by Liliane Mavridara
“Listen to your heart. It knows all things, because it came from the Soul of the World, and it will one day return there.”
“Why do we have to listen to our hearts?” the boy asked.
“Because wherever your heart is, that is where you will find your treasure.”
From “The Alchemist”, by Paulo Coelho
I was introduced to The Alchemist in my mid-twenties during a full moon celebration on a Greek island. It became my bible, a book I kept by my bedside for years as I started listening to my heart and its prompts, that many times seemed illogical, crazy and were asking me to do things I was not willing to.
Art by Sally Smith.
I remember waking up one morning, soon after I had read the book for the first time, during my usual 7-day-a-week/17-hour-a-day workweek, not being able to move my neck: an “unexplainable” condition that had me wearing a neck cast and going through physical therapy for more than two months. This was the first wake-up call to something greater that was at play in my life, something I had forgotten over the years because it was not convenient to listen to.
Now, almost 17 years later, I’ve learned what it takes to listen and trust one’s heart, a process that initiates the Hero/Heroine’s journey. Going through such experiences builds character and courage, eventually setting the stage to lead by example and inspire others by what is possible. The challenge comes when listening to your heart requires you to go against others’ expectations and societal norms.
In my work with women’s empowerment, I have found that for many, even if they have a vision and want to make a difference, they get into situations (primarily in intimate relationships) where they either question or stop listening to their heart and the truth it holds. They fall into roles and societal expectations of who/what they should be as mothers, daughters, wives, executives, and over time listening becomes a nightmare.
This is primarily so because listening to their intuition may mean that they will make someone feel uncomfortable or disappointed, or that they may have to leave a job, a marriage, a familiar situation or location. However, the refusal to listen inwardly (whether conscious or not) does and will manifest in one way or another outwardly. It may be experienced as inner conflict and turmoil that leads to sleeplessness, depression, indifference, or physical symptoms like migraines or my “inexplicable” neck condition. Or, it may manifest as crises in relationships, marriage, or work. We are one person in all areas of our lives and when one area is not fulfilling or in harmony, i.e., the intimate relationship, very soon that sadness or emptiness will affect another area.
The more you listen, follow and explore where your longings lead you, the more you get to know about yourself and what stirs you up, what inspires you, what makes you grow and reach for more. There is an inherent freedom and expansiveness in how you think and feel when you start breaking away from what others say or do, and start listening to the voice within. Disharmony will fade away.
Furthermore, when you learn to fine-tune to that inner voice with courage and responsibility, you start listening to the “soul of the world”, as The Alchemist says. Your life and work become aligned with it and a sense of effortlessness and easy flow — feeling like you are exactly where you need to be or doing what you are supposed to be doing — become the norm of daily living. Even when there are challenges, you tend to navigate them with a sense of knowing and inner peace.
How do you listen? How do you learn to decipher the words, the sounds, the signs no matter how subtle they may be? How do you know it is your heart you are “listening” to and not your family?
Your heart talks to you through dreams, songs, words you overhear, images that draw your attention, synchronicities, answers to your prayers, instant deep knowing, flashes of ideas, and creative expression through any medium, from redecorating your office and adding flowers in every room to painting and writing poetry. It also communicates through the longing to learn a new skill, to visit a specific place, to change career or country.
Sometimes the messages are clear and other times more subtle, but the main barometer is by staying true to what feels joyful, beautiful and expansive. You have to learn how to stay silent long enough to hear and also how to get past what you think is logical and acceptable, and go for what makes you laugh, cry, fall in love, lose track of time, act crazy and feel like “a different person”.
This continuous gauging helps you learn how to discern and choose wisely your thoughts, words and actions. Listening then becomes a daily lifelong practice with everlasting benefits; a practice that once you are at ease with, you can no longer do without.
About the author
Liliane Mavridara is a published author, poet, inspirational speaker, esoteric astrologer and visionary mentor, passionate about inspiring women to follow their heart and embody their power and wisdom, so that they lead by example and make a difference in their own unique way. She synthesizes her European descent with an eclectic background and expertise in the areas of business, personal development, holistic health, spirituality and the creative arts, and travels extensively lecturing and teaching on the role of creativity and intimate relationships in Feminine Leadership. For more information please visit www.LilianeMavridara.com.
