Some of us live their lives governed by the mind. Some only trust their gut. And then there’s people like me who lead a life after their heart. Either one is beautiful and powerful in its own way, and while we continuously skip-hop between the three for daily guidance, we usually return to our default setting in both times of unbearable doubt or absolute certainty. We rely on the one with veto power, the one that’s our absolute truth. To feel everything so deeply is equal parts my most precious gift yet hopeless curse. But it’s something I’ve learned to navigate and be proud of. I wear my heart on my sleeve and readily share it with anyone who hasn’t proven unsafe to its peace or purpose. I know when to let it grow quiet or stake boundaries around it, when to let it rage or reassuringly share its wisdom. I even know how to pick up its pieces and desperately put them back together, extend its grace readily yet firmly. Similar to the mind, the heart has infinite potential to learn, heal, gain confidence, nurture, and grow a backbone in a world mostly determined to break it. Like-minded thinkers have the ability to create the impossible, action-focused doers can move mountains, but when hearts find their calling or their equals, magic happens.

My heart’s ride-or-die is hope. Hope in the goodness of the next person, hope in the righteousness of the world, and hope in the promise of another sunrise. “Hope is the thing with feathers, That perches in the soul, And sings the tune without the words, And never stops at all […].” Emily Dickinson’s poem describes hope so candidly. Every day is an unwritten page ready for infinite possibilities of inherit goodness, loving authenticity, and the power to sprinkle beauty and kindness, encouragement and gratitude in the lives of the people dear to me or complete strangers on the street. The heart doesn’t discriminate, but the indiscriminate cruelty of the world, in turn, relies on this very tenderness of so many to bravely right its oftentimes wrongful course, never losing hope. One step, one small act, one prayer, and one extended hand at a time. Over and over again, boldened by the heart’s experience, over sticks and stones but onward. An army of open hearts shining its light and mending scars with unwavering courage and personal integrity is our world’s equivalent of a soothing hug or encouraging nudge to remember the beauty of our hopeful dreams.

At the end of the day, an open heart is both source and catalyst for connection. It not only draws strength from the connectedness with the world to fuel its own roots and intuition but also readily taps into its depths to offer connection to others. It needs and needs to be needed. It invites and appreciates to be invited. It envisions and values to be seen. An open heart recognizes and celebrates the random interconnectedness of things so purely – everyday’s little treasures, fateful encounters, nature’s wonders, the ripple effect of love and kindness, all of it. There’s a lesson in everything. We read a room for sport. Heart people have an emotional intelligence-antenna that’s constantly receiving and firing signals, not naively but confidently, principled, and intuitively. Processing, learning, and teaching on repeat. As cliché as it sounds, understanding and making the world a better place while nurturing our inner self is our North Star. Things don’t always work out as the heart envisions, but staying true to one’s essence is never the wrong choice. The world in its business-like numbness might not always be ready to receive this gift, but it’s going to remember the value of this softness and draw strength from it eventually. Vulnerability invites growth, and connection communicates belonging.

Brené Brown’s Atlas of the Heart fans out the magnificent, awe-inspiring scope of the heart’s emotional world with research-based confidence, insight, and guidance. The process of healing and growing, enjoying and sharing all the good emotional stuff has required open hearts to sit in and experience the dark corners of that expanse in equal amounts. Someone’s appreciation of joy and love is directly proportional to one’s understanding of anguish and grief. Tranquility is not the same without the experience of dread. Compassion and self-love not as mature without the knowledge of deep shame, anger, and pride. Humility needs defeat, and curiosity requires boredom. The list goes on. Our personal history is a map we need to be brave enough to travel fully in order to speak the language of our shared human experience fluently, so that we can open those hearts to ourselves and others. With conviction. With backbone.

I’m hoping to make my fellow heart people smile and feel seen with this blog post, encouraging you to keep celebrating your truth and to keep spreading your magic near and far. Because good hearts are nothing short of magic. We are the unassuming, steadfast, humble worker bees picking up pieces left and right to both selfishly and selflessly create and shelter love and hope. The world needs to take care of its gentle yet fierce souls, because we will take care of the world tenfold. If empowered, open hearts will make the world a more beautiful place almost automatically.

Love and light. Always.