Go With Your Heart

I was at Target earlier today. I actually go to Target just about every other day; it's like my personal Kwik-e-Mart, as a cashier once jokingly remarked to me. On this visit, I came to buy a pair of dress socks for work. Of the two pairs I ended up purchasing, one was $2.50 and the other was on clearance at a spectacular $1.75 (you know what they say, every penny counts!). The cashier commented on how nice they were, too bad the nicer pair wasn't on clearance. I appreciated her honest opinion, but expressed to her that in reality I thought that the pair on clearance was nicer. She smiled at my dissent. “You know,” she commented, “most everyone I’ve rung up has bought the other pair. You’re an anarchist. I like that!” I never knew that the purchase of a pair of socks would amount to my possible overthrow of government.

But she is right, I do go with my heart. Whether it’s a pair of socks or an important stance, I’ve never followed the crowd. For me, there’s no surer sign of demise than to follow the masses like, I hate to use this expression but it beckons me to use it, cattle to the slaughter. The life and health of our souls demand our individuality, so long as it doesn’t hurt or harm anyone.

One of my favorite bookmarks contains a quote from Confucius: “Whatever you do, do it with all your heart.” The heart, you see, is the only intrinsic barometer we have. The mind is only an impostor. The heart triumphs during the dark, rainy day.

Going with your heart doesn’t mean to shun the community, or close the door on your neighbor. In fact, the more you go with your heart, the wider your arms will open to those around you, and the deeper you will tap into your communal, tribal self. At heart, we’re all tribal creatures. We all seek one another’s approval, love and support.

This may seem like a paradox, but it’s not. When Martin Luther decided to renounce the monastery and nail the 95 Theses on the door of the All Saints’ Church, he was not only defying a corrupt papacy but also hoisting up millions of Christians around the world. And all it took was one man going with his heart.

Try it today. Choose something, no matter how little it is, and just go with your heart. Do it more and more. Make it automatic. Your heart may go with the crowd on most things, but inevitably something will come up for which your heart will run contrary to the masses. Hold still. Stay firm. Lift up your head. And go with your heart.