In keeping with the headline spirit of today's triple-header entry, to catch myself up to today, the word "bliss" came to mind. "Courage", then "Freedom", and as I read those titles the next word that came to me was "Bliss".
Just last evening I was reading up on Wikipedia about Joseph Campbell. Something I read somewhere, a couple of weeks ago, prompted me to write down his name intending to look up who he was when I had a moment. I'd heard his name before, but couldn't place him at the time, so I jotted it down and last night while the rest of my household was watching the Super Bowl, I looked him up.
Joseph Campbell was best known it seems for his work in comparative mythology. As soon as I read that, I remembered where I'd heard his name before: JW Windland, who is the founder of Encounter World Religions Centre where I volunteer, has made reference to his work many times. The one quote I discovered on Wikipedia last night though was one I hadn't heard before. It seems Joseph Campbell is quite well-known for his philosophy which is often summarized by his phrase: "Follow your bliss."
It's something I've been thinking about a lot lately. About why we're all here, and what it is that we're all supposed to be doing. And I think that whatever it is we choose to do, we really should be "following our bliss", although until reading that quote last night it's not how I was thinking it in my mind. My though was more along the lines of "be happy." That's it. Nothing hugely profound, nothing new or particularly deep. But in truth I think this is what makes the world a beautiful, alive, vibrant and joyful place to be. If every human being on this planet was truly happy, deeply content and felt joy as the steady undercurrent of their life, imagine what a state of bliss we would all be in.
Parents would parent better. Leaders - of state and of business - would inspire their followers. Followers would all contribute to the greater good. We all know how good it feels to be around someone who is genuinely happy, who thoroughly enjoys what they do in their life; whether it's crunching numbers or feeding babies or planting trees or theorizing about physics, when people really love what fills their days, it benefits the world in ways we may not be able to accurately put into words.
I challenge you, as I challenge myself, to find and "follow your bliss". You'll thank you. And I suspect the people closest to you will thank you. And ultimately, the world will thank you. I know I'll thank you.
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