A Truthful Heart
“One should do nothing with a false heart.”
I can get long-winded sometimes when I get on a roll. So today I will just keep it simple. One of the things I’ve learned in this life is that being true to my heart really helps the rest of my life go much better.
For example, I can’t eat sugar. Well I CAN eat it but the consequences are very consistent. I fall asleep within 30 minutes and am groggy for the rest of the day. Sugar means white sugar, organic cane sugar, brown sugar, agave, maple syrup, and any other name you want to call it by – same effect by any other name is the same – asleep in 30 minutes, groggy when I finally wake up. I can be sitting up, in a car, writing, reading, doing yoga. Same thing happens. So, although it took some years, I have finally accepted the truth – I can’t eat sugar.
This was not any easy truth to accept. My mind wanted to find a way to keep eating sugar. But my heart knew it was harming my body. But after trying every form of sugar produced, I finally made the choice to be true to my heart. And lo and behold, I’m more alert, don’t have to worry about falling asleep when I drive, and generally have more energy.
For me, acceptance and being true to our hearts go hand-in-hand. Together, they help us to make healthier decisions. Making healthier decisions helps us to trust ourselves more. And when we trust ourselves we can be more honest with other people - telling them what we want and need. Usually, sharing our heart’s truth with them opens the door to discovering what is true for their hearts. Then we can set healthy boundaries – with ourselves and with other people.
That’s what I do when I make the choice not to eat sugar. I set a boundariy for myself, and with all the well-meaning people who say, “Oh, it doesn’t have that much sugar, you can have just one can’t you?”
My heart’s answer is unashamedly, unapologetically, unflinchingly - “No.”
Accepting the truth of my heart keeps me at peace inside and helps me make better choices. For me, being at peace means I’m aware of my connection with God. We each have to decide what is best at the time, in our relationships, and go from there. But what I know for sure is what this Kemetic Proverb says:
Whoever lets herself or himself be led by the heart will never lose her or his way.
What truth of your heart keeps you at peace?
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