“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me.” ~Erma Bombeck
I am tired, but it feels like the good kind of tired from using yourself up for something meaningful and worthwhile. My work at Good Clean Love has never felt so clear or purposeful as it does now since my values have been affirmed by the recent test of them. We make the meaning out of our days as we trade our energy and time to further the things we believe in.
Deciding what matters to you and following through by acting on it is the core of a life that is inspired by a sense of purpose. Joseph Campbell coined the phrase “following your bliss” and described the process like this: “If you 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.”
Discovering this life for yourself begins by looking at the times and experiences when you become totally immersed in what you are doing. Identifying the activities and practices that help you forget how much time and energy you are putting into something is a powerful clue. Waking up eager to try again and knowing deep down that you are making a difference are the signs of a finding your bliss.
It isn’t that the days aren’t trying or you don’t sometimes come home discouraged or overwhelmed, because you do and will. But when you are trailing a purpose in life, the setbacks feel more like opportunities for problem solving than reasons to quit. You trust your sense of purpose even when life might suggest otherwise and persisting feels like a noble way of protecting a truth you are growing inside.
Even more surprising is that the outcome becomes less important the longer you are following this path that seems made for you. Doing the work is reward enough and ironically the more you let go of what you think is supposed to happen, the more that the universe steps up to provide just what is needed.
Using yourself up for a purpose bigger than yourself is a path with heart and creates a framework for a positive life.
