Do you wear your heart on your sleeve?

 

Is it bad to wear your heart on your sleeve?

 

 

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret;  it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.”   -Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Wearing your heart on your sleeve means simply allowing your emotions to be visible.  On the one hand, allowing our emotions to be known is courageous as it leaves us vulnerable to others’ judgements and projections.  Sometimes is it not a matter of choice as in the experience of grieving.  It is often obvious when someone has suffered a loss or tragedy to recognize it in the face or eyes.  This wearing of the heart openly is generally not a choice, it simply is the result of the intensity of the inner experience.

On another level, one can wear their heart on their sleeve as a way of being in the world; honest, secure and confident. The way that these people feel is obvious and there is a boundary that is established that engenders respect, without requiring compliance.  They simply are who they are, without apology or regret.

And then there are those who are seemingly either unaware or unable to keep their feelings within, emoting reactively to life’s challenges and interactions.  This is a far more difficult and emotionally dangerous situation.  When we allow the world to see our every emotion, we invite reactive responses that can touch our deepest insecurities.

I suppose there is not a simple answer to this question as there are as many ways to wear one’s heart on one’s sleeve as there are people.  It is neither bad nor good, it is a question of how conscious one is about where they keep their hearts.

“To wear your heart on your sleeve isn’t a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.” – Margaret Thatcher

The above quotes I chose for their different tenors.  Thatcher’s quote is akin to the less articulate American expression, “Don’t let ’em see you sweat.”  Sometimes it is wiser to maintain an air of mystery!  The quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is from the book, “The Little Prince” (which has many other memorable quotes as well, like “It’s the time you’ve wasted on your rose that makes your rose so important” – but that’s for another time) and is a truth.

So wear your heart where you will and be conscious of it always.  

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Each week, guest blogger & spiritual leader, Roie Lattimer, will be offering answers to your questions. She has an unbelievable gift for sharing the messages that you need to hear!

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