Follow your heart
“To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to.”
In today’s world there is a good understanding of the workings and function of the human heart. There is even a live television show that features surgeons doing open heart surgery (let the viewer beware; it is bloody). How is it then that we continue to attribute the heart with being the center of human emotions? In reality, the emotional data center for humans is the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This is where we discern pain from pleasure, friend from foe, gratuitous compliment from genuine praise.
It is an amazing and complex interaction of all of the lobes of the brain that integrates emotion and fact and allows humans to form opinions and make judgments about how to assess an incident or person as to whether there is danger in a given situation. The same automatic analysis can reveal a safe situation and often provides insight into who we can trust with our emotional well–being.
So, although in the 21st century it is well known that the mainframe of the brain does generate the full range of emotions, our culture continues to use the heart as the universal symbol of the repository for emotions. Sage advice would be to take care of both of these important organs to have “good heart and brain health.” In general, what is good for the heart is good for the brain. That applies to diet, physical activity, balanced work and play time, positive relationships, and good financial choices. It is the total combination of lifestyle choices that allows people to “follow their hearts and create their own future.”
Our Life Enrichment/Wellness program components are designed to support good heart and brain health. Contact us for information about the offerings and opportunities available.
© 2007 Touchmark