Following Rules Versus Following What Your Whole Self Desires

I’ve found that in order for me to be successful at anything, I must be very conscious. Being conscious means not following rules-rules that I’ve set for myself or expectations that I’ve let others impose on me. Rules are artificial, a product of our minds trying to tell the rest of ourselves what we should be doing when our bodies, our souls or our emotions would rather be doing something else.

I don’t mean to suggest that all rules should be avoided, or that they should be avoided all the time-just to say that they’re not the be-all and end-all and in fact they can contradict each other, as in when a diet book says “eat no fruit at all” and another one touts the value of juicing. Even if some of the information is good, the rigidity of making up a rule (something is good and something else is bad) makes it a form of judgment and judgment tends to get in the way of love.

Say, for instance, that the issue is resistance. To anything-exercise, the right foods, taking better care of yourself, whatever you wish. Until we work through those parts of us that aren’t in alignment, it’s pointless to push ourselves. Resistance will come up some other way as we try to shoehorn ourselves into the rules our minds want to impose on us. If instead we ask our bodies and emotions, “Would you like to exercise?” – and get a “No,” and follow that, we’re closer to letting go of self-judgment and being loving to ourselves.

I find that when everything falls into alignment not from my mind but from my heart, it’s easier to choose what serves me. Perhaps I don’t feel like exercising, but I wouldn’t mind dancing. Maybe dancing is then more likely to inspire better overall choices. The point is, the best outcomes will emerge over time as a natural by-product of being entirely conscious in each and every choice, but only if I come from a place of love. When our mind dictates over our whole selves, some of the magic in our lives is lost.

When we’re fully heart-centered in our experience, each choice feels right and feels whole.

Photo credit:  mikebaird