When what we want to do or be in our hearts differs from the values and common sense of others in society, we sometimes give priority to the voices of others, don’t we?
In a sense, we may say that we are forcibly telling ourselves “this is the way it must be,” while keeping our ears closed to the voice of our own hearts and listening to the voices of those around us.
However, if you live like that, you will probably become increasingly bitter and lose sight of what you are living for.
Why do we only care about the voices around us instead of our own hearts? It is because we are afraid of being criticized or floating away from our surroundings and society.
When we honestly express what we think in our hearts and what we want to do, we first think about what people around us will think of us. They might oppose me or criticize me at that time. If that is the case, it is better to say something that is easily understood by those around us.
In this way, we bind our own hearts, and we may have tied up the freedom of our souls. The more we bind our hearts, the more we lose our soul’s freedom, and the less we are able to express our true potential.
I believe that the true start of life is when we come to a state of mind that says, “I don’t care what others think of me; I will listen to the voice of my heart and live my life.”
When I say that, some people may think, “If people lived as their hearts dictated, then terrible evil would spread throughout the world.” However, this is not true. The human heart is inherently filled with overwhelming goodness.
If someone is a wrongdoer, you can ask him or her. “Do you really want to do that from the bottom of your heart?”
Of course such a person is suffering. This is because the heart is inherently good, and if you do something contrary to goodness, suffering will be born there.
It is often said, “You cannot lie to your heart.” The more we lie to our hearts, the more we suffer, and the more stuck we become.