“Do What You Love” sounds simple, but hard to achieve. 5 Ways to Get Started.

Forget About The Money…for now

Scholar and writer, Joseph Campbell said, “Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls.”  My interpretation of what Joseph Campbell meant is that we each have our own path to follow. And, when our path is aligned with our soul’s purpose, doors open and possibilities appear. It does not mean, “follow your bliss and the money will come!” This advice may be a turn off for many of you but bear with me. Money can be a motivator, but it’s an extrinsic motivator. Your bliss comes from within. So, don’t put unnecessary strain on your bliss with money expectations. Be patient, pursue what feeds you from within and see what unfolds.

Passion is good – Energy is better.

In the pursuit of doing what you love, there are many opinions on whether or not passion is a good place to focus your attention. Some people draw a blank when asked what their passions are;others know precisely. I’ve seen people who are very passionate about something and then, when it becomes a job or a have to, they lose that passion. I think the better indicator for doing what you love is energy. Follow what gives you energy and equally notice what drains your energy. Follow those things and actively look for ways to do more of that in your life. For example, maybe your bliss isn’t your current job, but you’ve noticed that when you have to speak at meetings or in large groups, you feel energized. Look for opportunities to do more large group speaking inside and outside of your job. When we follow what energizes us, life is more fun, too.

It won’t be blissful all the time.

Nothing is. What I’ve found in my experience and working with executives and high-performing teams for the last 20 years is that the people who are happiest and joyful (the definition of bliss) play to their strengths. AND, it still takes hard work and not every moment is a picnic. When you pursue the things you love, you won’t be bliss-ed out all the time, but you will feel fulfilled and deeply connected to the “Why” of what you do.

Trust your Intuition

Doing what you love requires inner knowing. It’s the voice deep in down, the one we all hear if we slow down and pay close attention. Some refer to it as God’s voice, intuition, or their true Self. I refer to it as my inner-knowing. I think everyone can recall a time when they have heard a voice inside of them telling them something that they felt was profoundly true.

“The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.

Ãlbert Einstein

Take Action to Cultivate Your Intuition

Below are some questions to help cultivate Intuition. Be sure to write your answers down.

1. Recall a time when you benefited from a feeling of intuition.
2. Recall a time when you failed to trust your intuition and whether it had a consequence or near-consequence for you.
3. How do you “hear” your intuition? Are there some commonalities to what you are doing when you hear it?

You can do what you love, the first step is believing it’s possible. Go for it!