I've often faced difficulties knowing my own heart and its contours, crevices and longings. While the quote above references the soul, I also feel it is relevant for my own understanding of my heart, which very often feels like a battlefield. 

Oftentimes, my mind's stories override my heart's desires with old narratives that it's been holding onto in order to make sense of the world. I believe, though, that the heart and imagination are much more powerful than the mind's stories.

I tend to seek support and advice from friends to help navigate matters of the heart. Lately I've realized that nobody else will ever truly understand my heart's desires and a large part of my own journey actually involves trusting that I will know what's best for my heart.

In the past few weeks, I've encountered new people who have served as a mirror to me in the most magical way. I see their struggles with their hearts and minds, and yearning to craft stories to find their way out. But, what has become clear to me is that we can't create a new vision with an old narrative. The familiar stories often keep us safe and protected from something new that we might not even be able to imagine.

A wise friend advised me to turn inward. She recounted her own journey in love and relationships and said that at a certain point she stopped asking friends for advice. She felt many people just wanted her to stop being in relationships or patterns that didn't seem healthy. Sometimes, though, we have to go through certain experiences to really understand them. While it looks painful and unnecessary to a good-hearted, it might simply be the path we need to take in order to get to the other side.

Regardless of how you navigate your heart, what I've learned lately is that the real opportunity and beauty is the process of becoming familiar with your heart and understanding the lessons that are being presented to you. I've come to understand that the deeper wisdom is always in the journey and in the unearthing of your own heart.

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