FADE IN:

Follow Your Bliss is a term used by mythologist Joseph Campbell to describe the fulfillment of one’s life.  The concept refers to the idea that if you find that thing that stirs and inspires you, that brings you rapture, as he referred to it, that you should follow it for as long as you can.  And when you do, that you will meet people on very similar paths and they will open doors for you and you for them.  Together you can accomplish great things, by bringing forth the very best that would otherwise lie dormant within you.

To me, this means more than pursuing a dream.  This is contributing to a shared dream, of discovering what is best inside of you and using it to touch the world around you with good. When you do, you are put on a path that allows you to make a positive difference in the lives of those you’re fortunate enough to share with. And if more of us did this, in even tiny ways, every day, what kind of world would we be creating?

Innately, I think this knowledge and these qualities are within most of us.  But time erodes our spirit.  Society pressures us to acquiesce neatly; we’re distracted and detoured by our media, constantly evolving mobile devices, and materialistic pursuits. All too often we find ourselves pushed onto a path that isn’t ours and has us pursuing the wrong things.  We see those around through a veil of jealousy, incredulity, and scorn. Once you’ve gone too far down the wrong path, change becomes difficult at best, seemingly impossible at worst.   But the truth is that it’s never impossible, sometimes we just need someone to point us in the right direction — never by force, but merely by suggestion.  It’s the only way we ever discover that which we didn’t know we needed.

But whether we know it or not, Campbell believed these forces are always around us – pushing us, guiding us, shaping our path.  He often discussed the idea that each of us were on what he would call our own unique “Hero’s Journey,” as we moved through this life in fulfillment of our destiny.  Much like the myths that comprise our cultural and religious traditions and have since the earliest origins of man, each of us is constantly writing the story of our own life.  As Campbell neared the end of his he looked back in amazement.  He could see a certain narrative to his own life, as if it was a story written by other hands and he was just a character in it.

But he did have a say in it and each of us have a story to complete with our own lives.  I’ve come to believe that it is one shaped half by our decisions and actions and part by the universe that surrounds us.  Everything is equal, everything is balance.

This forum is one dedicated to stories, notes, and discussions that will hopefully illuminate what it means to bring forth one’s very best and to share it with the world.  I hope that some of these posts help you to think about your own hero’s journey and the ways in which you can find your own bliss.