Shift Your Mindset by Leading with the Heart

A big part of improving performance, changing behavior, achieving goals and persisting comes from what's in the heart.  The heart is true unto itself.  It doesn't have to defend.  It doesn't have to make sense--like emotions--it can just be what it is.  The mind, on the other hand, is the governor of actions. The mind can be rational and can listen to the truth coming from the heart.  The body eavesdrops on the mind.  The body will follow the intention of the mind if at all possible.  This is why we hear--if you think you can, you are right; if you think you can't, you're right too.  It's the will of the mind at work.

Of course, there are things that we have to do in the course of the day, week, month, year that might have nothing to do with what is in the heart.  We don't want to be home sick (that's the body's way of talking and saying: REST).  We don't want to do certain jobs at work or home because we don't like them (counting inventory and cleaning bathrooms for me).   We don't want to be stuck in traffic.  But, that's just part of living life.  We do those things and benefit from making the most of them because they make life work better.  It's part of the deal.  

We all know, in our mind, that we should eat less, move more, drink lots of water, consume less sugar, saturated fat and alcohol.  Knowing this in the mind, is not enough to make it happen though.  We have to dig deeper than that.  By digging deeper we get down to what we really want.  Here comes the heart. Then the body can follow.  It sounds easy, but of course, there are multitudinous barriers to success. People, stress, workload, unexpected obstacles, traffic, illness, fatigue, lack of enthusiasm and negative self talk get in the way.  That's why it is so important to be sure the mind is set straight.  The body is listening and will follow along.

This is the week to SHIFT the mindset and see what might happen.  Pay attention to what the mind is meditating on.  95% of our thoughts are actually the same ones we had yesterday.  How boring.  Let's create a shift.  I admit, there is an element of fear in actually getting what you want.  I agree, there is an element of fear in not ever getting what you want.  There is misery in never even trying.  

Lead with the heart.

Govern with the mind.

Listen to the body and see what it can do.