You are walking around the mall when you see a good-looking pair of shoes displayed in one store. You go inside to take a closer look and noticed that it is on sale.
“Would you like to try it on?” asked the sales staff.
You nodded, asked for your size, put on the pair of shoes, and put on what seemed to be the perfect pair of shoes.
You turned around in front of the mirror, then saw how great it looked on you and how comfortable it was. Your heart started racing as you ask yourself if you should buy it now.
But before you could say “Yes” to yourself, you remembered you bought a new pair last month, and didn’t need another one. You know you can’t afford it even if it’s already selling at a discounted price.
You justify the purchase and rationalize that you can lessen other expenses.
You paused and looked at yourself in the mirror; you felt the seconds ticking by and realized that you must make a choice now.
If this was you, would you follow your heart and buy the pair of shoes, or would you follow your logical mind and walk out of the store empty-handed?
When you are making decisions in a relationship, you get attracted to someone who isn't right for you but appeals. You browse through matrimony sites and drawn to an attractive stranger. Unlike buying a pair of shoes, this decision can affect your overall well-being. Who knows? It might even affect the rest of your life—if this turns out to be the perfect someone for you. Your heart, again, is clamoring for your attention, encouraging you to Go for it.
Friends and family will probably tell you to “listen to your heart,” as it knows what’s best for you”. "Follow your emotional inclinations rather than this logic would suggest" suggests Oprah Winfrey. But is that good advice? Think back on the times when you followed your heart. How did it work out? Maybe sometimes you threw caution to the wind and let your emotions take the wheel, and all went well. But it’s likely there are at least as many times when your decision delivered the opposite outcome.
You may not remember the times when you followed logic, because they may not have been as memorable. It’s also possible that when reason prevailed, it told you not to do something; therefore, you have less to remember. Think back to the shopping temptation: You remember the peculiar shoes you once bought because you still actually have them. You don’t remember what you don’t have nearly as well. You also don’t think as much about the debt you would’ve incurred for the items you passed on, because it’s not there.
In the perfect world, our hearts and our minds would be on the same page about all important life decisions. They would agree on what to have for dinner, whom to date, and pursuing a career. Sadly, the mind and heart often have completely different desires.
The Mind often takes on the role of the logical one, helping you decide if it is a smart choice to do whatever it is you want to do. Emotion often leads the heart on the other hand, which as we all know can make it difficult to make a clear decision.
Especially in your career, the battle between heart and mind can be strong. Your heart wants you to do a job that you enjoy, love, and have a passion for. Your mind knows that would be nice but also it isn’t always feasible to pay the bills and to have a successful life by just following passions.
The benefit of following heart
The benefit of following mind
The heart and mind often wants to go in different directions. But it can become a very powerful duo once they learn to work together. Bouncing off each other and using the benefits from both will decrease the negatives.
Let them work together and you will find yourself in well-planned situations that allow you to follow your passions. Remember, the heart and the mind can work very well together.
Follow your heart, but take your brain with you 