Going with her heart.

A few weeks ago, at the market, a young girl picked out one of my stickers. When she brought it over to pay, she spotted one of my hand-painted hearts.

Without hesitation, she picked it up and asked, “Can I have this instead?” The sticker was $5, the heart was $20, her spending money for the day. Being the practical adult in the situation, I pointed that out.

She looked at the heart again and said, “I want this.”  

That was it.

No deliberation or comparison. No worrying about whether it was the practical choice. For her it was simple. 

As adults, we often become very skilled at talking ourselves out of things. We compare, analyze, justify, and second-guess. We learn to be sensible. Children haven't learned all of that yet.

There was something beautiful about watching her trust her own response so completely. She wasn't choosing what she thought she should want. She was choosing what she actually wanted.

The moment stayed with me long after the market was over. Not because she bought one of my little painted hearts, but because she reminded me of something we often forget.

Sometimes we already know. Sometimes our hearts arrive at the answer before the rest of us catches up.

Can you remember a time when a choice felt that simple?