Shifting the Balance of Head and Heart

Dear Reader,

“Shifting the balance of head and heart” is my mission – what my teaching, mentoring and coaching are all about. Does the mission resonate with you? Or are you wondering what I really mean when I say that?

Let me explain.

Most of us would agree that these are turbulent times we live in. If you are a sensitive, creative, intuitive soul, I’m sure you have noticed, and that you are feeling it. I would argue that this turbulence is a natural part of our evolution, part of our growth in the human school of life.

But that insight doesn’t make it any less chaotic or downright painful at times, does it?

And several additional questions remain, including:

Can we consciously manage our growth quickly enough to save our planet’s resources, before doing our species irreparable harm?

And, how did we get to this point, anyway?!

We can at least say that humanity has evolved from lower consciousness to higher consciousness – even though we could have a grand argument about how high our consciousness really is right now. Without getting into the entire history of humanity, we know that we have experienced a huge boom in scientific insight, industrial growth and, in the last few decades alone, an explosion in technology and information sharing.

This growth of rational thought is a vital part of our evolution, and it continues.

However, we have become so wrapped up in science and information that we have at the same time become fixated on outer appearances, and unwittingly devalued our inner lives.

Simply put, as a species, we have no bigger vision for where we are headed.

We are disconnected from our hearts, and afraid to follow our hearts. And what happens to the heart when afraid? It closes.

This stage of our evolution is natural in a way, because we are within it. We have difficulty gaining distance and perspective on it, so we easily get swept up in it.

Many of us do not realize that we have lost our heart, and are lacking in vision.

It is interesting, however, that many ancient prophesies anticipate this very mistake, warn against it, and offer a solution. One such is the legend of the condor and the eagle, in which the condor represents feminine wisdom, connection and caring, while the eagle represents masculine strength and the drive to create. The legend states that long ago, the deep feminine energy of the condor was overrun by the masculine power of the eagle – but that the world will come back into balance when the two learn how work harmoniously together. This balance of masculine and feminine is called for in many of the ancient wisdom traditions.

So – when will it happen?!?

It is happening now, and this is where my mission (and certainly not mine alone) returns – shifting the balance of head and heart. We have swung too far in the direction of the head, and simply need to course-correct, putting the heart back where it belongs – front and center. When I say this, I am not advocating suppression of the intellect; I am calling for rational thought and inner wisdom, creativity, and intuition, to work in harmony together.

And guess what? This often works best when the deep wisdom of the heart – not the surface emotions that many confuse with the heart’s wisdom – leads the way. Some call this “heart-centered living.”

In order to make this shift, each of us needs to navigate an inner journey, and honor the inner life, all while applying it in the outer world of appearances.

We will consciously shape our growth from within, both as individuals and collectively. And it will be in partnership with all the best that science, and technology, and rational thought, have to offer.

What do you think, dear reader, do you agree or disagree?

I honor your loving heart,

John