Reflections-2

Reflections (by Teresa Thomas-Carroll)

In the very early age of our lives, our senses were filled with the rhythm of the heartbeat that sustained us. As children, we’d notice our heartbeat after playing hard or before drifting off to sleep. We were fascinated to hear and feel the heartbeats of each other. As young adults, we paid attention to the “heartbeat” of our interests and goals as we explored who we are and what we wanted to become and then embarked upon our career paths.

And then life got busy. Literally and figuratively, the rhythm of our surrounding environments covered the song of our own heartbeats. We can recall our heartbeat but many of us haven’t recently tuned in to what is in the flow of life that sustains us now: the pace that most supports us, our true motivators, our deepest knowing, our own unique energy and sense of purpose. The answers along with our heartbeat are there, steadily pulsing and keeping us going. To notice, we just need to allow ourselves some quiet and really listen.

Use the Mini-Reflection Exercise to remember your "heartbeat".

Mini-Reflection Exercise

Allow yourself to get very quiet. Place your hands over your ears. Listen to or feel your physical heartbeat. If you cannot hear or feel it, ask if you can place your head next to a loved one’s heart to remind you of your own.

After you tune into the physical heartbeat, stay quiet and gently contemplate what sustains you at this moment in time—the “heartbeat” that sustains you in your external life. It may be as varied as the values you carry, talents you have, a sense of purpose or something else. Let it be easy. A key word or drifting thoughts are just fine.

Keep practicing by noticing what sustains you—remembering your “heartbeat.”