And that is exactly what we need to do more: look at everyone and everything with our hearts.
The world seems so harsh, we get bombarded with all the bad that is happening, and if we are not paying attention, it will make us harder, colder and more negative.
People walking by, look down, not making eye contact.
If you address somebody, you are met with distrust. You see ‘What do you want?’ in their eyes, instead of ‘How can I help you?’
Even if someone obviously needs help, most people will just pretend that they don’t see it.
And that is why I invite you all to, ’look more with your heart’.
And to do so, to gain trust again, to have an eye for beauty again:
stop watching the news all the time,
stop believing what people are trying to make us believe,
think for yourself,
decide that you will break that circle of gossip, that circle of negativity.
The more you decide to look for the good, the more you will see it.
Every time you hear something, see something, …ask yourself before you react: ‘what would love do?’
Let the harshness stop with you.
As one of my absolute favorite quotes of Mahatma Gandhi asks:
“Be the change you want to see in the world”.
Very often, we are taught to be mistrusting, to be hard, to be demanding. But what good does that ever bring, to anyone?
We have to reprogram ourselves to know that:
It is okay to be positive.
It is okay to say hello to strangers.
It is okay to help spontaneously.
It is okay to volunteer.
It is okay to still believe in the goodness of people.
It is okay to be friendly.
When I look at the wall next to my desk here, I read another beautiful quote:
“Don’t let the world change your smile,
let your smile change the world.”
It’s up to you.
Do you want to keep smiling, do you want to feel safe, connected, part of a beautiful community?
Start by looking with your heart.
Open yourself up to give and receive beauty.
The more you send out these positive, warm vibrations, the more you’ll attract beauty, love and friendship.
Be willing to see.
Be brave enough to be the first to say a friendly word.
It’s amazing how the exact same reality around you, feels different when you look at it from your heart.
And to be able to open your heart, to be able to hear what your heart is telling you, you have to embrace silence first.
The quieter you become, the more you can hear.
You know from lots of my previous articles* how you can accomplish silence in your head.
Simplify** your life.
By simplifying the space around you, you’ll reduce input. Hence more calmness.
By eating less, eating more healthily, you’ll calm your body, you’ll sleep better, and you’ll be able to think more clearly.
By meditating, chanting, …you’ll calm your mind. The less chatter you hear, the more you’ll be able to hear the messages from your heart.
Do less, have less, want less, say less….
The answer to most problems is …less.
Reduce the input, all input, and you’ll experience this inner peace which makes it so much easier to look with your heart.
With all the clutter out of the way, you are free to choose what you want to see, what you want to do.
With spring coming soon, take the opportunity to awaken together with nature.
Use the new, bubbling energy to
clean out your house,
cleanse your body,
to get rid of all the cobwebs in your head.
It’ll make you feel so light, so bright, so free.
All this new found freedom will allow you to start thinking for yourself.
You’ll have a clear vision of who you are, of what you want.
The clearer your vision is, the less you’ll feel the need to prove yourself, the less you’ll try to fit in.
Because when you are true to yourself, you’ll find your ‘tribe’ and you’ll belong.
The more you feel connected, the more you feel you are true to yourself, the easier it feels to be friendly to others, to help out whenever it is needed. You’re less occupied with your own ego.
You’ll know your own worth, you’ll have found your inner peace.
This feeling enables you to decide what to listen to, what to believe, and what to ignore.
And that is what I wish for all of you:
Become the best version of you.
Be, who your heart is telling you, that you are.
Look with the heart.
Thank you all for reading me, and for supporting me on Medium. If you want unlimited access to all of my articles, and of many other authors, you can become a Medium Member. You’ll be supporting me and all the other authors. Many, many thanks to you all!!!
Katrien
*See my articles on Medium.
**’Less is Yes!” by Katrien Degraeve.