I was listening to the radio the other day and heard a song with the lyrics, "Let your heart be your compass." I thought that was just a nifty idea. Let your feelings guide you. Feelings are led by emotions and emotions are always very consistent!
I put this theory to a test and went camping! I threw out the GPS and any navigational tools that I had packed. I wanted to take a walk and see where my mental state took me.
At first, I was very happy and excited so I decided to hike into the most condensed woods that I could find. If I was in this good of a mood, can you imagine how delighted I would be to see a cute fuzzy bunny? Following my heart, I walked deeper and deeper into the wilderness. I didn't find any adorable animals. I did find a lot of insects and a hardy patch of poison ivy!
After several hours, fear and fatigue starting to take over, so I decided to switch it up and let anxiety be my compass. It was at this point that I tried running away from the most condensed trees in the woods. My feet were constantly getting tangled in vines and the sun was starting to set. It seemed that leaving a forest isn't as easy as walking into it, so I turned full-blown panic into my compass.
Luckily, some nearby school children heard my screams and led me to safety. As it turned out I was just in a neighborhood park and a playground was only a quarter of a mile away. I was grateful to get help, although the parents of the children filed a petition to never let me near the playground again.
I do, though, recommend that everyone should try at least once to let their heart be their compass, but maybe keep a smartphone in your back pocket, just in case trouble arises.
Happy Camping!
Cathy Gainer Corporate Trainer
