Smile, It’s Monday: Your Weekly Wake-up Call to Balance Work and Life

Inspiration is much higher than reason, but it must not contradict it. 

Reason is the rough tool to do the hard work; 
inspiration is t
he bright light which shows us all truth.
—Swami Vivekananda

Would you describe yourself as a person who gets lost in their thoughts or as someone who gets carried away with their feelings? Which do you trust more—your mind or your heart? If you could only use one of these internal instruments to make your decisions from now on, which would you choose? Try this quick exercise: look straight ahead, point to yourself, and say with conviction, “This is who I am.” Really, try it. I’ll bet you just pointed to your heart, not your mind. This simple test demonstrates which part of your body you identify with more.

Ask yourself this question: “What can I do this week to honor my heart?” You honor your heart when you do at least some of what you truly feel you want to do rather than solely engaging in what you think you should do. Integrate some time into your schedule to do what fills your heart with joy—whether that means to go for a massage, or to a concert, or to watch some stand-up comedy, or to just hang out with someone you really care about and catch up about life.

How do you honor your feelings and take time to truly enjoy your life? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Anthony Silard is the president of The Global Leadership Institute and the author of the Simon & Schuster book The Connection: Link Your Passion, Purpose, and Actions to Make a Difference in the World. To receive Smile, It's Monday each week in your inbox and a free copy of Anthony's new audio CD, "The Surprising Source of Your Passion", enter your email here (1-step only).