According to Greg Braden, a New Age author and researcher – Fifty percent of our electromagnetic energy is produced by our heart. Thirty percent is produced by our brain. The rest is made up of our organs.
Read that again and let it soak in.
Along my healing journey, I resided in Buenos Aires, Argentina – my motherland – for a decade. During those years I found myself spending endless weekends with my grandmother, Mem, in Mar del Plata south of Buenos Aires). We played a lot of golf, swam in the ocean and then we’d indulge in crepes with dulce de leche (an Argentine speciality, similar to caramel). Our conversations were full of energetic connection and we were able to deep dive into what we felt was the meaning of life. She would inject me with inspiration to dream bigger and to get creative about how I wanted to live my life. She was guiding me to live a life of passion, just like she has done for herself. She would always end our soulful conversations by grabbing my wrist firmly saying – “you have to do what you love, Oli. Stop wasting your life away.”
My time with my grandmother was refreshing. Each weekend I spent with her, she revitalized me. I frequently escaped the city of Buenos Aires to seek her energy, comfort and motivation. She could never understand what I was doing in Buenos Aires and more so, in the monotonous and non stimulating jobs to which I had committed. It was hard for me to see, because I was so grateful for what I did have, even if it didn’t nourish my soul. She knew that I was capable of doing more with my life and connecting more profoundly with my true self. Through her belief in me, I began to understand I was capable of giving more of myself in service of this world. I learned that I had the ability and hunger to pursue bigger dreams and take on more challenging work. I wanted to play the A game and not settle for less, but I was stuck because I did not believe in myself. I wasn’t moving forward or backwards – I was dangerously stagnant.
My grandmother and I are deeply rooted and she can feel my heart like no one else, as if she is in my skin. Back then, she knew very well that I was pursuing a professional path that was not aligned with my core being and it was sucking the life out of my soul. Every Sunday would dawn upon us and I would have to part Mar del Plata back to the mundanity of work life in Buenos Aires. I would cry out of the torturous feeling it was to go back to the dull office job I had, especially after experiencing a weekend of what life was all about – playfulness, sincere connection with others (in my case, my grandmother) and freedom to be myself. Back in the office, the hours felt like years and I couldn’t bear the weakening of my Spirit sitting behind a computer in a tiny office with all sorts of “rules” imposed upon me. I cringed at having to “pretend” as if I were busy and being super productive just to put on a performing front. This is the epitome of a toxic professional life.
My heart’s desire was strong and purposeful – I wanted to live close to the people I love, own my own business and travel on behalf of my work, all while having fun. It sounded impossible, back then, but I knew that this would be the lifestyle that would eventually pump blood through my veins and enable me to live passionately, just like my grandmother.
Mem prayed for my happiness and believed in me more than I did. Because her energy is contagious, I began to believe that there was a better, more fulfilling and exciting professional life out there for me. Everyone else in my family was of the belief that the harder you work, the more successful you are and then happiness follows. They were more conventional and believed in office jobs as the gateway to stability. I believe in hard work, but I also believe in playtime. I wanted a balance and I was determined to find a paying profession that satiated my mind and my spirit. I was prepared to be different and to become more like Mem – a daring woman – fierce and untamed. I was willing to make necessary changes to enhance who I truly was, my lifestyle and life in general. And so I did. I took a leap of faith and blindly moved back to the United States of America to begin my professional career from zero.
I am forever indebted to my grandmother for her teachings, encouragement and values that she instilled in me. I am grateful for her pushing me to be a risk taker and to believe in a life that is full of heart. I am loyal to the institutions, environments and mentors who have supported me in attaining my passion for being of service to others, supporting health and wellness, research and higher education while traveling the world and connecting with outstanding individuals while being happily loyal to myself.
Fortunately, my suffering is what led me to readjusting my values from money making obsession to serving people of all backgrounds with purpose and enthusiasm. For me, it is vital and non-negotiable to live a vibrant and passionate life serving my higher purpose. It is essential for me to balance work and play, while making a living by doing what I love and not what I think I should be doing.
The oldest of inner laws, the law of divine capacity, is that you can’t fully love your life, who you are, and the world around you if you don’t live from your heart. It is an inescapable gravity kind of law.
In life, I have been guided to learn how to stay focused on my heart’s desires. There is nothing wrong with wanting more out of life. When your heart leads and you truly want something, the universe conspires in helping you make it your reality. I have learned that in order to surrender we must learn to relax. By leaning into our hearts with trust and releasing our minds (thoughts), we are doing the best thing we can to honor our authentic selves. The mind is full of brakes, disguised as worries and un-serving self dialogue. The heart, instead, is full of hope, excitement, curiosity and playfulness.
The unprecedented times of COVID19 are challenging for each of us. It is also an opportunity for us to unfold in a different way – a heart-full way. This is a time to step into our true self, to readjust ourselves and live more with and through our heart. We are living through a time in our history that is begging each of us to slow down, to reflect and to connect with what truly matters to our spirit. It is also a time where as humans, we are being asked to reassess how we’d like to live our lives and how we can contribute our unique energy to a world that is in need of love. We all possess special talents, abilities, capabilities and skills. It is our responsibility to connect with our innate inner-tools and put them to use for our own benefit and that of the world’s. The rewards are not immediate, but the process of learning how to lead with our heart is enriching and satiating. COVID19 has invited me to lean into my heart and lead each day with it.
So, what does your heart say? What is your calling this day, year and time in history? I invite you to lean into your passions with purpose. If you are not clear on what they are, I encourage you to observe each challenge as an opportunity in order to discover them with curiosity and playfulness. By realigning with your essence and not being afraid to take on new ways of living, you will discover magnificent realms of your being. In doing so, you will begin to unveil your passions and live a life full of purpose.
I encourage you to sit still for five minutes a day (preferably outside in nature) and connect your breath. Your breath is your connection to your heart. Observe it. Acknowledge it. Listen to it. Stay true to yourself and in doing so, try becoming more bold today than you were yesterday. Dare to use more heart – more you – as you follow your intentions, trusting that all will be well. Today is the perfect day to take a deep breath in and take a leap of faith in yourself, venturing into the wilderness safely knowing that you have all that you need. You have your heart and talents to pave the way towards living a fulfilling life.
Be you as only you can be. More heart. More you.