Recently, I was privileged to loose a bit more of my ego, and gain more of my essence. How? One simple phrase, one word, changed my world. The word: brokenhearted. Ah, what can you do with a broken heart?
Last week I was saddened by something that happened. When a friend offered sympathy with the statement, “you must be brokenhearted.” I responded, “No. My heart aches but it is not broken.” No one will ever break my heart. Not because I do not love or feel deeply. Not because friendships do not cease or misunderstandings do not happen. Because I discovered, hearts are not meant to be broken, they are meant to ache.
You see, when our heart aches instead of being broken, it joins us with the other individual. It allows us to have more compassion, more empathy, and more connection to their experience; to the individual and to the problem. We remain whole, in our heart, and with our intent.
And, there is more. I learned that when I let my heart ache, I no longer teach; however provide a climate of learning. Hmm, where is that going? Well, I think a good teacher promotes learning and does not teach. A good teacher provides mentoring and the opportunity to learn. A lesson taught is more about control and less about creating an atmosphere that stimulates an individual to learn.
Had my heart been broken, instead of aching, I would have wanted to take control of the situation and make it better. It would have been about my ego, my desire. Instead, I am glad my heart ached. It drew me closer to this individual and provided the opportunity for learning . . for them and for me.
Words, they mean a great deal. Gratitude? I’m grateful I had the opportunity to learn . . . from a single word. I’m grateful to find a bit more of self and a bit less of my ego.
