Follow-your-heart...

I saw this dog today morning, and I was reminded of this quote from the good book: “A dog returns to its vomit,” and, “A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud.” Here it was the dog in the mud. We cannot find fault with the dog. It was hot, and this cool water, though muddy, was the best option for him.

 

It was following its own heart—it was hot, it needed to cool its body, found water, and lay in it. The heart and desire overtook the intellect. What I feel is what I want, and what I want is what I will seek and try to acquire. The potential outcomes of the acquisition can be thought about another day. Instant gratification is what I want.

 

The follow-your-heart experts tell us, “If you follow your heart, you free yourself to become the person you truly want to be and live the life you want, and it's so worth it.”

 

I thought I would try it for a day. The problem was I had to give it up within a few hours. I got up feeling extremely lazy and thought I would sleep in. But there was water to be pumped, clothes to be washed, and work-related urgent issues to attend to! My heart had to be set aside for a few hours before I could listen to it again. By then, I was feeling upset with a work email I was copied in on, and my heart felt I should reprimand that person for being so senseless. But then I realized, if I react and respond according to what the heart tells me, I may never be able to have a normal conversation with that person again. After thinking about these issues, my heart was very upset with myself, and I wanted to self-flagellate and go to my room and shut myself in. But then there were friends around, some guests were dropping in, and I had to prepare a motivational message for the next day.

 

I realized I cannot trust my heart to follow it. My heart is up one hour, down the next, and I cannot trust my own emotions.

 

There is a song by Rich Mullins called "Maker of Noses." The chorus goes like this. 

 

“They said, boy, you just follow your heart

But my heart just led me into my chest

They said, follow your nose

But the direction changed every time I went and turned my head

And they said, boy, you just follow your dreams

But my dreams were only misty notions

But the Father of hearts and the Maker of noses

And the Giver of dreams He's the one I have chosen

And I will follow Him…”

 

 

But then we are told, “Your heart and your instincts are far more reliable than your brain. When you follow your heart, you can be sure you won't regret it later.” This is the way to live life today. All those who tell you otherwise are old-timers, or #oldboomers…

 

But then, living as per your heart is not something new. It was in the garden of Eden that the sly one told Adam and Eve, did God really tell you not to eat? Follow your heart and try it; you will find your heart. But the story goes to prove that they lost their heart and life too.

 

Expressive individualism tells us reject all the past, create a life for yourself, and follow your heart. But since ‘follow your heart’ is an old event from the past, and so is it not worth rejecting this too? 

 

Because history and current events around shows us that most people who followed their heart ended up in prison. Others are people whom we find it tough to live with. Because they live for me, myself and mine! And all others are jut pawns in the game of me myself and mine…

 

I prefer to follow the Father of heart and Maker of noses…