5. The Mind in Service of the Heart
In the Eastern philosophical traditions, there is actually only one word that means both heart and mind. The Eastern traditions consider the seat of the mind to be in the heart. Yet in the Western world, we've learned to separate the two. In looking for work from the inside, we need to unite the two parts of us.
The mind has needs, too
In the previous chapters you've begun to allow your feelings to speak. You've noted what makes you feel safe, what your intuition is telling you, and what you are dissatisfied with. At the same time that we honor our feelings, we need to know what our mind needs for satisfaction. If we don't include our mental capacities, it is easy to become bored with our work environment. Often when we begin to include our heart, we negate the great qualities our mind has. The mind can be a source of great inspiration for the heart, when it is aligned with, rather than dominating, our heart's desires.
Take a minute right now, and thing about what kinds of things stimulate your mind. What do you love to investigate or talk about with others? What do you find both challenging and exhilarating to work on? Make note of these.
Visualizations
In moving towards a new career or lifestyle, something that really nourishes our heart, we need access to great set of possibilities than our rational mind offers us. The mind is the part of us that says, "No, that's not possible." Yet why limit ourselves? Visualizations are a way of creatively engaging the mind to uncover new horizons. Visualizations use the imaginative part of the mind, which is a sneaky way to get the mind to agree to drop its 'stuff' for a while. Since imagination is not real, the mind doesn't feel the need to control things quite so much. In a visualization exercise, you let yourself fully imagine yourself in a new setting, bringing all your senses in as well. And in your imagination, you see how it feels. This "how it feels" is a valid indication of what your real reaction might be. At the end of this section, we'll offer a guided visualization for you to try.
To successfully make the change that your heart wants, take this message to heart: Always run towards something rather than run from something.
Exercise
Throughout this week, take time to see what your mind needs. When are you feeling bored and restless? When does your mind feel engaged, excited, alive? Again, just making note of this will begin to help you understand who you are.
