During my fifty-seven years of life I made mistakes that hurt people. When it happened they would be angry and lecture me about how I “should have known better.” They were correct that I did know better in my head but when my behavior hurt others I did NOT know better with my heart. I since learned there is a night and day difference between our head-knowing and heart-knowing.

We get upset with people’s negative behavior because we think they should know better because we know better.
Dr. Maya Angelou says, “When we know better we do better.” She is not speaking about knowing better with our head, but developing an emotional heart-understanding by appreciating it is our actions that create our lives. So, caring how our behavior impacts others is what Dr. Angelou refers to as “knowing.”

When we know the truth that our behavior creates our life on an emotional level we no longer allow ourselves to operate on auto-pilot of a self-centered, fearful mind. Living heart-aware we assume complete emotional responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions. Why? So we do not mindlessly hurt ourselves and others.

This week ask yourself, “How will it feel?” before you say something or take an action.  Remaining mindful of how your behavior will impact you and others shifts you from knowing better with your head to doing better because your behavior is being directed by your higher and wiser heart values.  This action alone will dramatically change your life for the better and is one of the ways to love yourself.