HARPREET KALRA had the job opportunity of a lifetime, but turned it down because his heart said no.
The job offer looked promising – an established brand, a healthy pay packet, a great role profile, and the location base of my favourite city, Mumbai. I should have grabbed the job straight away. It was a golden opportunity, and opportunities should not go begging, I was told. Yet, I was dillydallying in my decision. So, what was stopping me from taking up the job, against all odds of a favourable rationale premise?
I was feeling very deeply to say no. Something within me wanted to let go of this opportunity; inner guidance, the heart’s voice, a sixth sense, a gut feeling, whatever you want to call it. I prefer to call it intuition, my heart’s voice.
My father always says, “When in doubt, refer to the heart. The heart is always right.” For a change, I paid heed to my father’s words and refused the job offer. Three months down the line, in a hostile takeover by a competitor, all the company staff was laid off. Backing my intuition had paid off.
I believe that intuition can see what the mind cannot see. This is because the mind’s vision is myopic, as it is conditioned by space and time. Also, the mind relies on the five senses, which have their own limitations. For example, as human beings we can hear only those sounds that fall in a particular audio range, which the ears can catch. If the sound is outside that range it is inaudible to our ears. It does not mean, however, that the sound does not exist.
Something within me wanted to let go of this opportunity;
inner guidance, the heart’s voice, a sixth sense,
a gut feeling, whatever you want to call it.
I prefer to call it intuition,
my heart’s voice.
On the other hand, the heart can see through and through. Connected to the infinite Being, it is the seat of Divinity. Neither conditioned by time nor by space, it can see things from a higher ground. The magnificence of the heart’s splendour shines through in whatever form it takes.
So, if intuitive decision-making can help us, the question is, “How can we develop intuition?” I believe, through practice. By trusting the heart and listening to it more and more. When we are having a conversation with someone, the more attentively the person listens to us, the happier we are to continue conversing with him. Isn’t it? Similarly, if we are willing to listen to the heart, the heart will be more than happy to speak to us. This has been my experience.
Here comes the challenge. Often, however, the heart is not able to be heard, as we have been overpowered by the monkey mind, jumping from one branch of thought to another. It just doesn’t stop. It is in overdrive mode. We have become so addicted to the mental chattering and noise that the voice of inner silence scares us.
So, how can we increase the capability to listen to the heart? I believe, by clearing up the mess in the head; washing away the clutter of the mind. How to do that? Through meditation. For thousands of years, meditation has been one of the most effective techniques to help us regulate our minds. No wonder, increasingly, worldwide, meditation is helping people find inner joy, balance and everlasting change in their lives.
Article by HARPREET KALRA
Harpreet Kalra
