Engaging the Heart: Dismantling Hustle Culture from Within

When I say, “engage the heart”, what might that mean to you?

To me, it means to pause, connect with our inner essence, that quiet yet wise voice that lives at the core of our being, and listen to what it has to say. This means, engaging the being instead of the doing. We’re not usually taught how to do that, nor is engaging with the heart usually validated in our society.

Engaging the heart counters hustle culture and capitalism by shifting our focus from productivity and external validation to presence, connection, and intrinsic worth. Hustle culture tells us that we are only as valuable as what we produce, that rest is lazy, and that we must constantly strive for more. Capitalism conditions us to seek fulfillment through achievement and competition rather than through genuine connection with ourselves and others and gratitude.

But when we engage with the heart, we remember that we are already enough. We slow down, listen to what truly matters, and prioritize relationships, joy, and self-care over endless striving. The heart teaches us that success isn’t about working ourselves to exhaustion—it’s about feeling alive, aligned, and whole. It reminds us that rest is sacred, love is abundant, and our worth is not something we have to earn.