The Universe is a “manifestation machine”, and each and every one of us works that machine.

Simply put, we co-create all of our experiences. But how exactly do we “work the machine”? How do we manifest every single particle of matter that shows up in our lives? The answer is we use two powerful and magnificent centers:

The mind and the heart.

The process goes something like this. Picture a fisherman throwing his net out into the ocean. You’re the fisherman and the net represents the electromagnetic field of your mind or heart. The fisherman (you) waits, feels movement and hauls in his catch. All the fish trapped in the net symbolize your reality. One fish can be your partner, the other your job, yet another your home, and so on.

And like the fisherman that throws out his net before he catches fish, your mind and heart also set the stage in advance for what you end up receiving.

A great deal of attention has been given to the powerful influence of the mind in manifestation— especially after the Law of Attraction was popularized by books such as The Secret. The mind is an astounding phenomenon of brain circuitry and it’s immensely powerful in manifesting what it wants.

But what if I told you the heart is even more powerful?

According to the Heart Math Institute, the heart has the strongest electromagnetic field in the body, 60 times greater than the brains’. Yet, we seem to give the mind much more decision-making influence over our lives and hence, our reality.

My experience has taught me that the mind can manifest a whole lot of drama and suffering if we let it. The heart does no such thing. The manifestations powered by our hearts never lead us astray because the heart center is our connection with the Universe and our Higher Selves.

Our hearts know exactly what we are supposed to do in this life—if we only listen. On the other hand, the mind carries a lot of baggage that influences what we believe, think, and ultimately, manifest.

So if the heart is indeed so much more powerful than the mind and it knows exactly what is best for us, why on earth don’t we listen to it more?

Well, it’s just easier that way. Our consciousness is easily drawn into the drama our minds create—especially when the thoughts generated cause fear. Fear is powerful and can easily get your attention.

The heart speaks to us through emotion, instinct, intuition, or “gut feeling”. It doesn’t communicate verbally like the mind does. Our reality is therefore much more conducive to a “mind-based” system of manifestation.

But that can all change in a heartbeat.

A sequence of painful, mind-led events brought me to where I finally connected with my glorious heart center and allowed it to command my experience. I had always lived with a strong mind and it manifested some great events in my life.

But it also manifested some pretty painful ones, too. I remember lying in the dark one night and thinking:

“There’s got to be a better way.”

And there was. I instinctively began to meditate, without knowing exactly why I was taking up the practice at that particular time. In the beginning, my mind protested. Back then, I wasn’t the type of person that would just “waste” time on “useless” things like sitting quietly with my eyes shut.

There was just too much to do. Yet miraculously, there I sat every day. At first, I could only manage three or four minutes at a time. But as the days progressed, I felt a radical shift in me.

My mind was quieting down and instead of all the incessant chatter, I was now feeling love invade my chest.

“What is this?” I thought.

It was my heart speaking. From then on, I never again allowed my mind back into the role of commander-in-chief. That job is now solely performed by my heart.

Many people have asked in my workshops and classes how they too can connect to their beautiful hearts.

Here’s how.

1) Quiet your mind.

Whether it’s through meditation, yoga, jogging on the beach, or walking in the forest, seeking bliss helps decrease the endless voices in our heads. For me, the miracle was meditation but for you, it can be something totally different.

2) Tune into your heart center.

As the mind chatter decreases, there will be a wonderful silence and space inside you. In that space, you will start to feel your chest. You’ll literally feel love, compassion, and kindness…in your chest.

Become accustomed to the language of your heart and listen to it. Sometimes, I use visualizations and picture my heart chakra (the energy center located right above the breast area) shooting out the color green.

Other times, I become aware of what I feel when I look at someone I love or at a beautiful sight like a sunset. It feels like my chest is exploding with love.

3) Use the power of your consciousness to stay alert to synchronicities.

This is a big one. Synchronicities are the results of your electromagnetic fields being thrown out ahead of you. They’re like the fish caught in the fisherman’s net.

When you remain alert at all times—that is, when you live in the present moment and outside of your mind dramas—you’re more likely to see these synchronicities.

4) Act on synchronicities.

This is where the mind comes in. I still have a powerful mind, thankfully so. But it just knows its place now. I use my mind as a tool that helps me manifest what my heart desires.

Do you see the difference?

The heart commands and the mind follows. This is where all your creative juices should be used. When your heart brings you experiences and synchronicities, your mind helps build upon those initial desires.

When you allow your heart to command your experiences in life, nothing will ever be the same. Once you learn the language of the heart, you’ll never again ignore it.

And pretty soon you’ll arrive at your life’s purpose. Because it turns out, only your heart knows what that is.