“Follow Your Bliss”-Joseph Campbell
I love Joseph Campbell’s work. If you are not familiar with him, Campbell, (1904- 1987) was a prolific American author and editor who studied the myths and stories of world cultures and religions with shared beliefs. As a result of his studies, he articulated his findings into his most famous work called the “Hero of a Thousand Faces” (1949). In this book Campbell discusses his findings and shares his theory- that we are all “typical hero’s” and the journey of our lives is our quest for identity and meaning ...Since the publication of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Campbell's theories have been applied by a variety of modern writers and artists. His philosophy has been summarized by his own often repeated phrase: "Follow your bliss" and he gained recognition in Hollywood when George Lucas credited Campbell's work as influencing his Star Wars saga.
Although his book goes into greater detail and discusses 12 stages in the journey, it is often summarized in the following three.
1. The DEPARTURE or the call to adventure: Something, or someone, interrupts the hero's familiar life to present a problem, threat, or opportunity. These are often referred to as “wake up call moments.” Many times, they are not welcome, but if we are open, they can also provide us with the opportunity to transform our lives.
2. The INITIATION phase will present us with a road of trials: The hero must go through a series of tests or ordeals to begin his transformation, and this takes rigor!
3. And the final stage is the RETURN. The Hero returns to a familiar world “transformed.” The hero of their journey.
Many of us undertake this journey more then once. In fact, if we are following our bliss and leaning into the question, what would I love, we will continually be answering the call to a more expansive experience of ourselves and our lives.
If you decide to answer the call to adventure, KNOW that the way will be shown. As Thoreau states in his famous quote: “When you advance confidently in the direction of your dreams, endeavouring to live the life you’ve imagined, you will meet with success unexpected in common hours.
My experience is that when you let go and trust, magic happens.
Yesterday as I was unpacking boxes in my basement, (the final frontier...lol) a small magazine clipping fell out of a book and fluttered to the floor. When I picked it up, I read “the Best Move of Your Life.” Wow, delighted I thought, "what a perfect affirmation of my most recent decision."
My move to rural Saskatchewan began as a call to depart from the life I was currently living… and I listened. I’d be lying if I told you this move and renos have not been labor intensive… but when I leaned into this vision for my life going forward, there was a part of me that said “it’s now or never Lynne.” With every year that passes, I feel the urgency of listening deeply and taking action. I do not want to reach the end of my life with regret…and from the other side of the initiation I am thrilled that I followed my bliss. I LOVE MY NEW LIFESTYLE AND RURAL LIVING!!
Of the 12 stages Campbell articulated within his book-The Hero with a Thousand Faces, the fourth stage denoted is “meeting the mentor.” Brilliant! We are not meant to do life alone. Dreams are accelerated when you have the support of mentors and partners who believe in you. I am proud to share that I’ve been working with my current mentor for the last three years. Stacey is an inspiration and motivational leader in the field of transformation, and constantly encourages me to believe in myself and decide for my best life.
So, moving forward, what would be the best move of your life? If you are ready to live from your PASSION to PURPOSE, I invite you to join me as I participate in Stacey's upcoming and life-changing event on October 27-28-29. You will not be disappointed; her events are world class, and I would love to see you there.
Here’s to living a life that lights you up…What if you could?