How Scared Is Your Heart?
During an incredibly profound conversation I had yesterday, at one point I was told, "Your heart is like a tiny mouse—he's wearing these giant goggles—and is going much too fast on a bike much too big for him."
In other words, my heart is terrified. It doesn't want to be hurt. It tries to stay in the back, in the dark... where it feels safe and protected.
Mind you, I didn't say these words. I heard them said to me.
Did I argue?
No.
**
My bet is that a lot of people, not just me, live this way.
We appear well-adjusted. We have emotions. We love and are loved, but not as much as we could. Somewhere along the line, when we were a very different and much younger person, we made a decision that had life-changing consequences.
It is entirely possible that this decision, which probably was never even at a conscious level, is no longer valid. It's outdated and off base. It's just plain wrong.
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This isn't your fault. You at age 4 or 12 or 17 didn't have enough context, maturity or foresight to make a decision that would control the rest of your life. That was never even the plan. It's just that these under-the-radar, subconscious decisions ("I need to protect my heart so it won't be hurt again" or "I can't trust my heart, it will lead me to pain") fade into the fabric of our identity to such a degree that we are no longer even aware of them. They control our life, and we don't even know it.
Until... someone sees your heart for what it is: a little mouse with oversized goggles, scared that you are going much too fast.
Personally, I am grateful for those words. It's time for me to teach that mouse that speed is exhilarating, rather than terrifying.
With love and gratitude (see what I did there?),
Bruce
**
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Life Coach @ The Connectionist, Fashion Model @ Q Model Management
8 个月That little mouse :) I love reading all these! I am grateful to be helping you on this journey :)
Founding Partner at Next Step Partners, Executive Coach, HBR Contributor, & MG100 Coach.
10 个月Beautiful, Bruce!
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10 个月We always talk about the mystery of who is controlling all this thing. I am in another country and I face these perceptions
Editor/Proofreader: I help nonfiction writers and podcasters (& their guests) look and sound as smart as they are.??Cruciverbalist?? BIZCATALYST 360° Columnist????The Oxford Comma????Dog Rescuer??Spunky Old Broad??
10 个月First, that mouse, Bruce Kasanoff! Oh, OK, first YOU. But that mouse is a brilliant reminder of what you and the rest of us know to be true: We DO have scars and scares due to life's smacks upside the head ... and sometimes we lose sight of our power to calm down and not let those feelings overwhelm us. Brilliant post as always, and thank you!