The heart has its reasons that reason knows not.  – Unknown. Awakening our heart and trusting our heart wisdom allows us to understand ourselves and our position in life more accurately. The heart speaks a different language, one the intellectual mind does not understand. But if we desire to, we can learn this language and receive the wisdom and joy that an awakened heart will bring. It is not difficult. Trusting our feelings and acting upon them puts us in communication with the heart. Often it is instinctive. Someone slips, your arm goes out. A car is in a ditch; you join the others and push. A colleague at work is depressed; you let him know you care. Already we are kind and loving in many ways, but this can deepen immeasurably. These are only the first few steps on the amazing path to the centre of your heart. […]

As we continue on the path of the ten virtues, I feel inclined to once again remind the reader that these are not spiritual or moral codes, but rather paths of energy that one explores by living and practicing them. They are of no value whatsoever as mere intellectual concepts. Their value can only be experienced by the individual who has the courage, curiosity and tenacity to live and practice them for a period of time—I suggest one month. If they have no value to you after practicing them for a month, then drop them and adopt practices that do have value for you. However, if you do find that they have immense value, as I have found they do, then incorporate them into your daily life as practices worthy of your time. […]

Are you a good receiver? It might sound like a funny question but it is an important one that each of us should ask ourselves. Strangely, most of us are better givers than we are receivers. We give to our children, our spouses, our friends, charities and, contrary to what we might think, most of us are actually very good at giving. But receiving; now that is another matter. We often feel subtly uncomfortable when receiving. Even compliments get deflected when they come our way. Someone pays us a compliment for helping them move or clean up the house and we say, “Ah, it was nothing.” Or someone compliments us on an outfit we are wearing and we feel inclined to mention how we bought it at a discount instead of simply enjoying the compliment and letting it nourish us. The compliment is a gift to us, and when we don’t receive it properly we are dishonoring the giver. […]