The Heart Of The Matter
There is a constant struggle going on within us. The battle is between our heart and our mind. Both are vital to our health and daily lives, and yet they are a source of continual conflict. The mind might be considered the final frontier. It is more powerful than any computer and has incredible abilities to learn, adapt, and process information. The heart is the seat of our emotions and yet we also think with it!
Some people subscribe to the philosophy: “Follow your heart.” The problem is that feelings are like the waves of the sea. They are constantly changing. It is pretty hard to get from point A to point B if you are continually changing direction. At some point you have to set your sail and check your compass.
How many times have you known what to do but followed your heart in a different direction and had it blow up in your face? It has tripped up all of us from time to time as we try to resolve the battle between logic and feelings. Women seem to have an edge on us guys when it comes to being in touch with their feelings, but that is a double-edged sword for them as well. They may be more intuitive than men as a rule, but they are also more susceptible to worry (I know there are exceptions for men and women, of course).
What is the answer to finding some sanity in our lives? Balance. There has to be a balance between what we think and how we feel. We don’t want to be so mechanical in our thinking that we ignore how we or others feel, but we don’t want to be ruled by our feelings and ignore what is logical either. Like all things in life, balance is important for us to function as healthy human beings.
We have to get proper rest, eat a balanced diet, and get daily exercise for starters. If any of those things are missing, it will affect how we think and how we feel. Then, add to that the balance of our work life and leisure time. We work too much, we burn out. We have too much free time, we tend to sleep or eat too much. Spiritual balance is critical as well for putting things in proper perspective (at least for me).
Finally, think about the kids we are teaching and raising. All of these factors are complicated for them by how old they are and the hormones that are at work. Couple that with learning disabilities, dysfunctional homes, and other social issues…and you can see how critical it is for us as teachers and adults to be proper role models. It is up to us to help kids understand the balance between the heart and the mind. Their future (and ours) depends on it…but it begins with us finding proper balance for ourselves. We can’t give what we don’t have.
Shalom!
Daniel Skognes