Voices from the Heart: Inspirations for a Compassionate Future

Feelings are the voice of the heart. Love has feelings in it, but love is more than a feeling. Sometimes, in order to protect ourselves, we try to control the feelings of people we love. Whoever said that love is easy. Life is hard and life hurts, but hurt leads to healing. When someone we love is taken from us, for whatever reason, we must grieve their loss, even if it is "only" a beloved pet. Grief is very painful but grieving your losses is most important to come to terms with a tragedy one cannot control or prevent. We usually hurt the one we love the most by trying to control their feelings. We expect devotion and care from them on a higher level than they are willing or able to express. "Sometimes, life is ... ugly; despite my deep sadness, I had to go on." Star was my heart and it was broken when she died. Mark has helped me to adjust to being pet-less. Sadness allows us to honor our losses with tears. Some people avoid crying so as not to appear weak, but it has a cleansing effect not only for uncontrollable sadness but for those who cry and feel the deep pain inside. It is a way of relieving the strain we put on our actual heart which feels like it is breaking. Listen to the voice of the heart. Star was my heart and has been sorely missed. Guard your heart. Practice patience and optimism. "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Needs, desires, longings, feelings and hope are the five roots for growth. Hope is the heart's passion for life, the voice that calls us to look, believe, and trust. Hope grants us the willingness and ability to go on. Other emotions covered are negative and should not be dwelled on. Hurt, fear, shame, rage, guilt, anger, self-pity and loneliness are delved into and do help to know. Gladness, happiness, self-forgiveness and joy are beneficial. Everything about life is about relationships. No man is a success if he is a failure in his own home. Pain takes us on a higher level to survive when all seems unreachable. A survivor's existence is to know the life of the heart, a man who loves. Truth -- ancient, timeless, unalterable truth -- is the most important tool in using the mind to learn and understand one's heart. The brain and the heart are what keep us alive; don't keep your heart heavy and burdened-down. The author shares a great story about a church established in a rural town in Tennessee in 1811 about the grave marker of a young woman who died in 1890, only 25 years old. The words "beloved" and "sorely missed" on the marker express the heart's potential to provide love everlasting.

Humanity has mastered science, industry, technology and other areas of this physical world. At the same time human beings have failed miserably in their relationships with themselves as individuals, with others and the environment. What meaningful ways can we address these issues before we destroy ourselves and our environment? Editors Eddie and Debbie Shapiro confront the question through presenting us with the insights of various known and unknown people who are in the midst of finding answers for the problems of this world. The voices you hear come from diverse cultures, nations, different economical and political systems. The common thread throughout the book is that all the voices call us to responsibility as individuals working through our societies. Listen to Millard Fuller who advices us to change our lifestyles and personally help our neighbor through concrete action. Desmond Tutu calls us to forgiveness if we ever hope to live in this world as a human family. Rachel Remen reminds us that it is in the power of the spirit to heal and not just the mechanics of medicine. Voices from the Heart call us to become more responsible in dealing with problems that impact our lives. The examples given in each of the interviews are workable and applicable for our communities. The challenge is for us to use these resource as a jump start to begin change within ourselves and then extend it to our communities. By all means read, meditate and apply the wisdom in this book to your world.