“Follow your heart.” I’m sure we’ve all heard this phrase time and time again, no matter where we are. It’s embedded in almost every film and TV show we watched growing up (and some pieces of furnitures, too). It’s always, “Follow your heart, and it’ll lead you to where you’re meant to be”. That’s always been the message and we take it, we accept it wholeheartedly not just because it sounds poetic or noble, but because it’s literally the easiest path to follow. How could it not be? It’s literally telling us to do what we want. What we want and what we need are two very different things. Like when you’re going through a problem that makes you ache with regret, making you desperate to want nothing more than to run. To leave it all behind, disappear somewhere and start anew, pretending it all never happened. That’s what your heart tells you: Start over. Escape. And many times in the media, we’ve romanticized that very same ‘escape’ through the means of ‘following our hearts’. But what if I tell you that it wont’t fix anything? The problem doesn’t vanish just because you do. So then the question becomes: do you follow your heart, the part of you that just wants relief? Or do you listen to what’s right, the part that knows healing only comes when you face things, fix what you can and move forward? Our hearts are emotional. It gives us advices through our emotions, swaying with longing, fear, hope and fantasy altogether without logic. It chases what feels good in the moment, instead of what’s right or sustainable. It can be impulsively loud when it wants something, then silent when you need clarity. Funny thing is, I’ve only come to this realization through a sermon, of all things. I was stunned when I first heard it, but as the pastor explained why we can’t and shouldn’t follow our hearts, it started to make sense. Looking back, many of the things I regret most in my life, if I’m being honest, stemmed from decisions I’ve made impulsively. Decisions that are led by emotions rather than reason, hence ‘following my heart’. It didn’t even feel right at the time. It just felt like I was in denial, ignoring the signs that were clearly pointing me in another direction. Somehow I convinced myself I was right, that I’m just following my heart and things would work out the way I want it to be. Deep down though, I remember feeling that quiet discomfort, that gut feeling telling me that this just wasn’t it. I just didn’t want to listen, because listening would mean letting go something I desperately wanted. Now that I’ve really thought about it, I’ve realized that all the best decisions I’ve ever made were the ones where I follow my gut instead of my heart. That I’ve been following the former instead of the latter all this time. It’s that quiet, grounded voice deep within us. The one that doesn’t always speak in words but warns and nudges us into the right direction. Your gut isn’t clouded by emotions or wishful thinking. It’s rooted in instinct, experience and a kind of inner truth that your heart sometimes forgets to consult. So no, don’t follow your heart. Follow your gut. Sincerely, Cherie. The Whiffler is free today. But if you enjoyed this post, you can tell The Whiffler that their writing is valuable by pledging a future subscription. You won't be charged unless they enable payments.
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Thursday, 26 June 2025
Don't Follow Your Heart
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