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Dear Reader,
How do you follow your heart?
Beth, a reader at the book club, sent an email asking, "How do you follow your heart?" I've saved Beth's email and whenever I get off track in life, I remind myself of what I wrote some time ago....
"Hi Suzanne, I love the spontaneous acts of your heart. How do you plan these events in your day--ha, ha? I am afraid I have become what I dreaded I would become--too organized. I think I have organized my heart right out of the picture. I have become efficient, but have lost some spark from my life. Tell me, how do you alternate from being an efficient planner to living by your heart?"--Beth
(And I replied:)
Dear Beth,
Your question about how do I plan the spontaneous events in my day was funny, but you know what they say about humor...there's a lot of truth behind it. And the truth is I've had to learn how to be spontaneous. In the beginning I had to schedule my spontaneity and sometimes I still do. When I catch myself being overly serious too many days in a row, then I intentionally do something a little bizarre so I can get back in touch with the spontaneous side of Suzanne.
The moments I look back on in my life are not the "perfect" days when I finished my to-do list, and cleaned the entire house all on a timely schedule. No, the days I love revisiting, the days that gently tug on my heart are when I did something just because. If you turn on a bubble machine pretty soon you'll be surrounded by people trying to catch bubbles and you have a wonderful story to remember. Hula hoop in your driveway and a walker passing by will ask,, "I haven't tried a hula hoop since I was a little girl, would you mind?"
Beth, you sound a lot like me, a good organizer and a detailed person. Those are wonderful traits, even though at the moment they're squashing the spontaneity of living by listening to your heart. But the good news is those same to-do organizational skills will help you accomplish your new desire.
Eating chicken wings in the tub, or putting a table cloth on the floor and announcing to the family that it's picnic night, these sorts of things you probably will have to plan in the beginning. You might try scheduling play dates with your heart, because we need to practice experiencing how to follow our hearts. Once you've spent enough time being lighthearted and a little crazy, your heart will go on automatic pilot. Spontaneity will be just that. You won't have to think in advance about doing the silly things in life anymore, because your heart will know what that experience feels like, and it will seize the opportunity to have fun whenever it can.
How about starting with a bubble machine? (You know it's my favorite and it's a guaranteed winner.) Load up the kids, and/or your husband and tell them Mom needs to make a Bubble Run to the store. It's a Follow Your Heart Emergency!
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
AUTHORBUZZ: BROTHERLY ENEMIES (NonFiction) by Elie Nakouzi
After bearing witness to devastating crimes of war and abominable displays of inhumanity, my book will help anyone who has had the privilege of growing up in America understand how fortunate they are. A riveting story about money, fame, women and alcohol and how I overcame this, will keep you reading and give you my true story about war and my mission to bring it down.
Go to: http://authorbuzz.com/dearreader click on BROTHERLY ENEMIES to read more and to email author Elie Nakouzi, you'll get a reply.
KIDSBUZZ: Meet new authors--send an email, ask a question and they will reply. Plus this week, enter to win a free copy of this book for kids and teens: WAR OF THE GODS by Justine Borrego. For a chance to win, say hello to the author, and more, see http://www.authorbuzz.com/kidsbuzz.
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