Heart v. Heart: A case of the cognitive and affective reasoning

A friend sent me this quote through SMS and here what it says:

Find out what makes you happy and follow what your heart tells you,
They may call you foolish, but at least you are happy fool,
Not a lonely empty wise person.

I read it when I just woke up and it really me think while I was taking my shower. It would probably make sense to just follow your heart, but for me this is not the case. Well fundamentally this would be a case of brain versus the heart, which one should you chose. Popular culture would probably dictate to follow the heart and the existential individual would most probably pick the mind. However, this maybe false because some people believe to follow the head and not to be, in colloquial term, “tanga”. In other words this is to determine if the person is practical or foolish. Confusing isn’t it, but of course maybe it’s just my perception. Maybe it all boils down to preference... I am not sure.
Personally, I do follow my heart and this is the reason why, it seems there is no clear direction in my life. I really wanted to be more than what I am right now, and this is in my heart. But of course, this is only attainable through rational means. Meaning one has to be logical, practical, to use the brain to map out and determine the process to attain one’s goal. Well I guess following the heart is just a way of people saying to have a goal or to reach the things that you aspire. Ergo, using the head is not all that bad.
One day I accompanied my friend to canvass on paintings and masks that will be sent to the US, as her cousin was demanding. As my nature dictates, I freely and openly preached about my experiences and gave her ideas on how to approach the life ahead. You see, she has just returned from a long vacation and she is confused as to how to approach or make a sure ball decision in what to do next. I told her what I really wanted and told her that there are just too many choices out there and that it is important to interact well with the people around you. Adding to this I also implied a “heart over the mind” decision about my choices.
Last night I watched Charmed, and in this episode Leo is given a test by the elders to see what his true destiny really is. Meaning, is his path for the greater good, or equally big, to be with his true love and family. The decision has to be made, either or, without bias from Leo’s part. So to accomplish this test the elder’s erased all the memory that Leo has and place him back to earth. In the end, even with guidance from the elders, his heart ultimately chooses to be with his wife and kids. The greatest love v. the greater good.
What will it be for me? Am I really following my heart or just my head? Am I doing what I was planned to do?
To end this blog, let me quote something from an e-newsletter that I receive regularly. It’s from Radical Academy. It says and I quote:

Let [the child] believe that he is always in control, though it is always you [the teacher] who really controls. There is no subjugation so perfect as that which keeps the appearance of freedom, for in that way one captures volition itself....

Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) French Illuminist Philosopher
Read about Jean-Jacques Rousseau in The Radical Academy