In Heart Led Living, we take inspired action only. There is nothing to do unless there is something we are guided to do. Therefore, following our intuitive heart takes infinite patience. Sometimes, we need to sit in non-action until clear guidance comes in.
Spirit works in the present moment only and guides us to take each step as it appears in front of us. If you are walking up a staircase the only way to get to the top is to take the step that is front of you. One step at a time, one moment at a time, one breath at a time. For many people, sitting in non-action and the unknown are points of weakness for the ego to come in. It feeds the mind with thoughts convincing us that we need to know now and suddenly impatience, confusion, and doubt fill our mind and body.
One step at a time, one moment at a time, one breath at a time .
One of the foundation mindsets in Heart Led Living is “I don’t know and it’s okay”. This deep level of acceptance and surrender allows us to get out of the way and lets our heart lead us in every moment. We make peace with where we are and we surrender to following our heart. From our human perspective, it looks like nothing is happening. But from our higher self or Spirit’s perspective, perfection playing out.
The Universe is orchestrating everything and everyone we need to align with to fulfill our heart’s desire. The resistance comes in when we question the timing, the “how”, or the outcome. When you trust in the process, you will experience miracles that go beyond what your mind could ever begin to imagine.
A year after my son was born, my husband and I started trying to get pregnant again. When it didn’t happen right away, I felt frustration rising within me and thought there has to be another way. In Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book, Inspiration (published by Hay House in 2006) he says that “being inspired” means “being in spirit.”. It was exactly what I needed to hear. I found the inspiration and trusted my intuition to start teaching “Yoga for Fertility” classes. Initially, the classes were for me, yet within two months, I opened Family Passages Mind Body Studio. It was the first studio in Canada to specialize in fertility yoga, supporting women through conception, pregnancy, and postpartum. It was a gift for women and couples, and I witnessed many miracles.
After three years of trying to conceive, I became reflective and began to question my own fertility journey. While the yoga had helped me conceive my son, why wasn’t it working this time? I never questioned whether I was qualified to teach, because many of my clients were getting pregnant. One answer that came was that I wasn’t practising yoga for fertility for myself; I was teaching it. I was the instructor not one of the students. There was something else I was missing, yet I still felt a yearning for another child. At the same time, I was experiencing more health challenges and my liver started to show signs of distress by showing up as jaundice of my skin.
In meditation one morning, I received insight that it would not be good self-care to have another pregnancy. In fact, I was shown that my body could not handle it. I had to let go of the idea of getting pregnant again. There was a lot of grief, sadness, and loss, but I came out the other side and made a choice for self-love and self-care. In hindsight, I realized that it was all purposeful. If I hadn’t wanted to conceive another child through pregnancy, I wouldn’t have started teaching yoga for fertility and opened my studio. My heart filled with gratitude for the insight.
It was at that point that I tuned into a deep desire to adopt a little girl from Africa. I couldn’t have had this insight before. I had previously wanted to have another pregnancy, but not to adopt. Yet, with the choice to become pregnant off the table, I was open to a new perspective. Again the insight came in with divine timing. I had to go through all the pain of letting go of getting pregnant to come to this clarity. Many people, including my husband, asked me, “Why Africa?”
I didn’t have any reasonable or logical answer. For as long as I can remember, I have always felt a heart connection to Africa. It was just a feeling and knowing deep in my heart that I was meant to help children in Africa. I started to feel that there was a child in Africa that I was meant to love.
My husband and I started on the road to adoption. It was crystal clear for three years until the day we received our final home-study report from our adoption counsellor. Something shifted in my heart. It took a few months of self-reflection and conversations with my husband when I realized it was time to close the door on adopting. After a few weeks of aligning my head with my heart, I removed our name from the adoption wait list. I remained open and curious, because I still felt there was a deep connection to Africa in some way.
Suddenly, a bigger picture entered my awareness. I saw myself supporting many children in Africa, not by bringing them to Canada, but by empowering them in their own country. I realized I am not meant to adopt one little girl but instead I am meant to inspire and empower many. That is when I was shown a vision of my “Heart Led Living Foundation.” The vision I had received was heart-warming and exciting.
It was through practising infinite patience that I was able to heal throughout my fertility journey and be open to the guidance in each moment. I remained curious and open to the spiritual re-directions. I trusted that it was all purposeful. In hindsight, if I hadn’t gone through my own fertility challenges with my miscarriage, trouble conceiving my son, the inability to conceive another child, and exploring the road to adoption, I wouldn’t have created all the programs to support women and couples all around the world. Even though my fertility journey has come to an end, I continue to help couples unite with the children they are meant to have. If you or someone you know needs fertility support, visit www.familypassages.ca
There is no way I could have guessed the purpose of all this. I was able to practise infinite patience because I embraced the idea that “I don’t know and it’s okay”. I trusted that everything was playing out for the highest good of all, including for me.
In May this year after speaking with a dear friend in Kenya I received clear guidance to give birth to my “Heart Led Living Foundation”. It is all about extending love and providing a hand up. We empower mothers, uplift families and inspire communities.
After my trip to Kenya in August I started the process to register my foundation as a charity organization. There is a deep rightness in my heart and the timing feels completely divine. I feel more on my heart’s path than ever before. We are looking for angel investors to help us build the academy for women and children of the Kibera slums.
It is a grand vision and I continue to practise patience. I remain wide open to any guidance or inspired action. I trust in divine timing, knowing that I will be shown what I need to see when I need to see it, and for that I am deeply grateful. One step at a time.
Here is a tool you can use to help you receive clear guidance around your heart’s calling.
Heart Work: A Five-Step Process to Seek Guidance From Spirit
This process will help you tune into and trust your guidance. It is also an exercise in discernment, so you can be sure the insight you are getting is fully aligned with Spirit and not ego in disguise. When you know you are in alignment with Spirit, it is easier to practise infinite patience, because you can trust that you will be taken care of and that it is all purposeful.
Step 1: I Ask
~ The quality of the answers you receive will depend on the quality of the answers you seek. Wording is essential. Ask, “What am I meant to learn from this experience?” or “What would you have me know at this time?”
Step 2: I Listen
~ I find it curious that a lot of people are asking for answers, but fail to actually listen. Stop, be still, and open your mind to receive the answer in whatever way you are most likely to receive it. Be curious without attachment to any answer. Listen with your inner ear and allow the answer to come into your awareness as an image, feeling, thought, word, vision, sense, knowing, or otherwise. Sometimes the silence is the answer itself.
Step 3: I Feel
~ Once you receive an answer, feel into it. Bring it into your heart and mind, and notice how your body feels. If it is true guidance from your heart, you will feel light, expanded, and/or joyous. If it is ego in disguise, you will feel heavy, tight, and/or uncertain. You are feeling for the “heart yes” or “heart no.” This step of discernment is one that people often skip. I promise if you take the time to tune into the feeling, you will save yourself a lot of time and energy.
Step 4: I Follow
~ Remember, when you receive clear guidance from your intuitive heart, you need to follow it, no matter what. That includes whether it makes sense to you at the time or not, and also when it doesn’t make sense to others. In Heart Led Living, we practise obedience and set an intention to follow our intuition always.
Step 5: I Move
~ When you receive guidance you may want to jump up and take action immediately. Remember Spirit works on a “need to know” basis. We may receive guidance without inspired action. Sometimes we need to marinate our mind in the new insight before we are guided to move. This strengthens our faith and trust, so we can walk step by step with divine courage. This ensures that we are in full alignment with Spirit as our teacher and guide. The ego loves to take insight and fill in the rest of the story to move you into ego-encouraged action. Practise infinite patience and you will feel clear heart-led action.
If you would like more tools to help you lead with your heart with confidence, clarity and patience I recommend my book “Heart Led Living ~ When Hard Work Becomes Heart Work“.
Note: this blog post is a partial excerpt from Sue Dumais’ book “Heart Led Living ~ When Hard Work Becomes Heart Work“
