Follow Your Bliss

 Every wise leader I know is following their bliss.

In my book Heart-Leadership I say "The very best explanation that I have ever come across for “follow your bliss” comes from the film ‘Finding Joe’ which is a documentary about Joseph Campbell’s work. 

In the film the President of the Joseph Campbell Foundation describes bliss as “doing what you can’t not do.” I love this!

Joseph Campbell is one of my heroes.

What is it that you can't not do?

According to Joseph Campbell it's “identifying that pursuit which you are truly passionate about and attempting to give yourself absolutely to it.

In so doing, you will find your fullest potential and serve your community to the greatest possible extent.”

In my Heart-Leadership book I recommend many ways to discover your bliss which can also be called nature, voice, essence, quiddity, ikigai, element, vitality, love, gift, music, passion.

One of these recommendations is creating a one-page visual called a Career and Life-Calling Card where you would feature your answers the following questions:

Can Do

What do I know?

What are my key skills?

What is my real expertise?

How do I practice what I know?

Will do

What is my attitude to living?

What am I really committed to?

How can I be more disciplined in taking action?

How I am really different from others who do what I do?

Love to do

My purpose in life is?

I am passionate about?

I find Joy in?

My art is?

My essence is?

People who love what I do

How do I:

Serve others?

Help people achieve what is important to them?

Solve people’s problems?

Offer solutions to people’s challenges?

Exchange value with other people?

Deliver value to other people?

The Career and Life-Calling Card is a checklist. More about its development (and bliss) in this post and podcast.

What is it that you can't not do?

Become the wise leader you want to be.
Ian