The battle between the heart and the mind never really comes to an end. It is just like a tennis match. The ball goes back and forth, back and forth, until finally, the eyes give away, and we doze off. We talk about listening to the heart or mind, but most of the time, during crucial decisions, we are not even consciously aware of whether our heart or mind made this decision. Staying conscious about our inner voice, along with the doubts that it offers, is a part of being human.
We often do not heed the voice within, but our best advisor is our own voice rather than family, friends or anyone. Whenever you find yourself running at a tremendous speed, you are running so fast that the faces of your loved ones have blurred away, then stop, pause and observe yourself. Being aware of who we are is life.
Once we learn to listen to ourselves, the question of the heart or the mind arises. The mind always resonates with what makes sense, but the heart believes in the power of intuition, going with the flow and love; it complies with whatever feels right. The difference between the two is that the mind tells us what is wise, whereas the heart tells us what we will do anyway.
It is up to us to decide whether we follow our heart or our mind. After all, we alone hold power to decide who we wish to follow. However, we can only find peace of mind once we listen to our hearts. The heart opens up doors of ecstasy, imagination and joyfulness, but the mind keeps us rooted in this material world where practicality implies the cornerstone of each decision.
The key to mastering the heart and the mind is to strike a chord between the two. The heart and the mind play on a see-saw, but to muster up the courage to sit at the fulcrum of it is winning both.
Anvesha Rana
Grade 11
Gyanshree School
