Follow Your Nervous System

“Follow your heart” looks pretty good on the back of a car, doesn’t it?

Any time I consult someone else about a big decision in my adult life, a variation of the above cliche is generally the first thing I’ll hear.

And I’m tired of it.

As you all know, I’m approaching a big decision in my life. Much like LeBron James, a man I greatly admire, I have a feeling of which door I’ll open, but I truly won’t know until time forces me to choose.

But I can guarantee the “follow your heart” mantra won’t serve as my guiding principle. Because it’s B.S.

Instead, I’m choosing to follow my nervous system.

Whenever we’re making a decision, no matter how big or small, we need to listen to the chemistry happening within our bodies. You know that that surging rush of endorphins you receive whenever you get really excited about something? The one we millennials get when we think about traveling the world, or the one that has us stupidly smiling at our phones after we match with an attractive like-minded person on Bumble.

But for whatever reason, we don’t follow that one enough. Instead, we settle by constantly making decisions to meet others’ approval. We all deserve better, but oftentimes we prioritize what’s easy and comfortable over what’s right.

Think about it -- our brains know our innate desires and fears more intimately than anyone else does, so why do we allow people to dictate how we should run our lives? Why do we allow societal norms and expectations to script out our journeys without asking ourselves what it is we're truly seeking?

Surely, a strong, beating heart is what keeps us alive, but contrary to all of the fairy tales out there, it plays absolutely no role in emotional decision-making.

That excitement, that electric shock wave sent throughout our bodies, that’s what we must base our decisions on. Follow your nervous system.

How about you put that on a bumper sticker?

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