I'm currently reading through the book "Thou Shall Prosper," and Rabbi Daniel Lapin talks about how two beings form each person. Understanding this will help us better know how to act and react to life.
The first of these persons is our physical body. We have instincts to indulge ourselves in immediate pleasure and only do what feels good. This is described as our heart. Typically more emotional than our brain.
The second of these persons is our spirit, also known as our mind. This entity is the part of our being that can think through things on deep levels and understand the best course of action.
If we live by our heart, we live in a constant state of trying to please ourselves, eating whenever the fancy hits us. Scrolling on the phone for meaningless hours. It puts us in a state of just wanting immediate pleasure and also serves as a distraction from getting real things done.
Our mind, on the other hand, is more long-term focused. Looking for what makes the most sense with the whole picture in mind. What will bring long-lasting feelings of fulfillment. Living through our mind, we can make decisions that don't feel good in the immediate but return better rewards in the long term. It is our mind that wants to help, serve, and build, not our heart.
If our body is damaged, say in the case of an accident. Our minds immediately repair and fix what is wrong and let our bodies take control of some aspects to elevate the pain. The problem is, if we let our bodies take too much control, then we lapse into a state of constantly trying to self-protect and conserve. That leads to a more selfish life, trying only to take and not give.
Key takeaways:
1) Two persons make up our being, the heart and mind.
2) Our heart is immediate gratification focused, doing what feels good in the moment
3) Our mind is what focuses on bringing long-term fulfillment, serving, and building