How to Stay Open-Hearted

How do we stay open-hearted when the world feels so overwhelming?

Not long ago, a client asked me that question while we were walking together in the woods.

It’s a question I’ve asked myself, too. As someone who cares deeply and wants to remain compassionate, sometimes I feel like collapsing under the grief and chaos of it all.

So what was my answer? 

Beauty.

Not the kind sold to us in perfectly packaged cosmetics or the latest fashion trends. I’m talking about the kind of beauty that pierces your heart. The kind that stops you and commands your attention.

The kind that speaks in vibrant wildflowers, melodic birdsong, and fiery sunsets.

Beauty is medicine.

It’s the balm for a hurting heart. It’s what helps you begin to believe again. It reminds you there is still joy, peace, and love here.

In a world full of noise and sorrow, beauty is what draws us back into life.

As James Hillman once said, “Beauty is the means by which the gods touch the senses, reach the heart, and attract us into life.”

One daily practice I’ve found helpful is intentionally noticing beauty—or “glimmers,” as therapist and author Deb Dana calls them. These little micro-moments of awe bring a sense of connection and regulation to the body, cueing the nervous system to shift into the parasympathetic state, which helps us feel calm and open.

The scent of honeysuckle blooming in the spring.

The sound of the wood thrush at dawn.

The perfectly round dewdrop on a blade of grass.

The layers upon layers of stars in the night sky.

Each glimmer is a lifeline.

Each bit of beauty we let in replenishes our spirit and helps keep our hearts from closing.

So today, I invite you to become a gatherer of glimmers. Let beauty stop you and command your attention. Let it soften the parts of your heart that have started to go rigid.

Let it remind you that even in the midst of upheaval, there is still something to open your heart for.