Another
consequence to living with a closed heart is alienation from others. We
think that we can shut down our emotions & still achieve real
intimacy with others, but that's not possible, To truly connect with
another being; to have deep mutual understanding, we have to be
open-hearted. If not, we experience painful existential loneliness.
Furthermore, when we have a closed heart, we lack empathy, so it's much
much easier to sit by & do nothing in the face of others' hardship.
Being closed-hearted makes us cold-hearted. Not only are we capable of
witnessing suffering in other living beings, it's also that much easier
for us to hurt others. When many people are living with a closed heart,
it becomes part of the fabric of our society. Our culture becomes one of
coldness, where unfeeling responses to others are the norm. So, for the
sake of our own relationships with others as well as the sake of our
survival as a society, we must open our hearts & reconnect to
others, empathize with them & feel, once again, moved to act on
their behalf.
This touched a part of me that felt I needed to share this. It is posted on Facebook. If you follow the link it will take you to your Facebook page because that is way the link is designed. I do not know anyone's Facebook information except my own.
Several years ago my husband gave me a beautiful necklace with two open hearts. He watches me struggle through the quagmire of PTSD. He encourages and stands by me through thick or thin. He also has healthy boundaries and goes to sleep when I can't. Occasionally, I feel jealous. Sleep can be elusive. Close-heart seems safe if you call self inflicted prison safe. Opening my heart to myself is an ongoing process of accepting who I am and where I am going. Open-hearted is scary and awesomely powerful. Open-hearted allows me to connect with others that at one time in my life, I didn't believe was possible. Warming hearts and creating an environment that encourages open-hearted choices takes effort and time but so worth it.
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