Coming Home to Your Heart 3

(Part 3 of 3)

In Parts 1 & 2, we explored the tender and powerful territory of the heart—what causes it to close, how to recognize when that’s happened, and what’s possible when it begins to open again.

Today, let’s go deeper. Let’s talk about how to gently open your heart, and what life can feel like when you do. But first, let’s check in:

How is your heart feeling today—guarded, curious, softening, afraid?

There’s no right answer. Just notice.

Why Do Our Hearts Close?
We often close our hearts to protect ourselves. Maybe you’ve been betrayed, let down, or exhausted from carrying too much. That tightness in your chest? That emotional distance? It makes sense. You’ve just been surviving.

But here’s the thing…

Your heart didn’t close to punish you—it closed to protect you.

And now, if you’re ready, you can begin to open it again—gently, safely, and at your own pace.

How to Begin to Reopen Your Heart
Below are five gentle steps, each paired with a reflection to help you integrate them.

Start With Self-Compassion We are often our own harshest critics. If you’ve built walls or felt emotionally distant, start by offering yourself kindness. You did what you needed to survive.
PROMPT: What would you say to a dear friend who has been through what you have? Now, say that to yourself.

Let Go of the Old Stories Beliefs like “love always leads to pain” or “it’s safer not to feel” may have once protected you—but do they serve you now?
PROMPT: What old story are you ready to question or gently release?
Example: “I must appear strong” or “I’m not safe being vulnerable.”

Practice Being Present A closed heart often lives in the past or fears the future. Returning to the present moment is the doorway to softness.
PROMPT: Take three slow breaths. Notice one thing you hear, one thing you see, and one thing you feel in your body.
Did anything shift in you? Try to describe it.

Take Small, Courageous Steps You don’t need to rip the walls down overnight. Open a window. Let the breeze in.
PROMPT: What is one small thing you could do today to connect with someone—or yourself—more authentically?
Examples: Sending a heartfelt message to someone you care about, allowing yourself to cry, receiving a compliment without deflecting.

What’s Possible When You Live with an Open Heart?
When your heart begins to open, life changes—not because everything gets easier, but because you meet it with more compassion.

Here’s what often happens:

• You connect more deeply with others such as experiencing love and relationships in a more fulfilling way. You no longer put up walls to keep others at a distance
• You feel your emotions without being ruled by them. Instead of suppressing feelings, you allow yourself to experience them fully, leading to greater understanding of yourself
• You notice more joy in the everyday. An open heart appreciates the beauty in small moments, turning ordinary days into something extraordinary.
• You begin to trust life and yourself—again. Instead of operating from fear, you starting living from a deeper knowing that you are safe, loved, and supported.
• You gain more clarity about your purpose and take action to pursue what truly matters to you
• You begin to move in alignment with your true self, unafraid what others may think of you.

A Loving Challenge for You
Opening your heart is an ongoing journey, not a one-time event. Developing awareness of when your heart begins to shut down allows you to take action.

• Do one simple thing today that will help open your heart
• Tell someone how much you appreciate them.
• Spend time in stillness, allowing love and peace to flow into you.
• Write down the fears holding you back—and then choose to release them.
• Offer kindness to a stranger with no expectation of anything in return.

You’re Already on the Way
If this journey has stirred something within you—curiosity, tenderness, hesitation, or even resistance—know that all of it okay… it’s that you’re becoming more aware… it’s a sign of your heart awakening.

You are not alone in this. Every person you pass is carrying their own invisible story, their own longing to feel more alive, more connected, more loved. We are all, in some way, finding our way back to our hearts.

I believe in your capacity to heal, to open, to love again.

You have the power to choose love over fear.

Even the smallest step matters. Even the gentlest breath of courage shifts something inside.

Trust that your heart knows the way and with each step you are already coming home to yourself.