Jim Palmer - Living with Your Heart Flung Wide Open

This is a nice quote from Jim Palmer's new book, Notes from (Over) the Edge: Unmasking the Truth to End Your Suffering.

Living with your heart flung wide open

December 19, 2013

“Jesus came to awaken our heart. Religion too often makes God about rules and rituals, duties and doctrines. It defines our holiness by our allegiance and compliance to the organization, tradition, and system. Over and against religion, Jesus showed up and calls for an awakening of the heart. Jesus invited all people to allow themselves to be loved by God – to open our hearts and know that we are lovable… ever last single one of us. Jesus said look at me and see what God is like, and then he knelt in the dirt to rescue a woman who had been written off by religion. Jesus taught us that love is not an idea. It’s something you feel in your heart, and then you bring expression to it through your humanity. The truth is not a sterile and indifferent philosophy, or a theological creed. Jesus said, “I am the truth,” and then he lived a life of love. He flung his heart wide open to God and the world.”

- Jim Palmer, Notes from (Over) the Edge: Unmasking the Truth to End Your Suffering

The Strength of Compassion - Coming at Conflict with an Open Heart

When men enter into conflict, whether it's a disagreement with a buddy over who is the best NFL quarterback of all time or it's a debate with his fiance over the pros and cons of a DJ at the wedding, if men care about the conflict, their goal is to win. In essence, winning means the other person loses - when someone loses, there are hurt feelings.

But this is not how conflict needs to be handled, it's simply how men are raised (in general, of course) to approach conflict.

The idea of approaching conflict with compassion and an open mind and heart seems like a sure way be humiliated. Again, it need not be this way.

Conflicts generally arise when two or more people who differing needs and/or beliefs. If we approach these situations as opportunities to learn about someone else, and allow our minds and hearts to remain open, then conflict can become an experience in which we learn more about others and more about ourselves.

The Strength of Compassion

Coming at Conflict with an Open Heart

by Madisyn Taylor

Conflict should always be met with open ears and an open heart.

Conflict is an unavoidable part of our lives because our beliefs and modes of being often contrast powerfully with those of our loved ones, acquaintances, and associates. Yet for all the grief disagreements can cause, we can learn much from them. The manner in which we handle ourselves when confronted with anger or argument demonstrates our overall level of patience and the quality of our energetic states. To resolve conflict, no matter how exasperating the disagreement at hand, we should approach our adversary with an open heart laden with compassion. Judgments and blame must be cast aside and replaced with mutual respect. Conflict is frequently motivated by unspoken needs that are masked by confrontational attitudes or aggressive behavior. When we come at conflict with love and acceptance in our hearts, we empower ourselves to discover a means to attaining collective resolution.

The key to finding the wisdom concealed in conflict is to ask yourself why you clash with a particular person or situation. Your inner self or the universe may be trying to point you to a specific life lesson, so try to keep your ears and eyes open. Once you have explored the internal and external roots of your disagreement, make a conscious effort to release any anger or resentment you feel. As you do so, the energy between you and your adversary with change perceptibly, even if they are still operating from a more limited energy state. Consider that each of you likely has compelling reasons for thinking and feeling as you do, and accept that you have no power to change your adversary’s mind. This can help you approach your disagreement rationally, with a steady voice and a willingness to compromise.

If you listen thoughtfully and with an empathetic ear during conflict, you can transform clashes into opportunities to compromise. Examine your thoughts and feelings carefully. You may discover stubbornness within yourself that is causing resistance or that you are unwittingly feeding yourself negative messages about your adversary. As your part in disagreements becomes gradually more clear, each new conflict becomes another chance to further hone your empathy, compassion, and tolerance.

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Listening with Your Heart- Less Thinking and More Feeling

This is the Daily Om from a couple of weeks ago, an encouragement to listen with our hearts, which for men is not something we have been taught to do as we grew up. We are taught that feelings are sissy, girly, or gay, and that "real" men are rational and emotionless. This traditional model of masculinity, of manliness, is basically bullshit.

We are no less able to listen with our hearts than are women, but if we were taught how to listen as kids, we will need to practice this skill to become more adept at it. There is a brief exercise in this post that offers a way to practice this skill.

Listening with Your Heart
Less Thinking and More Feeling

by Madisyn Taylor

When we begin to listen with our hearts rather than our heads, our whole world changes and becomes softer.

Most of us were born and raised in cultures that value the head over the heart and, as a result, we place our own hearts below our heads in a sort of inner hierarchy of which we may not be conscious. What this means is that we tend to listen and respond from the neck up, often leaving the rest of our bodies with little or no say in most matters. This is a physical habit, which sometimes feels as ingrained as the way we breathe or walk. However, with effort and awareness, we can shift the energy into our hearts, listening and responding from this much deeper, more resonant place.

The brain has a masterful way of imposing structure and order on the world, creating divisions and categories, devising plans and strategies. In many ways, we have our brains to thank for our survival on this planet. However, as is so clear at this time, we also need the wisdom of our hearts if we wish to continue surviving in a viable way. When we listen from our heart, the logical grid of the brain tends to soften and melt, which enables us to perceive the interconnectedness beneath the divisions and categories we use to organize the world. We begin to understand that just as the heart underlies the brain, this interconnectedness underlies everything.

Many agree that this is the most important work we can do at this time in history, and there are many practices at our disposal. For a simple start, try sitting with a friend and asking him to tell you about his life at this moment. For 10 minutes or more, try to listen without responding verbally, offering suggestions, or brainstorming solutions. Instead, breathe into your heart and your belly, listening and feeling instead of thinking. When you do this, you may find that it’s much more difficult to offer advice and much easier to identify with the feelings your friend is sharing. You may also find that your friend opens up more, goes deeper, and feels he has really been heard. If you also feel great warmth and compassion, almost as if you are seeing your friend for the first time, then you will know that you have begun to tap the power of listening with your heart.

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A New Conversation with Men - What Does It Mean To Have An Open Heart?

On this episode of A New Conversation with Men, Coach Michael Taylor speaks with Vanessa Petronelli about her Open Heart and Open Mind Health And Wellness Services that are "designed to support men and women in reconnecting with their hearts so that they can live a life filled with love, happiness and abundance." There's some useful information in this talk (and there is some woo, a heads up for those who are woo adverse).

What Does It Mean To Have An Open Heart?


The player is not embedding correctly, so listen to the episode here.

One of the biggest challenges for men is to learn to get out of their head and into their hearts.

If you have ever struggled with making this distinction, you don't want to miss this episode.

Join Coach Michael Taylor as he speaks with Vanessa Petronelli about her Open Heart and Open Mind Health And Wellness Services that are designed to support men and women in reconnecting with their hearts so that they can live a life filled with love, happiness and abundance.

Vanessa specializes in several areas of human growth and development including 'deprogramming,' detachment from ego and self-love. Vanessa’s clairvoyant abilities, energy healing and connection to the Angelic realm have inspired her to offer readings that also provide spiritual support to individuals.