider the well-being of others. By bringing the ego into alignment with the heart, we can create a more balanced, compassionate, and sustainable world.

It’s time to let the heart lead the way—not by suppressing the ego but by teaching it to work in harmony with love and wisdom. When the ego serves the heart, life is not only more meaningful but also more fulfilling for everyone.

My Heart, What Do You Need From Me Right Now?

I recently watched a video presentation by Gregg Braden, a well-known scientist and metaphysician about the encoded message in our cells and our body. (Video shared at the end of this article.) And in the video, he presents a short meditation where you ask questions of your Heart. And I capitalize the word Heart here, because we are not speaking of the physical pump that circulates blood and nutrients throughout the body. We are speaking of the energetic heart, the guiding light of our Self.

The first question that Gregg shares in his guided meditation provides a fundamental guide for our life. And here is a short version of the process:

Put your hand on your heart center and bring your focus to it. Get quiet and calm and ask: “My Heart, what do you need from me right now?”

When I first did this guided meditation, I immediately “heard” or felt the answer: it was Joy. What my Heart (and thus my Life) needed most from me was Joy. And as I felt the presence of Joy fill my body and my mind, I realized its importance in my Life. It provided a basic tenet from which to guide my thoughts and my actions. The energy of Joy was based in gratitude for the past, the present, and the future.

What I discovered as I typed the question in this article this morning: “My heart, what do you need from me right now?” was another answer. This morning, the answer is Peace. This led me to realize that this is not a question which provides a “one time fits all" answer. The question is to be used to provide an answer based on the present moment.

You see, my ego had jumped in and assumed (as it often does) that there was only one answer, one way to answer a question or to solve a problem -- once and for all. After all, that’s how I (my ego) was trained in school. There was only one “right” answer: yes or no, right or wrong, this or that. The answer was the same for everyone.

Yet, when we live from the Heart, we realize that there is no “one answer”. Even saying we must live from the Heart is not completely the case. Sometimes, the brain or the rational mind is the guide. If you are climbing a rock wall, the brain may be the best one to suggest which is the best position for your hands and your feet. Though, there as well, you do have another partner which is your intuition. So, one size, or one answer does not necessarily fit all people, each situation, or each question.

In the Present Moment

I now understand that the question is one that we must live with and make part of our day to day, and moment to moment, life: My Heart, what do you need from me right now? And the answer will flow and change as the moments of your life and your encounters with others take place. The answer will change and can become your guiding light in your minute to minute experiences. (This time as I wrote the question, the answer was "clarity".)

And as I re-ask the question, after having written and edited this article, the answer is again Joy! I am happy and joy-full to share these insights with you. I am filled with Joy at having come across this teaching myself. I am looking forward to enJOYing a day, and a life, lived with this question: My Heart what do you need from me right now?

There are two other questions presented in Gregg’s video (see below) which bring this process to a deeper level. However, if you simply adopt this one question, you will have made a giant step in creating a life that will be fulfilling, not only for you but for those around you.

So... what does your Heart need from you right now?

Video presentation by Gregg Braden: Pure Human Divinity

Related book: The Spontaneous Healing of Belief

The Spontaneous Healing of Belief: Shattering the Paradigm of False Limits
by Gregg Braden.

For us to change the beliefs that have led to war, disease, and the failed careers and relationships of our past we need a reason to see things differently. Our ancestors used miracles to change what they believed. Today we use science. The Spontaneous Healing of Belief offers us both: the miracles that open the door to a powerful new way of seeing the world, and the science that tells us why the miracles are possible, revealing: why we are not limited by the “laws” of physics and biology as we know them today. Once we become aware of the paradigm-shattering discoveries and true-life miracles, we must think of ourselves differently. And that difference is where the spontaneous healing of belief begins.

For more info. or to order this book on Amazon. This book is available in Kindle format, as an Audiobook, as well as paperback and hardcover book.

About The Author

Marie T. Russell is the founder of InnerSelf Magazine (founded 1985). She also produced and hosted a weekly South Florida radio broadcast, Inner Power, from 1992-1995 which focused on themes such as self-esteem, personal growth, and well-being. Her articles focus on transformation and reconnecting with our own inner source of joy and creativity.

Creative Commons 3.0: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 License. Attribute the author: Marie T. Russell, InnerSelf.com. Link back to the article: This article originally appeared on InnerSelf.com

Article Recap:

The article emphasizes the importance of shifting from ego-driven decision-making to heart-guided living. It explains how indigenous traditions recognized the heart's wisdom and the modern necessity of restoring this balance. Practical insights include a guided question: “My Heart, what do you need from me right now?” Inspired by Gregg Braden’s teachings, this question fosters clarity, joy, and peace. By aligning the ego as a supporter to the heart, we create a life of fulfillment and connection.

#HeartWisdom #HeartCenteredLiving #IntelligentHeart #JoyAndPeace #LivingFromTheHeart #HeartGuidedDecisions #InnerClarity #GreggBradenInspiration #Mindfulness #PresentMoment

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