Freeing the Heart From the Burden of Proof
by Annette

There is an old Chinese proverb that states: “May you live in uninteresting times,” meaning times of peace and plenty with little social or political turmoil. Well, I guess that can’t be said about the times that we live in at present!

Like many of us, I’ve been trying to make sense of the upheavals being played out on the world stage. I have been particularly struck by how the ego driven minds of our times have neither the desire nor the responsibility to be accountable for their actions, beliefs, or words. In fact, most of the responsibility or “burden of proof” is placed on those who want a better-balanced and fairer world; those who have a more heartfelt approach.

I don’t have to go far to see this opposition up close, for my own rational mind is often demanding “proof” for what it cannot see. It is hardwired to place the “burden of proof” onto others, or onto other aspects of myself, namely my heart and my soul.

The burden of proof that the heart and soul are very capable of taking the lead and providing us with a rich and fulfilling life experience is not new. This burden is a heavy one, for as long as we can remember, this internal “opposition” between the rational mind and the soulful heart has existed. It is mirrored in the outer experiences of our everyday lives. The physical manifestation of this duality is raging at present, a mirror for what goes on inside each one of us to a greater or lesser degree.

I am a firm believer that whatever we can solve from the inside will manifest itself in our outer world. So, how do we lessen this burden that has been ingrained in us for so long? How do we lift this burden of proof? By going within.

When the heart and the mind are at odds with each other, the mind is usually telling the heart that it needs the proof that what the heart is saying is valid.

It’s like the mind sits atop its mountain and waits for the proof to be brought to it, letting the heart and soul scramble to find that proof.

But what if there was no proof? What if the heart and soul stopped frantically trying to prove themselves, to prove their worth, and went radio silent? What if the heart and soul stopped playing the game?

Well, then the mind would eventually have to come down from the mountain and say, “Hey, what about my proof?” And in response, the heart and soul would say, “Oh, you know what, there is no proof, I guess you’re just going to have to take a leap of faith…”

The mind would then become responsible for its own change of perspective, the instigator of its own proof. In other words, become a partner, not this all-knowing god atop this mountain!

What if the whole point of awareness was this: to stop playing that internal game with ourselves? What if the heart and the soul finally understood that they have no obligations to the mind and that they have enough courage to say, “Hey, we know what we know, and what we bring to the human experience is just as valid and important as rational thought?”

In this day and age of deliberate misinformation, we can no longer function on rational thought alone, excluding the input of the heart and the soul.

So many people have told me, “I just don’t know what to believe anymore.” Well, look to the heart and the soul.

The answer is always LOVE, always. And that is the domain of the heart and the soul.

Folk/rock singer-songwriter and 2015 Western Canadian music award winner “Annette” has been part of the music scene for over 25 years. Singing in both French and English, her work boasts an impressive list of accomplishments: nine albums, several radio hits, and tours across Canada, Europe, and the United States. Her latest album, “I AM,” is a soulful tapestry of acoustic rock woven together by strong pop melodies and dynamic rhythms featuring a deep-grounded earthiness and powerful lyrics. Links for online purchase at www.annettemusic.ca. Physical CD purchase at Love and Light Emporium, 3–2228
Ave. C N., in Saskatoon and Aware House Books, 2734–13th Ave. in Regina. You can also find her on iTunes and facebook.com/annettecampagnemusique. Also see the display ad on page 24 of the 24.3 September/October issue of the WHOLifE Journal.