Do you follow your heart most of the time? How do you follow your heart?

Following your heart can be a way of listening to your innermost feelings and desires, and it can help you make decisions that are true to yourself.

It can be especially helpful when you are faced with difficult choices or when you feel uncertain about which path to take.

Beyond just making money, we all want to be fulfilled and make impact to the world.

Most times we simply pursue dreams others have sold us. We want to get famous and liked simply because we think it’s cool.

Following your heart can also be a way of living a more authentic and fulfilling life.

My sister died of Cancer leaving behind her little girl and son. It always made me wonder if she had known she would be dying at such age – what decisions would she have made any better when she was younger.

And I frequently consider what choices I can make right now to begin reducing the possibility that I will regret them later in life.

“Follow your heart, trust your instincts, and above all else, have fun!”
(Laurie E. Smith)

It can allow you to pursue your passions and interests, and to be true to who you are as a person.

It can help you connect with your values and priorities, and to make choices that are aligned with them.

It’s up to you to decide how much of yourself you are willing to sacrifice to build a dream others have sold you.

Why is it still important to follow your heart?

Step outside your comfort zone.

John Mackey co-founder of Whole Foods became impatient with college, dropped out and started a business.

But his mum even until her death thought he was wasting his life creating and growing Whole Foods Market instead of pursuing a more conventional career in medicine, law, or business.

Today, as co-CEO, Mackey leads a $9 billion firm that has helped millions of people consume better foods by bringing organic and natural foods into their daily lives.

There are many other examples of entrepreneurs who followed their hearts and became successful. Here are a few examples:

Steve Jobs: Steve Jobs co-founded Apple and played a key role in the development of many of the company’s most innovative products, including the iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

He was known for his passion for design and his ability to see the potential in new technologies.

Your time is limited, so do not waste it living someone else’s life.

Do not let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice.

And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. —Steve Jobs

Elon Musk: Elon Musk is the CEO of SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter amongst others and is known for his innovative and ambitious ideas.

He has pursued a number of ambitious projects, including developing reusable rockets and electric vehicles, with the goal of reducing the cost of space travel and transitioning the world to sustainable energy.

Oprah Winfrey: Oprah Winfrey is a media executive, actress, and philanthropist who is known for her successful talk show, “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

She has followed her heart and pursued her passions, and has become one of the most successful and influential women in the world.

Mark Zuckerberg: Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook, which has become one of the largest and most influential social media platforms in the world.

He has followed his passion for technology and connecting people, and has built a successful company that has had a significant impact on society.

Howard Schultz: Howard Schultz is the CEO of Starbucks, and is credited with turning the company into a global brand.

He has followed his passion for coffee and customer service, and has created a company culture that values innovation and sustainability.

Is it better to follow your family and friends or follow your heart

It is important to keep in mind that following your heart does not necessarily mean ignoring reason or disregarding the needs and feelings of others.

It is important to consider all of the relevant factors and to make balanced and well-informed decisions.

When asked his advice to his 18-year old self, John MacKey concluded among other statements:

“Through it all, always follow your heart. If you are able to listen to your heart, it will be your best guide in life.”

The key is to take chances, follow your heart, make mistakes and take the time to learn from them.

It’s risky, the outcome is undefined but worth it.

Design or be designed 

It stems from what you consume daily because they all have influence on how you act.

• The books you read
• The movies you watch
• The kind of social media you consume
• The friends you hang around with

Every day you wake up you can decide to push your thoughts away and do what you see others do or start listening to your own guts.

How do you follow your heart and silence the fear

As a start:

1. Identify your fears:

Take some time to think about what you are afraid of.

This can help you understand the root cause of your fear and come up with strategies to address it.

2) Take small steps:

Don’t try to tackle everything at once.

Start by taking small steps towards your goal, and celebrate your progress along the way.

This can help build your confidence and make the journey feel more manageable.

3) Challenge your negative thoughts:

When you feel fear, it can be helpful to challenge the negative thoughts that are fueling it.

Ask yourself if the thoughts are based in reality or if they are just anxious thoughts.

4) Choose to weed out limiting beliefs 

Weed out limiting beliefs that are keeping you down and go for empowering beliefs.

What you believe about the world tends to become true to you

5) Practice self-compassion:

Be kind to yourself and remember that it’s okay to feel afraid.

It’s a natural human emotion, and it’s important to be gentle with yourself as you work through it.

Value deeper connections with family & friends, invest in experiences.

5) Nurture your soul

Is the best way to think long term – don’t ignore your spiritual life.

Because there’s a catch – its important to reflect on what God desires for us against our flesh.

Love this take:

I see so many people saying to follow your heart and do what makes you happy. Then, I read in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” We must differentiate between our heart and His voice or we will be led astray and lost

— Stephanie Brady 🌻 (@LittleWayAllDay) December 20, 2022

6) Take care of your health

Drink lots of water especially at mornings and move your body daily.
Lift weights and stay physically active. Remember what you eat is the #1 contributor to a vibrant health.

7) Avoid bad influences from wherever they are coming from.

Cut out all Negativity in your life.

“Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”

8) Stop comparing yourself with others

Especially on social media as you are on a different path, timetable and have different experiences than everyone around you.

The only person you should compare yourself with is who you were yesterday.

9) Believe in yourself.

There’s nothing stopping you from reaching your full potential.

Do things you’re proud of. Not to impress others and would benefit you long-term.

10) Seek support:

Talk to a trusted friend or family member about your fears, or consider seeking the help of a mental health professional. Having someone to support you and offer encouragement can be very helpful.

How to follow your heart in your Career choices

Following your heart can be a helpful way to make a career choice, as long as you also consider other important factors such as your skills, values, and financial needs.

On Career and building a business – Take the focus away from “how can I make money?” to “how can I serve”

Yes, making money is important. Learn how money works (giving value, offers and sales) and invest into your future.

Here are some steps you can take to follow your heart while making a career choice:

• Reflect on your passions and interests:  What do you enjoy doing in your free time? What topics or activities energize you? These are clues to your passions and interests, which can help guide you to a career that will be fulfilling and meaningful to you. Don’t be afraid to work for free in areas like these while you’re on another paying career.
• Explore your options: Take some time to research different career paths that align with your passions and interests. Look into the required education, training, and experience for each option, as well as the potential salary and job outlook. Luckily, with the Internet, the barrier for entry into high income skills like remote closing, web design, affiliate marketing are pretty low. You just gotta be ready to take risks especially when you’re young.
• Seek guidance: Talk to people who are working in fields that interest you, or seek out mentors who can offer advice and guidance. Consider joining social networks e.g. Twitter, NotePD or Facebook groups, professional associations or networking groups related to your interests.
• Make a plan: Sometimes you can start succeeding before you’re ready. Once you have a better idea of what you want to do, create a plan for how you will get there. This might include setting specific goals, getting the necessary education or training, and building your experience.

Remember that it’s okay to change your mind or pivot to a different career path if you discover that a particular field or job isn’t the right fit for you.

I did pivot to entrepreneurship and writing apart from my medical path at first, else i wouldn’t have been writing this. Or, I could still be doing both.

The most important thing is to find a career that makes you happy and allows you to use your strengths and passions to make a positive impact.