Hello everyone!

It’s a question we may ask those close to us once in awhile, but it may be a question we never ask ourselves.

It is a question that should ONLY be asked if you are truly willing to listen to the answer, from others or yourself.

It’s a question, I believe, essential to ask to maintain a full and healthy life.

There is a verse in the bible which reads, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” (Proverbs 4:23)

Our hearts are very complex. They feel. Feel deeply. They are created to love. What a beautiful thing! However, we know that when we love we are opening ourselves up to a possibility of being hurt. These hurts can happen in any relationship we are in. If these hurts aren’t cared for, and are just left hiding away they have the ability to harden one’s heart. And this is a tragedy.

Our hearts aren’t meant to be hard, but soft and alive, full of hope and love. So when I ask the question, “How is your heart?”, it’s for the reason to see if it is tired, wounded, hard or frightened because of past experiences. The reason I ask is because the state of your heart actually affects your life; “for everything you do flows from it.” It affects the way you see, the way you feel, the way you allow yourself to be loved and to love, how you trust and ultimately how you live. It can affect your communication with loved ones. It can affect how deep you will allow yourself to go into a relationship. It can affect whether you take a risk in life. So when I ask the question, “How is your heart?”, I ask because I want to let you know that your heart has the ability to heal, to love again, and to be fully alive within relationships!

Guard your heart! What does this look like? A metaphor would be a garden. Imagine your heart like a garden and the soil is hard (has been hurt) and nothing is growing from it anymore, or if there is growth it is very slow and tough. So to be able to grow flowers in this garden you need to toil the soil, start loosening it up, add ingredients to make the soil rich, pull out the weeds, plant the seeds, water, fertilise, do all you need to do so flowers can grow. Guard this garden so that your soil remains soft and your flowers are blooming in full force!

Practically what does this look like? Simply ask yourself, how is my heart? And if you don’t think it is at it’s best, then you can share with others you trust, seek professional care, journal, process, forgive and release, and when you are ready, risk…risk loving again, feeling again. It will take time, it’s usually not overnight, but it will be so worth it. And it’s not a one time ask, it’s asking regularly so that you can maintain a heart that is healthy.

When your heart is in a healthy place your life feels it, your relationships are affected for the good, and you enjoy the fruits of a happy heart!

So, how is your heart?

Bye for now…