The heart appears to be more important than maybe some have realised. Generating and sustaining our physical and spiritual life force, its own universe contained in each body.

Egyptians thought the heart of upmost importance to you in life and death, believing it is the ‘repository of one’s moral life’, and that you will be judged on the weight of it upon your death as you sit before Osiris, waiting for the outcome of that judgement. Your heart being the holder of all your memories they say, so it’s on that you are held to account.

A broken heart is something that appears to be real, and isn’t a little thing yet is talked about in an almost casual way sometimes as if it is only a brief physical thing. Or a social thing that is just a coined term for a time in your life, or a type of experience that is to be expected at some point in your existence. But it really can devastate people, they even say that people die of a broken heart it can be so, well, heartbreaking. And initially I did think that sounded a bit ridiculous, not quite fully comprehending the power of thought, and love. And how it seems that often it is our heart which tries to steer us, and our brain interferes somewhat, mind over matter they say. Meaning in my mind once I break it down and give it real thought, that heart is what matters.

Heartless, the word we have for people being abusive, cold, calculated and without care for others. Where we can see that they are missing something rather important, and it shows. We also say some people are lacking heart, where courage or conviction of belief is absent. But often that is from someone else’s viewpoint, so could be argued, as with heartless. That old saying of being cruel to be kind, and what could be called callous now, in time, could be viewed as compassion. Sometimes the only way to assist or help someone, is to stand aside and let them do their own thing, their own way, as that might be their path to learning.

Head vs Heart – they say there is a battle that often ensues, between our heads and our hearts. That mind over matter I mentioned above, giving you the idea that to be fully in control of your mind, means you are fully in control of yourself. But if the heart influences so much about us, who we are and what we are, then the brain is not the centre point for our personalities after all, although it may be the central processing and reasoning centre. Is that perhaps why it is so important at a young age to be shown love, affection and care? Not just so your brain can develop as a complex and social creature, but so your heart can also develop the necessary functions and full range of experiences.

Home is where the heart is they say. And of course, is not meant as a location or abode necessarily, but to convey that it is where and with whom you are most comfortable and at peace with in your heart. Maybe that’s why anxiety is felt in the heart firstly, as increased heartrate and sometimes a stabbing sensation, giving you a warning or a premonition type feeling to pay attention to.

A heartfelt apology, that term used when it seems that someone is giving a genuine apology, which does indeed seem from the heart. Rather than those who are doing it for lip service instead, using the right words but missing it being meant, or those who go even further to twist it and give a non-apology. And if you don’t know how to spot the differences, it can lead you down a naive and costly path. The same can be said of what we call truth, people are not always forthcoming with it, to themselves and others, and can people twist it, withhold it and use it for their own ends and against others. The two often being intertwined in the quest for understand between us humans.

And when it comes to giving something your all, what do they say? Put your heart and soul into it, giving you the idea that they are connected and once combined can achieve anything you set your mind to. The three parts of the personal trinity we carry in each of us, heart, soul and mind. Have the clarity of mind to know what is needed, have the depth of soul to understand it, and the strength of heart to do what needs to be done…

(c) MKW Publishing