Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Identify Your Heart's Desires
• Part 2 of 3: How to Organize Your Life
• Part 3 of 3: Act What You Want
• Tips
• Warnings

Listening to your heart is sometimes difficult, especially if you live in a culture where everyone is busy and has to work hard. But despite the fact that life tries to pull you in a thousand different directions, there are ways to carve out a secluded spot for yourself. You can make an effort to live according to your heart's desire. This, in turn, will help you enjoy life and be more open to the people around you.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Identify Your Heart's Desires

1. 1 Make a list of what you would like to achieve. A wish list will help your heart choose the direction to go. Set achievable goals (not the "first man on Mars" style). This list can be a great source of inspiration as you search for the significant events that you will strive for. If your list is truly heartfelt, it will reflect some of your deepest desires and interests.
2. 2 Set aside a time and place. To immerse yourself in yourself and hear the voice of your heart, you first need to find a time and place for this. It is important to sit quietly, not distracted by anything, so that the voice of your heart can be heard. You can beautifully arrange a special place where you will come to be in silence. If you have a spare room in your house, light candles in it and create a cozy atmosphere.
3. 3 Listen to your heart. Having created the right conditions, you can begin to gradually open up to your heart. You can ask yourself the question: "What am I experiencing now in the depths of my soul?" Wait a little: perhaps an answer will dawn in your heart. This practice will help your heart and your inner desires emerge.
   • You can use the technique of concentration, which provides an excellent opportunity to get in touch with your body. Here's how to practice concentration:
   • After clearing your inner space and looking within yourself, pay attention to the responses of your body. Do not try to analyze them, just observe from the sidelines. For example, when asked what is going on inside you, you may feel a heaviness in your chest. Mark it from the side.
   • Record your feelings clearly. It can be one word or a short phrase. For example, you can say "heaviness" or "pressing on the chest" or "tension." Say different words until you notice that the word matches your sensation.
   • Move from word to feeling and back again. Check it out and see how they interact. Notice if the sensations in your body change when you name them.
   • Ask yourself where this feeling comes from. What is it in your life right now that is causing this heaviness in your chest? There is no need to frantically search for answers, let them, as it were, float to the surface. It may not work the first time. You may need some training, but this wonderful practice will help you open up to your own heart and to everything that is going on within you.
4. 4 Make time for this every day. Hustle and bustle can seriously impair your ability to listen to your heart. Take some time to yourself every day. During this time, do not let anything distract you. This is your time and it depends only on you what you will do. However, there are several recommendations:
   • Meditate. Meditation has many benefits for both mental and physical health, such as reducing blood pressure and stress levels. Just try to sit for 10 minutes in a quiet place.Concentrate on one thing, such as vibrations of air entering and exiting your nostrils, or an object such as a pencil. If your attention drifts away from the subject, gently focus on it again.
   • Take a warm bath. Relaxation in water has almost the same effect as relaxation techniques. This is a great opportunity to relax. During this time, you can reflect on your life, or simply enjoy the silence and the feeling of warm water.
   • Have a cup of coffee with a friend. You may not be able to spend as much time with your friends as you would like. Use this time for yourself to invite a close friend to have lunch with you or have a cup of coffee.
5. 5 Find hobbies that involve your heart. Our society places great emphasis on intelligence. We are told to think and then act and make intelligent, rational decisions. This approach leaves no room for intuition or heart. But in this way we can make life more joyful, get away from routine and hard work. Finding activities that touches your heart will help you discover new paths for yourself, rather than just doing things with your mind.
   • For example, if you love reading, schedule some reading time in your planner. Ask friends for good book recommendations. A collection of poetry works especially well.
   • If you prefer to watch movies, watch some highly rated movie that will hit the strings of your heart.
   • Another good opportunity is to spend time in nature. This will help you to feel the taste of life deeper and get in touch with your true essence.

Part 2 of 3: How to Organize Your Life

1. 1 If you feel like you need the help of a therapist, get it. If you have problems that are preventing you from following your heart and can't deal with them on your own or with the help of a friend, you should see your doctor. Many psychotherapists constantly face such problems in people. If you had a difficult childhood, have problems in your marriage, or are experiencing extreme stress - contacting a therapist will help you rediscover the voice of your heart and feel alive again.
   • Somatic Experienced Therapy is somewhat similar to concentration in that you focus on your body rather than thoughts and memories.
   • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can help you identify your obsessive thoughts and beliefs that are holding you back from living in harmony with your heart.
2. 2 Ask your friends for help. Sometimes it can be difficult to get to the place where you can hear the voice of your heart. Ask a friend for help. You can do the concentration exercise with her. Together you will go through the exercises step by step and note what is happening. Or you can just talk about what is happening now in your life and express your desire to live in accordance with the urge of your heart. Ask a friend for advice. If you just express yourself, that in itself can help you, since verbal expression of emotions has a very powerful effect.
   • For example, you might say, “You know, I feel like I’m not living the way my heart wants me to. I need to talk to someone about this. Can you help me?"
3. 3 Live your life. We easily succumb to pressure from other people - parents, friends, spouse and even children - and begin to live the way they want. If you want to live in harmony with your own heart, make sure to live the way you want it, and not the way other people want you to. This is what people most often regret on their deathbed.
   • Ask yourself: "Do I really want this, or am I doing this for the sake of someone else, and not for my own sake?"
   • Of course, there is nothing wrong with being generous and kind and doing something for other people.But you need to find the right balance so that, while helping others, you remain true to yourself. Otherwise, no matter how good your intentions are, you can easily “burn out” and lose touch with your own heart.
4. 4 Stay true to your chosen path. Changing your mind and returning to your old life is the easiest way out of a difficult situation, but if you come back again and again, you will never learn anything from your own mistakes and make progress. You need to be faithful to the chosen path of life. Purposefulness will give you the strength to withstand the challenges you may face. Following your heart isn't always easy. If you feel an inner resistance to a path, be it study or a specific job, then it would be good to reflect on whether this decision is really in line with your heart's desire.
   • Don't confuse natural resistance and difficulty with this intense opposition. Sometimes we feel dissatisfied, and that's okay, even if you're on the right track. If you're not sure if you are doing, try talking to someone you trust, such as a close friend or relative.
5. 5 Clean up and organize your personal space. You will simply be surprised when you notice how much your environment affects your mood. For example, colors can have a profound effect on people's feelings. Make sure your home is clean and tidy. If you don't like the color of the walls, repaint them. Decorate your room with a piece of art that inspires you and gives you aesthetic pleasure. Place photos of people you care about next to you. Making these simple changes in your home can change how you feel, making it easier for you to become aware of your true desires. Clutter and lack of space can cause clutter in your mind, which will limit your ability to hear your heart's voice.

Part 3 of 3: Act What You Want

1. 1 Find activities in which you can express yourself. There are many creative activities you can use to connect with your soul. It is important to open up to your heart, your innermost desires. There are various ways of expressing yourself in art therapy that will help you open up to your essence and your heart. Here are some of them:
   • Music. Join a choir or start taking guitar lessons.
   • Art. Join a painting or sculpture group.
   • Dancing. Join a salsa group or simply go to a dance class at the gym.
   • Theater. Look around, maybe there is a drama club somewhere nearby, to which you can join. Playing in the theater is a great way to express yourself.
2. 2 Try free writing (freewriting). Your true desires and daily activities in life are often hidden behind obligations and someone's expectations. Free writing practice can help you hear your heart and deepen your relationship with this essential part of your personality.
   • Pick a topic and just write on a piece of paper. The topic can be a single word or a short expression such as "travel" or "what I think about travel." Set a timer for 5 or 10 minutes and just write about the topic without thinking too much about what you are doing. Don't plan anything in advance. The purpose of this exercise is to allow your subconscious mind to gain the upper hand over you, so that it, and not your mind, controls your writing.
3. 3 Practice mindfulness. There are two approaches to life: to be and to act. The "action" mode is the mode in which most people function almost constantly. We need this regime in our society, which is characterized by a fast pace of life and a high level of stress, it is very important for us to stay afloat.However, action mode can prevent us from seeing our needs and slowing down to enjoy life. Mindfulness meditation can help you strengthen a “being” mode in your life that encourages you to start living by listening to your heart.
   • Sit up straight in a comfortable position. Get comfortable with this pose for a few minutes. Start paying attention to what is happening, what you are perceiving. You will have a lot of rambling thoughts, physical sensations, and seemingly random emotional outbursts. Pay attention to all this and what is happening, try to be curious about them, although you should not react to them. Imagine that you are a scientist and you are just observing the process without interfering with it. Once you get used to doing this in a calm, prepared, and safe place, you can try doing it in your daily life, even while doing other things.
4. 4 Take an important step. Based on your wish list and shared goals in life, make up your mind to take an important step if necessary. Maybe you should go back to school to learn something else; move to another city where you will have more opportunities or you will be closer to your family; quit your job to do something that suits your heart's desires. Before taking this step, it is highly advisable to talk to your family or friends to find out how they feel about this and to enlist their support.
5. 5 Start small.Not necessary make a complete revolution in your life in order to start living in accordance with the desires of your heart. See what little things you have in your daily life that will help you feel more in tune with yourself and your desires. For example, you want to spend more time with your friends or less time in front of the TV. Take a look at your wish list to find out what you can change in your daily activities to achieve what you really want.

Tips

• Be confident, but not overconfident.

Warnings

• If you think your heart is telling you one thing and your mind another, think carefully about what is happening. Being impulsive isn't always good.