Decision. A Matter For the Heart

Some decisions are easy. You know you want to or don't want to do something and it's clear and simple and done. Other decisions require more thought and contemplation because the answer isn't as clear-cut. Maybe you take out a piece of paper and write the PROs on one list and the CONs on the other. Maybe you ask your friends and family for their input. Often, writing it all down brings clarity. But sometimes, all of that thinking only muddles the issue. Several weeks ago I needed to decide if I was going to continue working with my amazing coach in 2011. My list of PROs and CONs was evenly matched. There were just as many reasons to say YES as there were not to. I was so overwhelmed with having to choose that I couldn't sleep. And the lack of sleep led to a head cold. Have you ever tried to make a decision when you felt like your head was submerged in a fish bowl? But that's exactly what I needed. To NOT be able to think my way to the decision. But instead, to FEEL my way to it. When I was able to stop trying to figure it out and go deep into my heart, the answer became clear. Shifting our focus from rational thinking to creative intuition will always lead us to the right choice. A client recently needed to make a choice and all of the thinking was driving her crazy. Since she didn't have a head cold, I suggested she find an activity that took her out of her head. She immediately realized she needed to go PAINT. A few days later she reported that she had new clarity and she had made a decision that felt really good and right. Short of getting a head cold, how can you move out of your head and into your heart? • Take a long walk in nature. • Pull out your paints and follow the colors and shapes on the canvas. • Tear images from a magazine and see what tickles your fancy. • Roll down a hill (with or without a child.) • Go dancing or biking or hiking or skating. • Take a nap.