Follow your bliss

A few random clicks on the net and there I was reading an article about a book I'd heard about but had no plans to read: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo. A few paragraphs into the article, which covered the book's theme of purging belongings, I came across the magical catchphrase of Joseph Campbell, Follow your bliss.

This had great meaning for me, because it marked a turning point in my life.

Many clients come to see me when they are itchy to change careers but don't know what to do next. For many, the stress of not knowing what to do creates internal surges of high volume noise and pressure followed by mean-spirited self-directed reprimands: "What do you want to do? Why can't you figure it out? Why don't you know?"

While a few people do know what they want, and can plan the way there, most of us don't have a clue. 

Fortunately, I do not worry about what I should do. But I once did. Even if I was happy with my work, I assumed there was something else I was supposed to do. And that something else would be much better than what I was already happy doing!  If only someone would just tell me what to do...

When coaching I try to avoid giving too much advice, believing clients benefit most when they come to their own conclusions.  But years ago I was liberated from concerns about what I should be doing and whether I was doing the right things with my life due to a small but meaningful piece of advice.

I was lamenting about being at a crossroads in my life and needing to make a decision. I was under the impression that whatever decision I made would have far-reaching consequences.  If I didn't make the right decision, things might go badly. As I was going on and on, I was told in a soothing manner, "Why don't you follow your bliss?"

It was exactly the advice I needed.

Coming across those words in the article reminded me of their influence on my attitude. "Follow your bliss" gave me the permission and freedom to give into not knowing and, with this, I felt free of the noise and pressure that had been building inside. I no longer chastised myself for not knowing. 

So I left the article about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up  and found this:

"... 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 you 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

Follow your bliss and, while you're at it, tidy up!
Coach Minda

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