The Power of keeping the Heart Open (no matter what)

Caribbean beach vibes in Playa Punta Uva (Costa Rica)

At the present time of writing this, I’ve been re-reading one of my all-time favorite books, The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer.

This for me is one of the most beautifully written books I’ve had the privilege and honor of ever reading.

I initially came across it back in 2013, which was at a time when my whole reality was being turned upside down (or upside up… depending on how you view it) ;- )

My interest in the esoteric and spiritual realm began taking a front seat to any and everything else that was present in my life.

I had experienced many shifts that was calling forth for me to re-evaluate my personal values and the life of which I truly desired to live.

It was also during this time that I stopped watching television, distanced myself from alcohol for nearly six months, began meditating more consistently, and took a timeout from the club and night life scene that I at one point was a damn near hall of famer in.

Prior to coming across this particular book, I had read some other more ‘new age’ style readings such as:

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

A New Earth Awakening by Eckhart Tolle

The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav

You’ll See it When You Believe it by Wayne Dyer

However, there was something that touched a place even more deeply within me, that I could feel on an experiential level while coursing through T.U.S. (The Untethered Soul).

Here is one of my favorite excerpts in chapter 15 from the book:

“Do you want to be happy, or do you not want to be happy? . . . Once you make that choice, your path through life becomes totally clear. . . .Do you want to be happy? . . . Do you want to be happy from this point forward for the rest of your life, regardless of what happens. . . . If you want to walk the highest spiritual path, then when you answer yes to this simple question, you must really mean it. Unconditional happiness is the highest technique there is. . . Choose to be happy. And you have to mean it regardless of what happens. This is truly a spiritual path, and it is as direct and sure a path to Awakening as could possibly exist. . . .The real question is whether you want to be happy regardless of what happens. . . .Events don't determine whether or not you are going to be happy. They are just events. You determine whether or not you are going to be happy. You can be happy just to be alive. You can be happy having all these things happen to you and then be happy to die. If you can live this way, your heart will be so open and your Spirit will be so free, that you will soar up to the heavens. . . .If you want to be happy, you have to let go of the part of you that wants to create melodrama. This is the part that thinks there’s a reason not to be happy. You have to transcend the personal, and as you do, you will naturally awaken to the higher aspects of your being. . . .If you have to be here at least be happy and enjoy the experience. . . . .Committing yourself to unconditional happiness will teach you every single thing there is to learn about yourself, about others, and about the nature of life. . . .Every time a part of you begins to get unhappy, let it go. . . .No matter what happens, you can choose to enjoy the experience. . . .No matter what happens, just enjoy the life that comes to you. . . .Make that your game, and just stay happy no matter what. . . .The key to staying happy is really very simple. Begin by understanding your inner energies. If you look inside, you will see that when you’re happy, your heart feels open and the energy rushes up inside of you. When you aren’t happy, your heart feels closed and no energy comes up inside. So to stay happy, just don’t close your heart. No matter what happens, even if your wife leaves you or your husband dies, you don’t close. . . . You don’t want your happiness to be conditional upon the behavior of other people. It’s bad enough that your happiness is conditional upon your own behavior. When you start making it conditional upon other people’s behavior, you’re in serious trouble. . . . Things are going to happen to you, and you’re going to feel the tendency to close. But you have the choice to either go with it or let it go. . . .

Instead of complaining. . .[just have] fun with the different situations that unfold. . . . Unconditional happiness is a very high path and a very high technique because it solves everything. . . .The technique of unconditional happiness is ideal because what you’re doing with the rest of your life is already defined—you’re letting go of yourself so that you can remain happy."

In a word… breathtaking.

I invite you to re-read that entire excerpt again (even if you fail to complete the reading of this particular writing).

For me, I can just feel the love and depth of the words above.

Happiness is an absolute choice.

That’s a statement I wholeheartedly believe, and have been taught time and time again through life experiences, that rings true.

There’s been periods in my life where on the surface it would appear that I had it all made, but deep down I wasn’t happy.

An example would be for a particular point in time when I was making a healthy six-figure income for the #1 valued sports franchise in the world, however I felt a deep dissonance inside of me.

A deep realization that I was attempting to cling too closely to an identity that was only meant to serve my purpose for a particular period of time.

I’ve also been to a country (Ecuador) where some of the citizens barely had a pot to piss in, but were some of the happiest and most care free people I’ve ever been around.

Life is all about perspective.

Life is all about the power of staying open.

Cultivating a practice of keeping the heart open (no matter what’s going on in one’s internal experience is what I believe is the ultimate test and path towards true inner enlightenment).

When one can allow every single aspect of the world to pass through them without neither:

a.     Becoming attached

b.     Blocking certain experiences

c.     Judging or ridiculing others whose intrinsic values may be different than one’s own

Creates a certain inner sense of fearlessness.

A fearlessness from a place of being wide open, to experience any and everything that is calling us to come face-to-face with (in any given moment).

I believe this is a part of the game of why we’re all here on this planet.

To stay open in a population of over 8 billion people, with varying personalities, cultures, socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, as well as values and belief systems.

At the end of the day we’re all human-beings.

I repeat, at the end of the day we’re all human-beings.

Rather one would identify as a republican, democrat, heterosexual, homosexual, transgender, black, white, Italian, a senior level executive, a school teacher, a homeless person, a Christian, an Atheist, a Buddhist, spiritual self-identifier, agnostic, pro-life, or pro-choice, super wealthy, or poor.

At the end of the day we’re all human-beings.

I keep repeating this because what if we all practiced opening our hearts towards those who may create a sense of discomfort within us?

What if we allowed the grace of compassion to be channeled from us towards others whom may be completely different than us?

What if we all embraced one another as brothers and sisters, who at the end of day were all created in the image and likeness of love?

This is the work for each and every one of us.

To co-exist in a world that bombards us 24/7 with aspects that attempt to separate us.

This is also where the power of the heart can penetrate through anything.

I believe the heart is a beautiful equalizer in showing each and every one of us who we truly are (beneath all of the personalities and labels), and the type of work we’re here on this planet to do (together).

Once we remove all the layers of conditions that we each all share from being brought into this physical world (starting as early as being in the womb, up until the present time of reading these words), what is left?

There’s a space of just purity and desire at its most deep essence.

A sense of truly being able to see expansive possibilities, in order to continue to grow and thrive in this world.

To thrive from a place of whatever that particular word means for you.

To live in harmony from a place of love and care for each and every person on the planet.

To weave a tapestry of our innermost essence to shine forth and bring more of whatever our divine wills are to the center of our entire ‘being.’

Whatever we focus on expands.

What if we focused completely on self-love, self-forgiveness, compassion, and honoring each and every layer of ourselves as whole and complete.

The opposite of love is fear.

The opposite of forgiveness is judgement.

And the beauty of it all is that there is truly no ‘right or wrong.’

Our perception as such is but a figment of what we value and place meaning to.

We’re all here to fly and live a life of inner peace, happiness, and unconditional love.

A life where we don’t ‘need’ another person, but consciously ‘choose’ to be with them.

A life where we remove all the barriers that create the illusion that we’re anything other than love at its core.

A life that says hell yes to living from a deep sense of purpose, and utilizing every ounce of that purpose, while we’re still alive and breathing on this beautiful planet.

P.S. –

My mission in life is to be a stand for those who aspire to access more of their inner greatness, and live a peaceful, powerful, and inspiring life that is grounded in self-love while doing so.

If you’re presently at a place where you desire to mindfully and sustainably create more of any of these within your own life, then I invite you set up a 30-minute Clarity Call. 

On it, we’ll slow down, connect from one heart to the other, and see if there’s mutual alignment in creating intentional ongoing support, in the deeper cultivation of living a more peaceful and authentically happy life. 

Click here to set up a 30-minute Clarity Call

With Love,

Brandon