The Art Of Having A Big Heart: 10 Simple Habits Of Naturally Big-Hearted People
They leave the world a little better than they found it.
Handmadefont | Canva Having a big heart can be a gift and a curse. On one hand, you are kind to those around you, especially your family and friends. You think positively and truly enjoy living life to the fullest. However, some people can take advantage of your good heart and use it for their own misdeeds. Fortunately, your outlook on life and high emotional intelligence keep you from dwelling on it too long.
Unfortunately, not everyone is emotionally intelligent, and that can lead to some friction throughout your life. But here are the signs that your emotional intelligence has given way to a naturally big heart despite the obstacles you may have to overcome daily.
Here are 10 simple habits of naturally big-hearted people:
1. They aren't afraid to express their emotions
When you feel something in your heart, you never bury it. You allow yourself to let loose and tell the world about the war that’s happening inside your head, the bruises on your soul that are slowly healing, the pain of losing yourself after your failed relationships.
People warn you about being too open, but you still keep inviting everyone to read the words that are pulsing beneath your chest. You give people the privilege to know you, understand your emotions, and connect with you on a deeper level.
Big-hearted people understand something that self-protective types often miss: the courage to be emotionally open is what makes a real connection possible. As licensed mental health counselor Teresa Maples-Zuvela explains, vulnerability is the key to emotional intimacy, and sharing your innermost feelings and being accepted is a basic human need that can be incredibly healing.
2. They feel things deeply
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Your heart isn’t up for grabs for everyone. You only entrust it with the people that you love, and with the few friends that you treasure. You never hesitate to leave your heart in their palms because you’re confident that it’s in a safe place.
But when someone accidentally drops it, your whole world evaporates into thin air. You get hurt, and it becomes hard for you to heal and move on. It becomes hard for you to put the broken pieces of your heart together.
3. They value experience more than material things
You're more excited about the prospect of having new experiences rather than gaining new things. You know that the best feelings come from good memories and not from your possessions.
To you, someone’s worth isn’t defined by how much money they have in their pockets but by how much experience they have in their hearts. And you will always be someone who chooses to make his or her heart heavy with happiness.
Experiences bring more joy than material goods because they are more open to positive reinterpretations, are a more meaningful part of one's identity, and contribute more to successful social relationships. One study suggested that experiences stay in people's memories for a long time, while the value of something material — a physical gift, for example — weakens over time.
4. They value who someone is, not what they look like
You’re one of those people who believes that physical appearances fade, but who you are on the inside lives eternally. You don’t feel impressed by someone’s good looks.
What makes your heart skip a beat is when someone is gentle with the way they treat people, honest with the words that they say, and committed to their passions in life. You value someone’s inner beauty more than their outer beauty.
5. They're kind
Helping other people gives you a sense of purpose. You always try to brighten everyone’s day by giving your sweetest, biggest smile to them. You make time to accompany people who feel like they’re alone.
You infect people with your positivity and confidence when you notice that they’re going through tough times. You want to help people feel better because you know what it’s like to suffer problems in life without having someone to guide you.
According to life coach Mitzi Bockmann, people who have struggled are aware of the suffering of others because they have suffered themselves and are, as a result, kind to those who are currently in need. That awareness becomes a compass pointing you toward anyone who might need a smile, a listening ear, or simply the comfort of not being alone.
6. They care about the world
You easily get affected when there’s so much brokenness in the world. You wish you were powerful enough to make a difference. You wish you influenced to ask people to help those who are in dark places right now.
You wish you could do something because it’s hard for you to sleep peacefully at night knowing that some people on this planet do not have comfortable beds to rest their tired souls.
7. They're nourished by art and creativity
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Your heart warms whenever you encounter anything that is produced by creativity. You feel inspired and energized by artists who have an undying passion for what they’re doing. You feel a sense of belonging when you’re with them because there’s a piece of you that they can easily understand and connect with.
Research from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago suggests that artists, as a whole, are more empathic than non-artists and have more fluid boundaries that allow them to connect with people in more meaningful, emotional ways.
8. They tend to get attached to places
You can fall in love with a certain place as soon as you set foot in it. You can already feel the magic the moment you breathe the air that surrounds you; you can already feel at home even when you’re still carrying your belongings. Being in completely different surroundings excites you and helps you reset everything you’ve learned in life so far.
Dr. Judith Orloff, a clinical psychiatrist, explained that earth empaths have an intimate connection with nature, including plants and animals, and at their core, feel everything the earth does. This sensitivity to the environment means that the earth, its elements, and the universe feel like family, which explains that instant recognition when you step into a place that just fits.
9. They're emotionally sensitive
Sometimes people don’t realize how their words and actions affect you. Sometimes they forget that it’s hard for you to erase all the memories that you create with them.
You have so much invested in your relationships with people that when they leave you, it’s difficult for you to start all over again on your own. It’s difficult for you to live a life knowing they are no longer part of your world.
10. They notice the smallest details
You find happiness in feeling the late afternoon sun against your skin, in watching children reach for their parents’ fingers, in hearing someone utter words of affection to their one true love.
You notice tiny, important things that other people fail to see because you’re the type who’s willing to pause and take time to appreciate everything around you. The world doesn’t fail to amaze you every single day.
Angelo Caerlang is a digital media writer, contributor to YourTango and Thought Catalog, and published author of Sparks in Broken Lights.
