Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

Proverbs 4:23

The first time I heard this proverb, my ears perked up and a revolution began within me. My whole life up to that point had been spent either trying to please others or entertain myself. I always heard people pleasing was bad, but did not quite understand why. Why was it bad to make others happy? It's not. What's destructive is making others happy without regard for how your action aligns with achieving your purposes in your life. When you people please without regard for your purpose, you disrespect yourself and expose your heart to harm. You certainly don't want to harm the wellspring of your life.

When I learned about guarding my heart, I couldn't help but feel regret and mourn over the years lost without knowing about this. I'm sharing it with you in case no one has ever told you to guard your heart. It's a precious, valuable lesson for us all; young and old and both men and women alike. We all need to guard our hearts.

Guarding your heart also means shedding childlike ways and overcoming naïveté. It means considering your actions and commitments before making them. It means thinking about the company you choose to keep and the business you decide to engage in.

Mostly guarding your heart means taking a constructive, analytical look at your life and decisions and how you choose to give of yourself. If you do it consciously and constructively say no to things that don't align with your purpose, you will likely be more wholesome and experience less heartache than before.

Please practice guarding your heart because you can!