Joseph Campbell suggested we "follow our bliss."

      What was he meaning?

Our bliss?

      He was not advocating unrestrained hedonism. Nor was he suggesting that we become self-absorbed. He was urging us to embrace our destiny, to discover our passion and live it. His view was that life is a mystery that needs to be lived.¹

      Campbell followed his bliss in pursuing his interest in myths, legends, fairy tales, literature, art and poetry. It was the passion that consumed and fulfilled him. It was his gift to the world.²

The bliss sheath

      According to Campbell, who was influenced by the Anandamaya culture of India, all life is bliss. It is an expression of bliss.³ Bliss is the magma, the energy at the centre of our existence, in spite of the distress or pain in which it is sometimes enclosed.

      If we commit ourselves to following our bliss, we promote our physical, moral, psychological and spiritual health. This does not mean that following our bliss will guarantee that we are free from pain, adversity, or ill-health. Nor does it ensure longevity.

      Our suffering may be what enables us to penetrate the bliss sheath. Bliss is more foundational than suffering. It belongs to a deeper level of experience.

      Following our bliss also makes us more transparent to grace, more aware of the Spirit, the universal Consciousness within which everything that exists is cradled. We are more alive because we are connected to the source of life.

Orientation

      While following our bliss enhances our lives and gives us [273] the sense that we are fulfilling our destiny, our calling, it is not essentially self-oriented. It is directed towards benefiting others. It is a divine vocation.

A priority

      It is important that we follow our bliss, that we pursue our passion, rather than merely fulfilling tasks others impose on us. It is obvious that we need to earn a living and to fulfil family and communal obligations. Nevertheless, pursuing our bliss should take priority. When it does, it will add depth and energy to our relationships and it will ensure that the contribution we make to society will be appropriate to our gifts, sustainable and enriching.

How do we follow our bliss?

      How do we go about following our bliss?

      We need to begin by making it a priority.

      Following our bliss begins with a decision of the will. If we have been captive to others' expectations, we may need to give ourselves permission to follow our bliss.

Deflection

      There are three obvious factors that can deflect us from this intention.

      The first is the feeling that following our bliss is selfish. This perception is more likely to inhibit those in their middle and later years because of early conditioning.

      The second factor is that we are in a hurry, hungry to succeed. Pausing to consider what might constitute our bliss is a distraction.

      The third factor, which relates to younger people raised in more affluent circumstances, is that they may see little point in the exercise. They have been raised on the illusion that life is about the pursuit of pleasure.

How do we discover our bliss?

      How do we discover what constitutes our bliss? [274]

      James Broughton, poet and film-maker, referring to his earliest inspiration, spoke of a night in which he was awaked by a glittering stranger and informed that he was and would always be a poet. He was not to be discouraged by those who laughed at him. This meeting with his "angel" occurred when he was three years old.⁴

      The discovery of one's bliss is rarely so straightforward. However, there are a number of things we can do in order to discover what it is that can bring us alive.

      We can look back and ask ourselves what we would have liked to have done had we had the opportunity, or had we taken the opportunity.

      We can descend into the bodyself and ask our question. We need to allow time for an answer and to anticipate that one will come. If we are familiar with this means of internal communication, it is likely that we will already have more than a hesitant indication of what the answer will be.

      Experiment and explore. It will soon become obvious to you whether or not you are on the right path.

Time and opportunity

      The time we give to pursuing our life's passion will depend on our circumstances.

      We are fortunate if our vocation corresponds with the job that provides us with food, clothing and shelter. If this is the case, we will do well at our work. It will be driven by our passion and will draw on our competencies.

      However, it may be that the financial rewards of following our bliss are insufficient to provide us with a living. There may be little demand for what we produce, or, alternatively, those for whom we produce may be unable to afford a reasonable asking price.

      It is also possible that family circumstances may not allow us to pursue our bliss in ways that would be possible were we not encumbered with domestic responsibilities.

      Some, like Joseph Campbell, are able to explore their bliss [275] with wholehearted abandon because it provides them with a career path and a reasonable income. Some, in testing the waters, will risk failure. But they will consider the risk worthwhile. Others, who recognise that they have a less marketable product, will work at a job unrelated to their bliss, in order to allow them to pursue their passion in their leisure hours. Others, again, will creatively mix a number of approaches.

      I suspect that the latter will become a more popular option as the job market becomes increasingly fluid.

Live life to the full

      If you find it difficult to discover your bliss, to pursue your passion, or if your life is too demanding and leaves you exhausted at the end of day, try living your life, with its demands and frustrations, deeply, savouring the activity of the moment. [276]

[LS 273-276]