If you do follow your bliss
you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while,
you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while,
waiting for you, and the life that you ought to be living
is the one you are living.
is the one you are living.
—Joseph Campbell
When asked, “How do you find deep meaning in life?” Joseph Campbell answered with this sage advice, “Follow your bliss." It sounds so simple.
But many of us have a difficult time discovering just what comprises our own, unique bliss. And it can change over time.
At one point, not too long ago, I discovered that my path to bliss had become filled with detours, obstacles and forks that lead me in directions I never really intended to go. Every time I said yes to someone else's needs instead of honoring my own, every time I took a job "just for now" to meet my immediate obligations, every time I made commitments without first assessing the hidden costs, every time I compromised I got a little farther off my path.
I didn’t even realize what had happened. I just reached a place in my life where I felt unhappy, depressed, anxious and lost. That’s when I decided it was time to follow the breadcrumbs home.
I have been on a quest my entire adult life to find the magic secret to achieving happiness—that feeling of being truly connected, joyous and "plugged in”. I've read countless books, participated in dozens of workshops, studied numerous philosophies. I've taken what I found worked for me from all of them and I'm happy to share those with you here.
Luckily I have experienced moments in the past of really being “in the flow”—energized, excited and inspired. I know how synchronicity feels—as soon as I have a question the answer magically appears. That feeling of being somewhat in a state of grace became one of my breadcrumbs. And there were others. Others were memories, buried deep in my past. Some were painful because they were connected to disappointment. A few seemed silly but turned out to be important. When placed together they created a map that I’ve been able to use to reconnect with what makes me feel most like, well. . .ME!
By becoming quiet and going within we can all follow our breadcrumbs to the wisest parts of ourselves that, for one reason or another, we’ve dropped along our trail. We can encourage the parts of us that have been silent for so long to once again speak. We can remember what ignited passion within us and breathe those sparks back into flames. We can learn what we need to do to reclaim our own, unique bliss.
I created this class to share with others some of the techniques and exercises I found most helpful in my own journey. And I'm hoping that a community will develop between the people who take the class and are willing to share their experiences.
