Last Tuesday, 6 PM, my phone rang.
It was my sister.
“Where are you right now?” she asked.
“Home. Why? Are you in Portugal?”
“I’m in Lisbon,” she said.
Her early morning flight the next day had just been cancelled, a rare opportunity in her usually tight pilot schedule. “Want to join me for a night and morning in Lisbon?” 

Lisbon is 3 hours away by train, and the last train left in… 30 minutes.

My brain gave me every possible reason why I couldn’t go.

I had just settled in with the kids to watch a movie, something I’d promised them.
I’d also promised my eldest daughter I’d take her to an extra gymnastics class that night.
The next morning, I had a Portuguese class I’d already postponed once.
There were chores waiting and an ambitious work schedule for the next day.

My guilt whispered: You made promises. You can’t just bail.
My logic backed it up: You’ve got a ton to do. You’ll fall behind. It’s not smart.

But then my heart spoke: Go.

I ran up our hill to where my husband was trimming the land.
Out of breath, I told him:
“Lisbon. My sister. One night. Last-minute. I’d love to go. Can you take over?”

He smiled. “Go.”
I packed in five minutes.
Hugged the kids for another five.
Told them about the opportunity and that I had to raincheck on our plans.
Not because they weren’t important, but because this was important to me, too.

Then I raced to the station.
Fifteen minutes later, I was on the train, still buying my ticket as I stepped on.

Another three hours later, I was with my sister.
In a presidential suite she’d unexpectedly been upgraded to.

We laughed. We danced. She played piano. `

(Click for a short video recap.)

It was magic.
And I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

And it reminded me of a truth we often forget… 

Over 90% of our decisions are made unconsciously.

Our emotional brain reacts faster than our logical brain. It always fires first. So, before you get to decide, your emotional brain has already fuelled the decision-making.

And if there’s even the slightest chance of an unwanted outcome, fear is usually the one doing the fuelling.

But fear is clever. It dresses up as logic.
It protects you. And it’s a good advisor, if your goal is to stay safe. 

But if your goal is to grow, to move, or to create…
You need to acknowledge your fear. Embrace it. 
And then choose with your heart.

Logic may protect us, but only the heart can move us.

And when you say yes to what moves you, you come back with energy that ripples through everything else.

So here’s your invitation:

What would your heart say yes to, if logic didn’t get the final word?