Self-Understanding Part 6
September 27, 2025
Self-Understanding Part 6
Mythologist and writer Joseph Campbell (1904-1987) wrote the now famous words, “Follow your bliss,” published in the classic volume, The Power of Myth. Campbell goes on to say, “Our life has become so economic and practical in its orientation that, as you get older, the claims of the moment on you are so great you hardly know where the hell you are or what it is you intended. You are always doing something that is required of you. Where is our bliss station? You have to try to find it.”
When we truly know ourselves, we are aware of the treasures within. Such treasures are our hidden abilities and virtues. Taking the deeper dive beneath our surface personality into our depths, we find satisfaction beyond our surface happiness. This is because we come face to face with our soul’s truest purpose and live our lives from it. This is what gives us bliss.
How do we know we have found our soul’s purpose? Emmet, a CEO, had brought back a large company from bankruptcy seven years ago. He was revered by the employees who, because of Emmet, still had their jobs.
Emmet's weekend hobby was teaching art lessons to kids and their parents. At the first of every teaching session, Emmet played videos of Asian elephants who apparently learned to paint on canvases with their trunks. “If you think you can’t paint, then you are mistaken - just look at how these elephants paint,” he said to his students. Emmet was overjoyed to experience the students light up with amazement at elephants painting real scenes and even self-portraits. Then he was even more delighted when he saw kids and parents paint together. In these classes, Emmet was living in his sweet spot. He saw families growing and becoming, he experienced people-making, community-making, and sheer bliss.
One day while driving to his huge office building downtown, Emmet found himself weeping uncontrollably. Behind the wheel he kept inquiring of himself, “Why the tears?” From the depths, his soul said, “Your work as a CEO is over, but your mind cannot give up the money and the praise ... if you want true happiness, leave the office and teach the children and their parents to paint.”
Spiritual practice: Spend some time meditating on your bliss. Where does your meditation take you? Do you have enough bliss in your life? What things would you alter to bring more bliss into reality for you?
Self-inquiry: What is your bliss, and do you follow it?
Prayer: Dear God, Give me the courage to let go of all that is not soul worthy. Teach me what is of real value to my soul. I pray to be empowered to follow my bliss. Amen.
