Creating Balance...
Follow your heart…
It’s a piece of advice that is handed out almost daily, by our family, friends, magazines, television, gurus, and life coaches. But what do people mean when they tell us to “follow our heart”? Are we meant to chase after every fantasy and desire at the drop of a hat? And if we are, then what about the heart’s strongest contender: the head?
Sometimes a situation provokes such emotion and intensity that apparent choices and decisions cannot be disputed… and you must follow your heart. But then at the same time, another supposed solution is so logical, so irrefutably sensible, that the only apparent path then… is to follow your head! But how do you know which one to choose? The battle between the head and the heart is the most ancient of all battles. We have all struggled with the tough choice of following the path that our heart indicates or the path that our head indicates.
Before choosing which part of yourself to follow, let’s determine which part of yourself you default to, the emotional side or the analytical side. When you are faced with an impacting situation or experience, how do you typically react? Are you the type to laugh or cry if you are confronted with an overwhelming situation? Or, do you shift into hyper-analytical mode? These two very different expressions are called Reaction Types. Your initial Reaction Type (emotional or analytical) clues you into the area of yourself that you tend to follow or default to more often.
It’s natural and easy for an Emotional Reactor to follow their heart since it is their normal path of default. However, following only their heart typically leads to a less than desired outcome. The true challenge for an Emotional Reactor is not to discount their logical side, but to includeit. For an Emotional Reactor the logical side must be used to create a plan that will validate the emotions experienced in regards to a situation. For an Emotional Reactor, the key to making a balanced decision is to follow their head because it will help balance out the pull from their emotional reaction type.
For the Analytical Reactor, it is the exact opposite. When faced with a tough decision, the Analytical Reactor goes into logic mode and works to sort out all the specifics of the situation, without (or very rarely) considering how they feel.
By following only their heads, Analytical Reactors run the risk of a less than positive outcome. The sentiment to “follow your heart” would be a true challenge to the analytical/logical reactor because it would task them with balancing the pull their head has on their decisions. For an analytical reactor, the key to making a balanced decision is to follow their heart by considering their feelings in regards to each logical plan created.
The fundamental idea for creating balance for BOTH the Analytical Reactor and the Emotional Reactor is to make sure that the analytical plan you have created supports and validates your emotions about the situation you are facing in a positive and fulfilling manner. In other words, honor both sides of yourself when making decisions. In doing that, you will create a welcoming balance of peace in all areas of life.