Follow Your Bliss

“When you follow your bliss, doors will open where you would not have thought there would be doors, and where there wouldn’t be a door for anyone else.”  

~ Joseph Campbell

In life, it’s easy to end in the “wrong place.”  We’re doing a job we hate. We’re living with people we dislike. We’re keeping things bottled up rather speaking up and expressing our wants and needs. We get so stuck and don’t feel authentic, because we’re not truly doing what we want.

Bliss is what you’re doing when you’re wrapped up in the moment. When you’re so thrilled just to be doing it, it ceases even to be work anymore. Your bliss occurs when you’re living in the moment, and time doesn’t really matter anymore.  It’s when you get immersed in your own bliss that you find yourself smiling.

So, what is your BLISS?  Are you following it?

American mythologist Joseph Campbell summed up that process of seeking your own true happiness and authenticity in three simple words: “Follow your bliss!”

Sometimes in life, we all stray and lose direction.  We’re half way up a ladder we didn’t want to climb, rather than at the bottom of one that we do. We kept compromising and taking steps back rather than pushing ourselves to that difficult decision of stepping forward. By not following our bliss, we permanently limit our happiness and stop ourselves from truly enjoying our lives. 

Developing lasting happiness requires skill and time, plus a clear intention to change our attitude towards life.  However, the actual thoughts, feelings, and memories which have programmed us away from happiness may be difficult to identify.

I got a hold of this book and read it right away.  Hmmm…I normally time myself when I read, but I didn’t this time because I got so immersed in the content.  As I went through page by page,  I was able to touch bases with my lifestyle that it end up pulling back the curtain of my life and exposed what happiness is truly all about.  Many people like me, (Yes, even I) touch happiness just a few times in their lives.  Some people, never at all.  But in fact, it’s possible to be happy all the time ~ if you know how.  Eons of wisdom are beautifully distilled in this book, which demonstrates just how easy it is for you to be happy.  In short, this book is a Happiness made simple!  It gave me a million ‘Aha!” moments.  You could almost open it to any page and get exalting inspiration you can use right now.  This is the kind of book you always want to have handy when you need a boost.  As an advocate for optimism and happiness, I deeply appreciate this book and it made me realized more and more each day that in order to be truly happy, one must put themselves FRONT and CENTER.  We must stop looking outside ourselves for measures of joy.  This book illustrates how the light of peace and happiness are within each of us if we only let them shine.  A real treasure and what an important tenet for our era!  If you are ready to lead a blissful and fulfilling life, this book is a great place to begin your journey.  I am starting mine…come and join me.

~ Ella

Spring

You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.  

~Pablo Neruda

My Word for 2013

Ahhhh….Geeze  Wheeze  J……2013…WOW! Another year!  Just as my life (and yours) swiftly went through the year 2012, the anticipation of January arrived the minute Christmas ends. Despite freezing cold temperatures here in Korea and frost glittering the ground under a thick coat of ice, January brings with it the tantalizing hope of spring, and a fresh new start. As I continue my “Word of the Year” tradition, I do believe that January is not only for one to make (or keep) tons of New Year’s Resolutions (honestly speaking, I don’t do them), but a good month to self-reflect on the past year, and likewise, to re-evaluate what is important to you.

For the Year 2013, I am choosing one word to come back to, one word to remember, one word to motivate me, and one word to inspire me.

My word for 2013 is intentionality: the state of having a purpose.

“Intentional living” is becoming a bit of a cliché phrase, but when I considered other words for this year, nothing spoke to me quite as much. When I think back on 2012—the good and the bad, the pretty and ugly, the things I did well and the things I should have done better—I was struck with the realization that mindlessness has become a real problem for me.

It’s hard not to blame my different roles for this issue. My days are often long, and almost all the same: work, school, home…and repeat. It’s easy to get caught up in the steps, and do it all over again tomorrow.  Which means, it’s also easy to spend the entire day without putting very much thought into anything at all because I’ve been so used to the routine. Don’t get me wrong, I love my life, but sometimes, just like everybody else, I get distracted and I end up doing things that are thoughtless. I realized that I am not doing things that are deliberate and purposeful. I need to believe that divine intentional living should be flowing to me and in me.

Mindlessness is a tough habit to break, but I’m determined to do it. I want my days—good and bad—to be filled to the brim with intentions. I want to put purpose back into my time, my relationships, my words, and my actions. I am entering 2013 with hope and clarity. You are, of course, are more than welcome to join me.

In 2013….

Let’s be intentional with our time. We need to make space in our schedules so that we can feel motivated and not overwhelmed. That might mean saying “NO” to obligations that are filling up our calendars, but not filling up our hearts. Let’s turn off the TV and spend more time with our loved ones or in our gardens; less time in front of the computer and more time face-to-face with the people we barely see and do some much needed catching up time. Let’s give closure to the past and focus on the days ahead. And lastly, as a Christian, less time with the world, and more time with God.

Let’s be intentional with our relationships. We need to invest in good relationships and let go of the ones that are depleting us. We should believe in this perspective…. (1) I am love, (2) I am loved, and (3) I am loving. Therefore, choose wisely and remember that nothing should be unintentional, unwanted, and a waste of time. Let’s believe that everyone deserves to be loved fully and completely. And more importantly, let’s not forget our relationships with ourselves. Let us allow love, health, and wealth flow abundantly into our lives. Always believe that we are worthy, enough to allow miracles to happen every day.

Let’s be intentional with our words. Let’s say what we mean, and mean what we say. Let’s be real and vulnerable and honest. Let’s ask for advice when we need it, and stop shelling it out when it is unsolicited. Let’s speak truth into each others’ lives and leave the gossip at the front door. Let’s stay positive, unaffected by the negative words and attitudes of others. Let’s say I love you and please and thank you and I appreciate you more often, without hesitation.

Let’s be intentional with our actions. Let’s love one another better. We need to exude kindness and compassion. Let’s be kinder to strangers and kinder to ourselves. Let’s be responsible for creating happiness in our lives. We should begin each day bright, happy, alert, and empowered. Let’s run and walk and skip and be good to our bodies. The age of our bodies should have no bearing on what we do or who we are. Let’s remember that we are infinite beings, capable of expecting the best for ourselves.

And remember, intentionality goes along with this….

A new day. A new year.  Let’s not let it go to waste, but do good with it.

~ Ella~

December

~December~

The last month of the year. As we reflect upon what occurred in our lives in 2012, we revel in our accomplishments and look forward to embracing the dreams and goals we have yet to achieve.

Though the end of the year brings a sense of finality, it also heralds another new beginning -- a wonderful reminder that our capacity to dream and grow can constantly be renewed. Carl Bard put it be...autifully: "Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending."

So, consider December a reminder that anticipation and resilience outlast the 12-month calendar -- and that there's always time to pick up where you left off.

Blessed December to all of you!

Remembering 9/11

"For me and my family personally, 

September 11 was a reminder that life is fleeting, 

impermanent, and uncertain. 

Therefore, we must make use of every moment

 and nurture it with affection, 

tenderness, 

beauty, 

creativity, 

and 

laughter."

~ Deepak Chopra

September

How the time passed away, all the trouble that we gave

And all those days we spent out by the lake

Has it all gone to waste? All the promises we made

One by one they vanish just the same

Of all the things I still remember

Summer's never looked the same

The years go by and time just seems to fly

But the memories remain

In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain

Nothing to lose but everything to gain

Reflecting now on how things could've been

It was worth it in the end

Now it all seems so clear, there's nothing left to fear

So we made our way by finding what was real

Now the days are so long that summer's moving on

We reach for something that's already gone, yeah

Of all the things I still remember

Summer's never looked the same

The years go by and time just seems to fly

But the memories remain

In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain

Nothing to lose but everything to gain

Reflecting now on how things could've been

It was worth it in the end

We knew we had to leave this town

But we never knew when and we never knew how

We would end up here the way we are

Yeah, we knew we had to leave this town

But we never knew when and we never knew how

Of all the things I still remember

Summer's never looked the same

The years go by and time just seems to fly

But the memories remain

In the middle of September we'd still play out in the rain

Nothing to lose but everything to gain

Reflecting now on how things could've been

It was worth it in the end