The word courage derives from the Latin cor, which means “heart,” and this is precisely what courage is. It’s your connection to your core self. When you succumb to fear, you live unconsciously and disconnect from your natural power. It’s only through courage that you embrace the powerful being you truly are.
Consider these powerful words from Carlos Castaneda:
Before you embark on [any path] ask the question: Does this path have a heart? If the answer is no, you will know it, and then you must choose another path.
Does your path have a heart? Do you know deep down that your path is the right one for you? Castaneda also wrote: “When a man finally realizes that he has taken a path without a heart, the path is ready to kill him.” I (Steve Pavlina) have seen this happen repeatedly to people who set their dreams aside in order to pursue a path with no heart. Some make fame and fortune their top priorities, assuming that external success will eventually make them happy. It doesn’t. Some settle for unfulfilling relationships, thinking that security will substitute for love. It won’t. Others drown themselves in idle entertainment, hoping it can restore passion to their lives. It can’t.
If your path has no heart, you’re on the wrong path. The heart-centered path is that of courage, not false security. The illusion of security is the primary aim of the false path. It tries to find heart substitutes, such as money and status, in the external world. But if you’re disconnected from your heart on the inside, you’ll never find it on the outside. Courage recognizes that true power lies within and that the pursuit of security only makes you powerless.
The heart-centered path is often a winding road. As soon as you think you have it figured out, it takes surprising turn. Even after you’ve found the path, it’s easy to wander off and get sidetracked. When you realize you’ve disconnected from your heart, stop and ask yourself: Where is the path with a heart? This will help bring you back to your core.
What if you know you’re on the wrong path but you don’t know how to find the right one? In that situation your first step is to get off the road you’re on. Just stop. If you can’t see the right path from your current location, you must go out and explore. You can’t search for it while you remain committed to the wrong one.
Over the past several years, I’ve watched many people undergo major career, relationship, and lifestyle transitions when they finally realized they’d pursuing a heartless path that was slowing killing them. Some of them changed abruptly, immediately quitting their jobs and boldly setting off in new directions. Others transitioned more gradually, continuing their previous work to pay the bills while pursuing a new path in their spare time. The key is that those who succeeded burned the ships behind them. They knew they had to abandon the heartless options in order to find the path with a heart. Burning the ships, however, doesn’t mean burning the food and supplies, too. You must do what’s necessary to meet your transitional needs, but go far enough that you aren’t tempted to return to the heartless path.
It’s beautiful to see people reconnecting with their hearts again. These individuals feel courageous, happy, and free long before the external transition has occurred. Exercising their courage reminds them what it’s like to feel truly alive.
* Source: Personal Development for Smart People by Steve Pavlina