listening
January 23, 2008
Road Less Traveled
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth
Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference
~ Robert Frost
I’ve been quiet. I’ve been still. I’ve lit candles. I’ve prayed. I’ve read. I’ve cleaned. And I’ve asked. What do you do when your head says one thing and your heart says the other? Which is right? Do you lean into faith? Or into the embrace of security?
This is my space of peace right now. This is where I want to go.
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:00 am
[...] penelope Share [...]
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:09 am
Well… so far, my heart (intuition?) has always seen a better picture than my head. And so far when my head speaks it´s just me trying to find good enough reasons not to take that leap of faith. So far, my heart hasn´t been terribly wrong. And when it is wrong, you can always learn from it.
I wish you the best, whichever road you take.
Ana
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:38 am
Well, you know where *I* stand, and I guess now I do too.
When we’re out walking, I usually don’t even have a chance to stand and ponder and assess the bending undergrowth - I’m already gone down the newly discovered path, and tugging you along with me.
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:21 am
mmm… i hope you discover which path fuels your head and heart most together. wishing you well girl!
January 23rd, 2008 at 9:46 am
I only offer one other perspective — Is it irreversible? Does doing what your heart urges mean you cannot now or ever do what your head declares? Or vice-versa? Is there any way to straddle the line and do both? (And, if it is irreversible, is there any way to “try on” the choice before committing fully?)
Finally — in the end, you can only make a choice. Having made it, then you set about making that choice the right choice.
Best wishes, AMK
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:13 am
I am in a heart v. head position myself right now…and I am trying desperately to trust my heart and follow the path it’s advising come what may. I have almost always gone with my head (on career stuff) in the past, and I haven’t been happy with the outcome.
Don’t know about you, but many of the people who love me counsel cautiousness, straddling the options, trying to make smooth transitions with fall-back plans in place. They are well intentioned (and their advice is probably wise), but I am finally realizing that their counsel comes from a place of worry — worry that I won’t be safe, worry that I’ll get hurt. It’s hard to go in a new direction if you’re scared of risk, and in the past I have absorbed that fear, and failed to make changes that I needed to make.
When I think about it, the people I know who have made big scary leaps are the ones who end up happier than those who stick with the known. Even if it doesn’t work out as planned, new doors open, and there is a new sense of courage for having tried. I haven’t been much of a ‘leaper’ in the past, but I am trying right now.
Don’t know if ANY of this applies to your situation, but I just want to share that today, for me, I’m voting for heart, though its advice may seem impractical, or even irresponsible. But here’s to the heart! Heart, heart, heart!
Best of luck with your decisions…I am going to go do as you have done– candles, quiet, questions, journal– and hope to set the wheels in motion.
Abigail
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Penelope, I love your posts, they always seem so close to what is going on in my life. Again, your post today hits very close to home. I am having a head vs heart dilemma also. Looking down a road that I can’t truly “try on” though I love that idea. I can’t take back my decision either once it’s made. My heart has been telling me to go for “it” for years now, while my head has been telling it’s the wrong way. I have looked and looked for a sign, for my answer, trying to get everyone else to figure this out for me. I can see both roads clearly. I could live both lives. I have been stuck in the fear of the choice and consequences for a very long time now. The one thing that is helping me move towards one of the roads right now is too let go of fear and know which ever way I go, life will be good, I will still have fun, there will still be adventure. I can still make these things happen. I am starting to come to a peace within myself, looking at this decision as another way to experience life. I always tend to look at the bad in choices instead of the good points too. This makes so much difference!
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:09 pm
I wanted to say thank you to each of you for your thoughts on this. It helped me with perspective and helped clarify my stance on this decision. It truly did. I had tears in my eyes reading your responses. thank you so much. you guys are the best. :)
January 24th, 2008 at 1:02 am
hey there penelope, it’s good to see you back …but i’m sorry if you’re in a little confusion there.. it’s a hard one the whole head-heart thing, and i think the words of everyone else who’s commented here before me are all so good and wise, i can’t really add anything. just that sometimes it’s hard to figure what to do, or not, and with the whir of your own ideas …from your head or from your heart, born from fear, love, hope, whatever, and with the voices of other people who care for us, and say what would be best…then it gets to be a bit of noisy confusion, and sometimes hard to find that one idea that rings true. …but i think it’s the one deep down towards your gut, to be honest, you know the ‘gut feeling’ thing …that’s about where your solar plexus is meant to be, right? i think. and i think that personally, for me, that’s where heart and head combine and produce my the most trustworthy reactions for me.
but then, like others have said, is it irreversible?
wishing you brightness and the best of luck
January 24th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Go down the pipe less traveled! People listen to their heads way too much anyways.
January 24th, 2008 at 7:01 am
Hi Penelope, your blog and thoughtfulness have been so inspirational. I can say with experience and honsesty your heart never fails you. I truly believe there is enough room and time for both your heart and head, but it definitely takes some attention and patience with oneself. Wishing you peace…
January 24th, 2008 at 8:24 am
yep, i’m with Colin—onward to untrekked territories! adventures galore. your heart will lead the way, and your mind (who doesn’t like to be left alone pondering) will run along and be so excited about all the new things that it won’t have time to think about anything else. just follow the river, and you won’t lose your way! xo
January 24th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Hi - having spent the last 20 years choosing security, I have finally had enough and am going with my heart…..both paths are right but only you can know which will work for now…..I wish you enlightenment and the strength to follow that road…..
Christine
January 24th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Hi Penelope — My comment is coming a little late because I’ve only just now gotten here to read your new posts, but I too, like everyone else, resonate with this head and heart distinction. Although I’ve been listening to my heart so much more now in comparison to years and years of head life, I’m still learning new things. I suppose the newest thing I’ve learned is that our hearts are really, really smart. They know things that we have no conscious knowledge of. And it’s only once we begin to create safe spaces for them to come out of hiding that they will trust us enough to tell us their secrets.
Good luck in the decisions you’re making right now. And by the way, every time I see giftcards these days, I think of you.
January 24th, 2008 at 9:24 pm
i can tell you i have recently found myself in this spot. i am choosing to let my heart lead me. this has proven to be the best choice for me.
i am creating the most inspired work i’ve created in years!
best wishes,
meesh
January 24th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Let’s admit it….are we all soooo curious…..what is it girl?!!!!!!
What are the choices? Just joking…. sort of….. You sure bring sunshine through these monitors!
January 25th, 2008 at 6:17 am
Hej! I just stumbled upon this - it touched my heart and I loved to read the replies… a lot of warmth and wisdom in here. So, without knowing the actual problem, and hoping you won’t mind to read a stranger’s thoughts on that: as far as I know, the things one regrets later are usually the things one doesn’t do and not the things one actually does do. Doing is always learning, somehow. And I think usually heart and some kind of instinct are better guides than the brain (that often tries to hold one back with fears)… and, to stay in the picture, I think usually between two roads there is more than one possibility to walk offroad and find your own way… anyways, I wish you all the best. And by the way: I love your work.
January 27th, 2008 at 9:16 am
for me…the one which scares me the most is the one I have to take…taken everything into consideration…the scary road is the biggest challenge! but it is a good kind of scary! Thinking of you! xx