The "Heart" is the most intimate and authentic core, the unifying center of the person. It gives meaning to everything we experience, the place of desires and vital choices that guide our existence. It is the place of sincerity, where there is no room for deception or dissimulation. It normally indicates our true intentions, what we truly think, believe, and want.

This idea invites us to ask ourselves: What is the reality that matters most to me? Where do I place my hope, my energy, my life, my heart? The answer can take on various nuances, such as love, gift, relationships with others, but also economic status, fame, success, power, or one's own security.

True freedom begins first and foremost in the heart. Purely material goods, just as they accumulate, can also vanish in the face of life's ups and downs. Detachment from them can help us live our daily work and effort for society with a more transparent commitment, overcoming anxiety, restlessness, and fear of tomorrow.

«Today —affirms Pope Francis— Everything is bought and paid for, and it seems that our very sense of dignity depends on things obtained through the power of money. We are pushed only to accumulate, consume, and be distracted, prisoners of a degrading system that doesn't allow us to look beyond our immediate needs.»[1].

Experience tells us that it is necessary to continually return to the true life, which is the best "investment" to commit to. Thinking not of ourselves, but of others, thus experiencing true freedom.

The philosopher and humanist Erich Fromm reminds us of this when he states that "Giving is the ultimate expression of power. In the very act of giving, I experience my strength, my richness, my power. This experience of greater vitality and power fills me with joy."[2].

Let's ask ourselves before every action: What is the motive that drives me to do this? And if we find we need to reorient our intention, let's do so decisively. We'll see our hearts freed from bonds and conditioning.

[1] Pope Francis “Dilexit Nos” No. 218
[2] Erich Fromm The Art of Loving (1956)