BEHAVIOUR
The voice of the heart AndrĂŠ Baldo Writer and Pilgrim
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This world can be pretty confusing and full of contradictions. And because we do not know very clearly who we are or what we are doing here, it is natural that we feel somewhat lost, aimless. At times it seems that we have found a direction and follow it only to find ourselves lost again; all alone in a dark forest. And because we feel confused, we end up following anyone who seems to have any certainty about life, and that can be extremely dangerous. But we all carry a compass inside our chest- an inner guide that constantly speaks to us. However, we hardly ever stop and pay any attention to it. The voice of the heart always points in the right direction. The problem is that there are many other voices speaking to us at the same time; the voice of fear, of desire, of anger, of pride ... and with so many voices speaking at the same time we do not know which one to listen to. The Persian Sufi poet Rumi points out that there is a voice within us that does not use words and urges us to listen to it. But how to listen to the voice of the heart? How to identify it? The voice of the heart is a gentle whisper while all other voices shout out loud. You will need to silence those voices which are unpredictable and ephemeral, whereas the voice from the heart is always true and sensible. You have to dive into yourself. Each one of us needs to find a way of achieving inner silence. For me, meditation, contact with nature, listening to calming music, being with people I love or walking barefoot on grass, always help to hear that voice. It never fails. We know that we hear the voice of the heart when doubts disappear and every part of our being- intuition, feelings, body and even mind - point in the same direction. The voice of the heart always brings peace, even in times of sadness. When we follow that voice we walk with courage in spite of fear and uncertainty. The Latin origin of the word courage (cor+acticum), denotes acting with the heart. Therefore, to follow the voice of the heart implies to walk in love. Not towards love but in love itself. Love is not a way that leads back home, love Is home. And when you walk in love, flowers will spring out wherever you go, even if you are going through a desert of suffering. And even though you walk through a valley of shadows, you will fear nothing, because the light is your nature. As a great wise man said some two thousand years ago: You are the light of the world!
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