What's with the Heart?

A few months ago, I was in the final stages of creating my logo and I had arrived at what I thought would be "the one."  After sharing it with some of my friends via WhatsApp, most of the feedback included words of encouragement like, "Love it!", "Beautiful!", and "Awesome!"

Clapping hands and thumbs up emojis emphasized their enthusiasm and I felt my ego start to rise as I patted myself on the back for a job well done.

And then came Geoff.

One of my best friends is married to the Art Director of a major NYC advertising firm.  I had sent her the logo and was expecting the same rave reviews that I had received from everyone else.  When she called me later that day, she said, "Hey, Jolinda.  I've got Geoff here on speaker.  He has a few questions for you about the logo."

Gulp. Brace yourself, I thought.

Geoff had a reputation for two things.  One, for being exceptional at what he does and two, for telling it like it is.  Whatever he had to say, I knew it wouldn't be warm and fuzzy.

"Hey, Jolinda.  I'm looking at your logo here and I have to ask you, what's with the heart?"

"The heart?"

"Yeah, the heart.  I don't get it.  I mean, is this some kind of dating service?  If you're using a heart, it must have something to do with love or romance, right?"

"Ummmmm . . . "

As the conversation continued, he proceeded to tell me all of the other ways that my proposed logo wasn't all that I thought it had been. Sigh.  I thanked him for his feedback and hung up the phone to tend to my bruised ego.  Once I had taken a few minutes to lick my wounds, I started thinking about his initial question.

What was it about the heart that was so important to me?  

Despite what he had said about it being a generic symbol that had lost its impact, I wasn't willing to give it up.  After reflecting further, my instinct told me that I was on the right track, but the rational part of my brain wanted something more than just a feeling. So I started looking into the origins of the heart symbol and what it traditionally represented.  That launched me into a deeper exploration of what "the heart" represents to me and why I felt it had to be at the core of my coaching practice.

1) The decision to start a family is a heart-based decision.  

When I was thinking about having my first child, my head came up with a million reasons why it wasn't "the right time," but in the end we started trying because my heart was calling me to motherhood.  Maybe you want to have a baby so you can share the love you have with your partner with another human being, or maybe you're tired of waiting for "Mr. Right" and have decided to become pregnant on your own.  No matter what the circumstances, your heart is the one calling the shots, as you can feel without a doubt that you were meant to be a mom.

2)  Fertility coaching is heart-centered.

You might have noticed that my tag-line refers to "heart-centered fertility coaching."  What does that even mean?  Well, being that your decision to have a baby is a heart-based decision, your heart, your soul, your deepest desires are at the focus of the fertility coaching series.  It's about setting goals that will help prepare your whole self for the experience of motherhood, not just your ovaries.  

The heart is the seat of intuition, love, creativity, wisdom, gratitude, and faith.  Fertility coaching is all about bringing these elements into focus and giving them priority in your everyday life.

3) My ideal clients long to be heart-centered women. 

The heart is the seat of intuition, love, creativity, wisdom, gratitude, and faith.

Here are some characteristics of a heart-centered woman:

• Open-minded
• Kind to herself and others
• Forgiving 
• Nurturing
• Self-empowered
• In tune with her body and mind
• Courageous
• Determined
• Hopeful

How many of these words can you use to describe yourself?  How many do you wish you could?  What positive actions can you take to get closer to the woman you want to be?

4)  In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the uterus is seen as an extension of the heart.  

The TCM perspective is that "passion, courage and confidence bolster the uterus's function." It therefore follows that the heart must be fed with experiences that evoke these emotions on a regular basis.  Gratitude should also be on the daily menu.  Loving the life you have while working towards the life you want is an essential part of maximizing your fertility, yet it's easy to feel stuck in fear, self-doubt, and anxiety around your chances of conceiving.  Fertility coaching can help you get back to a place of confidence, inner peace, and joy.

In the end, I took Geoff's advice and continued modifying my logo, but the heart has remained.  I followed my own intuition, my own inner voice.  From business logos to babies, the heart wants what the heart wants.  The only question is, "Are you listening?"

If you're interested in working with me as a Fertility Coach to maximize your chances of conception and feel empowered on your fertility journey, please contact me at info@jolindajohnson.com.

I would love to talk to you about how we can work together to reach your most desired goals.