Make Sure to Show Your Heart

Everyone has a heart, a ticker, that muscle that pushes blood through our bodies. But what does that heart say about us? How does it demonstrate what we feel and how we think inside?

As we enter this holiday season of thanksgiving and celebration, reflection and renewal, I thought we might take a moment to look at how we see our hearts. Or, more to the point, what kind of heart do we share with the world?

1. A Thankful Heart: Are you grateful for all the blessings, big and small, of family, friends, health, and happiness? Are you thankful every day for the life you live and the opportunities you have to impact the world around you?
2. A Loving Heart: There is so much discord and hurt in the world today; wouldn’t it be nice to express our compassionate and caring heart? Wouldn’t it be nice to show to our loved ones—and anyone for that matter—that we have chosen to amplify forgiveness and kindness over the other possibilities. Perhaps we can demonstrate that a loving heart will never go out of style.
3. A Peaceful Heart: We are never perfect, and we never will be. We are human, after all. But that doesn’t mean we should stop striving to do our best and be better every day. In fact, it means just the opposite, that we recognize that we are works in progress and that we are always growing, changing, and never settling for what we were. This should give us a sense of serenity and harmony.
4. A Joyful Heart: Happiness is a wonderfully powerful emotion that we can achieve from a beautiful night with friends or from the satisfaction of a job well done. But JOY! Joy is a spiritual experience that touches us at our very soul, that brings about an inner peace and satisfaction.
5. A New Heart: Life changes us every day with every experience we have. I am not the same person I was one week ago, one year ago, or 20 years ago. Hopefully, I am wiser, more tolerant, more educated, and a better human being. And I hope tomorrow I will have a new and even better heart to share.

What struck me as I made this list is that every characteristic of the heart was within my control. No one has the power to make me, or force me, or compel me to be anything that I don’t want to be. I choose the kind of heart that I want to live with, that I want to share. So, this year especially, perhaps we can all look within at the heart we want to share, at all the gratitude, love, and joy that we want to release out into the world. Let’s all find it in ourselves, through thoughts and actions, to lead with our most precious heart.

Phil’s new book, Take the Stage: 64 Leadership Lessons Learned From Theatre, is now available for pre-order on Amazon and Barnes and Noble, or get your kindle version now.