My Struggle to Lead From My Heart

I've been getting lots of messages lately encouraging me to follow my heart.

This comes after some of the busiest few months I've ever had in my business. While I'm grateful for the abundance of work these past few months, with it came some stress and overwhelm.

Since coming out on the other side of this busy period, I've reflected on how to simplify things and promote more ease and less stress in my life. And I keep coming back to this idea: A lot of my stress stemmed from an ongoing struggle between listening to the logical voice in my head and following what my heart told me to do.

This was even confirmed when one of my clients decided to read my palm for fun a few weeks ago. She claimed palm-reading was an Indian party trick she had learned as a child, but her reading for me was so on-point that I couldn't ignore it. (Note: I'm normally skeptical of these type of readings. So if you are, too, I get it. But just humor me and keep reading.)

[Related: Four Ways to Get Unstuck at Work (and in Life)]

Her reading revealed that my natural state, when I was born, was to lead with my heart. Over time, though, perhaps hardened by life experience, she could see from my palm that I started leading more and more with my head. This tendency leads to over-thinking and over-analyzing and probably causes a lot of anxiety as I ruminate over scenarios, facts, and decisions.

Her reading also revealed that this struggle between my heart and my head is a big issue for me. She warned that if I didn't get it under control, the stress and anxiety would cause health issues down the road.

That scared the crap out of me. It also confirmed what I had been feeling all summer. I've been building this big, amazing life, and all the things I'd been working toward were happening. I should have been really happy. But instead, I was too stressed and overwhelmed to appreciate it. Maybe Biggie was right - "Mo Money, Mo Problems."

Since choosing to slow down, I've had a few key breakthroughs.

When your life and success accelerate, you need to up-level.

You can't keep operating from the same dialogue that worked before. It's not going to be enough. It's not going to fit.

It's important to get support in the right ways.

Doing it all alone is lonely and hard. If you don't have support - whether it's resources or even people to help you keep things in perspective - you're more likely to spin and experience overwhelm.

[Related: Women and Giving: Increasing the Happiness Quotient]

Re-connect your heart and your head.

Both are important, but if they aren't aligned, then it's hard to experience the amazing life you're creating.

Grow strategically and intentionally.

You can't control all situations, but the more you can direct your path rather than react to what's happening around you, the better you will feel.

As powerful, successful women, we have the opportunity to lead big, impactful lives. But sometimes we find ourselves in this amazing life we've created and realize that we don't have the supports and mindset in place to enjoy it and thrive.

If you're looking for something more in your career, or you're already living the big life you've always dreamed of but aren't enjoying it the way you feel you should be, let's connect.

[Related: How to Find Your Calling When You Don’t Know What You Want]

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Elena Lipson is the Principal and Founder of Mosaic Growth Partners, a consulting and coaching firm based in Washington, D.C.