Monday – 2/14/2011

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.”

Inside all of us lies a heart. Quite literally, it is a muscle organ that pumps blood to all parts of the body and maintains its rhythmic beating from before birth until our death. The pear-shaped muscle’s sole purpose is to keep us alive. If our heart muscle stops then so too do our lives. Our ability to live and breathe depends on the beating of our heart. However, there is a big difference between having a heart and having heart.

People often tell me that it takes a lot of heart to endure the journey I’ve been on, make the decisions I’ve had to make and navigate the range of emotions I have felt. In ancient times, the Romans defined having heart as having honor, courage and valor. To the Egyptians, heart meant having affection and love towards others. Based on these two definitions, I would tend to agree with the opinions of others — I have had to be strong and courageous as I deal with this injury; and I have certainly not been shy in expressing my love and gratitude towards all those who help me along the way. Although, I would venture to say that almost everyone reading this journal entry has also exhibited “heart” at some point throughout their life, as defined by the Romans and Egyptians.

But there is another kind of heart — The Awakened Heart. There has been a lot published about this topic and a variety of definitions as to what it actually means to have an awakened heart. For me, I have come to define the awakened heart as being open to receive the messages and energy that exists in the world around us. My injury has provided me with a paradox that has helped lead me towards an awakened heart — stillness. My paralysis literally forces most of my body to be still and deprived of movement. But it has also given me the gift of stillness and the ability to often find myself living in the Now and enjoying the beauty that exists by being still. I have talked about this gift in previous entries (see Wednesday — 9/1/2010) and the state of enlightenment it can bring an individual. There is true beauty that anyone of us can attain by opening our hearts and awakening our souls to the energy surrounding us. Whether through meditation, daily reflection or some other means of tuning out life’s distractions, it is important for all of us to allow ourselves to be “open.”

It’s okay to slow down, relax and take a deep breath. It’s actually quite good for you. Give yourself time each day to take a moment for yourself to be still and open. It is way too easy to get caught up in the alternative — always on the go, moving so fast that you fail to appreciate the true beauty that exists in your life and all around you. I am speaking from experience. As I mentioned before, while driving up to the lake that day I broke my neck, Kristy mentioned to me that I tend to be so focused on what’s next in my life, I fail to really appreciate the present. I am not naïve and realize it is a busy world we live in these days and things move fast, I’m just reminding all of us to not be so busy “doing” that we have no time for “living.”

So on this day of hearts, Valentine’s Day, take a moment to remind yourself to awaken your heart and be open and still.

As far as a quick update on my situation, it was another busy week. I had a lot of friends and visitors stop by. I did two interviews this past week — one with The Plain Dealer and one with Lehigh University. I even managed to fit in a few hours of consulting work for a company on Friday. I’m still on bed rest and have a follow-up appointment this Wednesday to see where things stand with this pressure sore. As of right now, I hope to be in my apartment by the end of the month in time for my birthday.

Thanks to everyone for your continued prayers and support!  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Scott