Follow your Bliss

Follow Your Bliss:

Many of my friends ask me, what do you mean by “Follow your Bliss”? Well, would like to thank all of you for this question, as it has helped me with a topic to write on!

Follow your bliss is a relative phrase and would mean different things to different people. It is basically all about doing what you love to do and as a result of which, it brings you pure happiness, a feeling of contentment which warms your heart that cannot be expressed in words and just leaves you with a blissful feeling.

First of all, this famous phrase: “Follow your Bliss” was coined by noted mythologist and writer – Joseph Campbell.  I chanced upon this phrase when reading the book – Hero by Rhonda Byrne and since then this phrase has become close to my heart.

If you do follow your bliss, 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. When we can see that, you begin to meet people who are in your field of bliss, and they open doors to you.  I say, follow your bliss and don’t be afraid, and doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be.” – Joseph Campbell.

 

We all have a light burning within our hearts, a desire to do something, a desire to do something fulfilling, which will fulfill our lives and give purpose to our lives, but somewhere down the line, we are caught up in the nitty- gritty of life and we have unknowingly or knowingly buried this light deep within us. We have submitted ourselves to the struggles of this world and in the process lost our light. We need to stop and reflect and find out where we are heading and find out the light that has been lost and let it shine again. 

Some people may have a passion to sing, some may have a passion to dance, others to cook and so on. By doing what we are passionate about,  brings us immense happiness and bliss. If we are able to manage our time right, we can make time to follow our bliss, to pursue a hobby which makes us happy, whilst working and going about our routine work.

Let me illustrate this point better by an example of the movie:Shall We Dance? It’s a movie about a man with a wonderful job, a lovely wife and a loving family, who nevertheless feels that something is missing as he makes his way every day from work, who upon the sight of a beautiful instructor, signs up for ballroom dancing lessons.  The point from this movie to be picked up is, this man had everything in his life that would make for a happy life and he was happy; yet he felt there was something missing. However, he didn’t give up his job, after work he would go and attend his dance classes. He was a man who never knew how to dance and he had a lot of difficulty in matching steps with his instructor initially, but then gradually he started loving it, and he longed when his work timings would end and he would leave to attend his dance class. Dancing made him a happier man. He was following his bliss. Earlier he was living a happy life, now he was living a more happy and blissful life. He now had something to look forward to.

So often in life, we end up pursuing dreams and goals, which are not really our dreams. We become people who follow other people’s dreams, trying to fulfill their unfinished dreams and in the process make their dreams our own, which is the sad part. I am not saying that it’s altogether wrong; if by fulfilling others unfinished dreams bring you happiness and is also your idea of bliss, please go ahead and follow it, however, if that is not meant for you, then please spare yourself the torture.

Take time out and find out what is your bliss and follow it with all your heart; this is a realization which comes from within and not something that will happen by my saying or somebody else’s saying.  

I have found my bliss….have you found yours?

Share with me your triumphant stories on this platform. Let us all know, how you overcame your struggles and are following your bliss.

Let your stories be an inspiration for others. Come and share your stories here.

Your Travelmate