For years, I’ve heard people say, “You just need to follow your bliss.” And that sounds nice… but for many of us, it’s difficult to take that advice seriously when we have mortgages to pay.
This morning as I was reading, I stumbled across this gem from Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
At its core, following your bliss means finding work that truly inspires you—work that makes you come alive. This doesn’t mean finding something easy or glamorous. It means finding something that ignites a passion within you and gives your life purpose. This kind of enthusiasm for what we do is attractive to others, and it will draw people towards us who share our values and our vision.
For me, this energy is one of the things I like most about working with the WHY Institute. Their algorithm gives me the language I need to get in touch with my core. It helps me get clearer on my goals and how to reach them using what already comes naturally to me.
When we focus on finding what makes us come alive, we bring out the best in ourselves. We are more attractive and interesting and are given the opportunity to bring our ideas to the world.
I used to tell my kids, “Don’t hide your light under a basket.” When you understand WHY you do what you do, you are one step closer to finding the courage to share your light with the world.
If you’re feeling a little pessimistic like I was this morning, remember that the best thing you can do is to turn your light on and see where it takes you. You’ll be amazed at what happens when you find out why you do what you do and then go for it. Go ahead – turn the light on.