What Does It Mean to Follow Your Bliss? Here Are 3 Ideas

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The late Joseph Campbell, the famous academic and researcher of myth, who inspired generations of writers, film-makers and other artists with his book “The Hero With a Thousand Faces”,  has several well-known quotes attributed to him. Perhaps the most famous of these is “follow your bliss”.

In Campbell’s view, one of the great recurring lessons found in the myths and legends of various societies across the ages, was that by following your “bliss” — or pursuing the things you find meaningful — your life will be elevated and you will get the most out of your existence.

Alright, interest idea. But what does it really mean to follow your bliss?

Here are some thoughts about what “following your bliss” might entail.

Identify things that seem to fulfil your soul on some real level, not just things that seem fun or that make you happy

There’s a risk with the concept of “following your bliss”, that you might end up simply gravitating towards things that seem fun to you, or that make you happy, in a somewhat superficial manner.

But the consequence of following your bliss is much deeper than that. It involves, and requires, identifying things that seem to fulfil your soul on some real level.

When you’re seeking to identify “your bliss” so that you can follow it, you should think about what it is that will make you feel you’re living your life “well” on some deeper level. Your “bliss” should be something that makes you come alive, and feel as if all the struggles of life are justified by the fact that you’re doing something really important.

Be willing to pursue your goal for an extended time, and to put in the work, too — it won’t always be fun

When pursuing your bliss, you might easily fall into the trap of deciding to call it quits as soon as you hit the first stumbling block, or find that your emotional enthusiasm for the task at hand is waning.

This is a big mistake. Everything worth doing has highs and lows, and requires hard, consistent work. If you’re pursuing a criminal justice associates degree online, for example, you may find that the work is tough and some days you just feel like watching TV instead.

Be willing to persevere, instead. Only quit your goal after much consideration, if you become confident that another path will suit you better. Not because you’re being lazy or playing tricks on yourself.

Frequently check in with yourself, and see where your ambitions or goals might have shifted

Connected to the last point; consistency is undeniably important, but you should also frequently check in with yourself and develop a sense of where your ambitions or goals might have shifted over time.

Often, when we begin pursuing a worthwhile goal, we’ll learn new information and gain new perspectives along the way that will require us to adjust our aim somewhat. No one gets it perfectly right the first time, after all.

Be attentive to your own feelings and thoughts over time, and adjust accordingly. But it’s better to adjust by small margins, not to throw the baby out with the bathwater at the drop of a hat.