Through Heart's Eyes

A Secret Gift of Midlife

On my 60th birthday, I learned a secret. You may already know this, but I want to share it here to make sure.

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Pexels

There is so much life beyond what we can see with our eyes. How is it possible that it is when we close our physical eyes that we can truly see?

We may think that it’s our brain that drives us through life, but the truth is that it is our heart. I believe that our heart is the centre of our soul, our consciousness, and our sense of who we really are. Our heart is it all.

Mixed media heart by Tracey Lewindon

The world makes it easy for us to get swept up and spend much of our life caught in the illusion that we have to be smart, and work hard, and do big things. This may be true for many of us, and perhaps especially when we are younger and learning to navigate the world.

However, as we grow older, we begin to see and sense more clearly. As we age, we learn that we can no longer ignore our heart. Our heart finds ways to make itself known— sometimes gently, and sometimes with a bang. Our heart calls us.

Midlife is the time to hear this call, if we’ve missed it until now.

Our invitation at midlife is to find our way back to our heart and to the truths nestled within.

This may sound like work; however, it may look like rest or play!

By metaphorically closing our external eyes and getting quiet enough to hear the soft whispers, we can open our heart’s metaphysical eyes and see into the shadows to find what truly matters.

It is here that we will know the real secret: what truly matters is who we are. Not what we do. Not what we have in the outside world. What matters is the connection that we have with ourselves and our heart.

It’s taken me 6 decades, and a heart attack, to learn that the journey of becoming whole is to move into the outside world and then somehow find our way back. Back to our heart, our truth, our trust; back home to our Self.

Photo by Cathal Mac an Bheatha on Unsplash

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If you’d like to explore this theme for yourself, I offer a journalling invitation below. I like to create a quiet and sacred atmosphere for work like this, and consider it a personal ritual. I invite you to do the same, if that feels right for you.

Heart Wisdom Reflection: A Gentle Invitation

Reconnecting with inner wisdom and rediscovering what truly matters.

Reflection: Inner wisdom and knowing are often quietly revealed.

• What does “seeing clearly” mean to me at this stage of my life?

• How might I cultivate trust in my inner wisdom? What small shift in my days might help me?

Reflection: Like a quiet compass, our heart guides us towards our true selves.

• What does my heart want me to know today?

• How do I notice myself ignoring my heart’s voice? What helps me to honour its whispers?

• If I asked my heart to rewrite one belief I hold about myself, what might it say?

Reflection: Midlife is not an ending, but a homecoming and return to our essence.

• In what ways am I being invited to reconnect with my true self now?

• What feels deeply meaningful to me at this stage of my life that didn’t matter much before?

• What might a life guided by my inner wisdom and self-awareness, rather than external accomplishments, look like for me?

Closing Reflection:
Take a few deep breaths, soften your jaw and shoulders, and consider:

• What insights surprised me?

• What is one gentle intention I want to carry with me from this inner reflection?

May this reflection help you to weave a deeper connection with yourself.