What do you mean when you say “I follow my heart”? Is it that you listen to your intuition, letting it prevail over rational thinking and conclusion making? Perhaps you mean you project love to others, being warm and sweet toward them. Or do you mean it the way many do, referring to interacting with others in a caring way? On a spiritual path, some say this when referring to using spiritual wisdom originating from higher consciousness. Perhaps you mean a combination of these. If so, you may be referring to your soul.
Do you follow your heart in all matters, big and small? Is it reserved for major life plans, family issues, and work-related decisions? Do you also employ it in private time alone, conversations with others, or in the simple time spent with pets and possessions? And when you are following your heart, what is it that you actually do? What behavior do you exhibit that only occurs when your heart is in charge? And how is it you feel? Is there patience and peace, an openness and wonder, spontaneous joy? Keeping answers to these questions in mind, consider what it is that stops you from doing this all of the time, in all circumstances. And reflect on whether your conclusions are acceptable to you. Listen to what your heart tells you.
While heart and soul share similar qualities, and many of us associate them with one another, heart and soul are markedly different. Be that as it may, diligently following your heart will lead to the emergence of your soul. Doing so guides you through your destiny, resulting in your unique psychology actualized as wholeness. Continuing effort beyond this existential milestone eventually brings you to spiritual actualization with a new identity. Individuality is replaced with unitive identity in which oneness with all is felt. Thoughts and actions become purified and righteous, and unconditional love dominates. Now, more than following heart, your transpersonal nature is being heart, soul. You are, while simultaneously interacting with others, lovingly one and the same with them.
Soul identity emerges with spiritual practice over time. And this requires much self-examination and habit change in service of truth. The questions asked about following heart now become ones associated with being soul. Are you guided by reasoning or raised consciousness of claircognizance or direct-knowing? What is the nature of the love you feel toward others, is it born of attachment or is it unconditional? Can you distinguish the times you act as soul from times you do not? And as in preliminary practice of heart, what accounts for these differences? In this way, monitoring experience across the spectrum of human and spiritual possibilities fosters spiritual emergence. Your spirit within recognizes itself, and aligns evermore with divinity in the world. And soul and world are one.
No Perfect Om 