By Wes Annac, Culture of Awareness

I wrote the following for the 197th issue of The Culture of Awareness Weekly Newsletter, which I offer for $11.11 a month.

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To begin for this week: I’m learning the importance of maintaining a balanced, rational perspective – which I hope to be reflected in my choices in the future – even in the face of new or different circumstances.

To me, this is a sign of the “next phase” in our evolution that I’ve been writing about for some time.

I think we’re all taking the next step in our evolution regardless of where we currently are on our path, and we’ll continue to receive insight into what we truly are and why we’re here as this next phase picks up.

I’ve spent the past couple years building up to this by learning about creativity’s role in spiritual evolution, and while it’s been great and I’ll continue to explore its role, this has caused me to go back and forth ceaselessly between writing, music, and meditation.

The best way to go is to balance them all instead of shifting away from writing and putting more focus on music or meditation. If I can pull it off, I can make life a constant spiritual experience. It already is in a sense, but for me, writing, music, and meditation make it much better.

I used to spend time pursuing one of them, then move on to another and convince myself I should put more time and energy into it. This has caused confusion, hesitation, overwhelm, and frustration, and it became clear that I needed to sort it all out if I wanted to continue down this path.

Now, I’m realizing that I can pursue all of these things (and more) if I approach them rationally.

Dividing your time and energy between multiple things is doable, but it isn’t easy. It’s important to be clear on how much time/energy you’re willing to spend each day on each thing, and you might not get to do them all every single day.

Sometimes, things come up that take your attention away from one or two of them, and that’s okay. Get back at them as soon as you have extra time, and if you realize it’s been a while since you got to do any of them, you might have to make time.

I find that it’s also important to, again, be rational in your approach. Despite how great some of the extra things you do may be, I don’t recommend turning your back on what you’ve discovered to be your purpose just to put them at the forefront.

This is why I recommend being clear on your purpose. When you’re completely sure of what you want to do in life, not even the most lively hobby or spiritual practice will distract you from it. It’ll feed your soul more than anything else, and things like meditation will increase what you get out of it.

It’s understandable to leave your profession for something more meaningful once or twice in your life, but to do it repeatedly is to trade a solid life of purpose for a life of uncertainty. It’s counterproductive, and it takes your focus away from the present moment.

Fortunately, you don’t have to abandon those other things you enjoy. You can still pursue them if you can make extra time for them, and this is where balance and rationality will help.

Even when you’re completely sure of your purpose, there may be a small part of you that doubts it and this part of you may want to run off with the first thing that seems worthier of pursuit than what you’re already doing.

Since the grass is always greener on the other side, you might find that every time you abandon your purpose for something new, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. This is why I think we should be logical when following our heart; not so logical that we stamp out possibilities outside the mind’s grasp, but logical enough not to be self-destructive.

When I walk along the riverbank in summertime out of a desire to be in nature, I remember to watch out for snakes so I don’t get bit.

The mind can help you stay safe and secure as you follow your heart’s desires and chase your dreams blindly, because it holds in place the little bit of discernment and discretion you need to properly follow them blindly.

There are right and wrong ways to do it in my opinion, and anyone who wants to live their dreams should be smart about it.

I don’t recommend being so mind-centered that you ruin it for yourself, but a little sensibility will allow you to enjoy your purpose without suffering adverse consequences from whimsically doing what you love.

You can live in a way that inspires you and allows you to feed the soul every day, and your rational intuitive discernment will help you do it in the best, most productive, and most nourishing way possible.

So by all means, follow your heart but don’t let your carefree play lead you astray. Let it help you soar by approaching it sensibly.