In my reading of The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews, I came upon a lesson that stated, " I have a decided heart." Something about this statement really seems to resonate with me so I thought I would share with you my understanding of what a decided heart means and why it could enrich your life and those around you.

Here are the essential qualities for a decided heart from my perspective:

A decided heart is always open to love. Love is a powerful force and your decided heart is willing to give and receive love free of conditions.
A decided heart is clear about what matters to you. This clarity guides you towards the healthy choices about every aspect of your life.
A decided heart has compassion for all beings. Compassion is your desire to understand and feel for others as they journey through the ups and downs of being human.
A decided heart is able to be caring for self and others. Caring is the act of love in which your heart reaches out to help and make a difference.
A decided heart is kind. Kindness is a practice of you interacting with others in a way that is thoughtful, genuine and giving.
A decided heart is accepting of others and situations without judging or condemning. Acceptance is the ability of your heart to remain open to others who have a variety of points of view and beliefs.
A decided heart is courageous because it senses deeply the importance of living by a higher truth. Courage is the sign of your fearless heart guided by its own higher knowing.
A decide heart is expansive because it knows no limits. There are no limits to how much love you have inside so that means you can keep on giving and spreading your love endlessly.
A decided heart listens beyond words and senses beyond emotions. This sensing of your heart comes in the form of intuition, which is the key guiding force towards happiness.
A decided heart is at peace. When your heart is open and in the flow of love, compassion, caring and kindness you feel at peace and your peace spreads through the world.

Yes there are many hearts out in the world that are not committed to being open and may be in fact determined to stay closed. These are not decided hearts because they are have lost the aliveness of being open. Without openness in the heart there is no decision, there are just different degrees of numbness. When you closed down in any way towards any person or situation you become closed down to all.

A closed heart however can be opened easily by: a moment of insight, a glance into beauty, the sparkle of another’s heart, the uplift of an idea, the joy of the now, and so many other ways.

A decided heart is a gift to you and to the world.