A Proven Way to Find Your Bliss
What is it all about?
Why are you here?
What do you want?
Do you ever feel unhappy?
Do you want more?
I ask myself these questions often. And, yes…I do feel unhappy sometimes. I always feel like I want more.
Why is that?
In fact, sometimes I get so overwhelmed with life, I start feeling like there is not enough…
Time.
Money.
Friends.
Laughter.
Love.
Where’s My Bliss
I miss my bliss.
I want it back.
Where’s your bliss?
Are you feeling it right this moment?
Do you want it now?
I know a proven way to find your bliss.
Here it is…
Trust and Go
I learned this lesson about 10 or so years ago when I was ridiculously unhappy with what really was a pretty awesome life. Despite the law degree, law practice, cool condo, awesome friends and close family, my heart was heavy, and I longed for “more.”
I thought I was missing the company of a man. In fact, I spent most of my free time looking for the man who would “complete me.” I wasted years doing this. The right guy never seemed to come around.
I got sick of looking for someone else to help me find my bliss. So…I decided to create my own. I set off in search of it by myself.
I started out slowly.
I would go to dinner at nice restaurants that I’d always wanted to try. Alone.
I went to music concerts. Alone.
I went to sporting events. Alone.
At first, this was extremely frightening. I was very self-conscious. At times, I felt ridiculous.
Because there was only one of me, I also got the best seats in the house. This translated into my getting sweated on by musical and athletic greats like Keith Urban, Harry Connick, Jr., and Steve Nash.
It was awesome.
I started taking bigger steps. I traveled on yoga retreats out of the country to places like the Costa Rican rainforest. On my first yoga retreat, I fell asleep to the sound of rain, was awakened by the howler monkeys and was physically assaulted during my first-ever massage.
The trip was cool. And not so cool.
The night I was assaulted, I dreamed that roots were growing from the bottoms of my feet into the earth. I woke up feeling more grounded than ever before.
Everyone was shocked at how well I handled the assault. I’m a little surprised by the fact that I wasn’t scarred for life. It was an experience to me…I never called it “good” or “bad.” It just was…
After the Assault
A year later, I decided to take a really big risk and travel all alone to Europe to see the world I felt I had been missing. I visited London, Venice, and Nice. The only tickets I booked were my flights from Phoenix to London and from Nice to Phoenix.
No hotel reservations. No train reservations. No itinerary except for the day I left and the day I would come back home.
This was highly unusual, considering I’m complete and utter control-freak.
I was terrified. Exhilarated. In awe. And overwhelmed…in the best way possible.
One night after spending the whole day roaming the Venetian maze of canals, I took a late bus to get back to my hotel. It was so packed with people, the windows were steamed, and I didn’t feel like I could breathe. All the while keeping my purse clutched to my chest to protect it from pickpockets, I repeated affirmations to myself to keep from having a full-on claustrophobia attack. (In addition to being a control-freak, I’m claustrophobic, too. Not the best combo in the middle of highly crowded buses in Europe at the end of July.)
Before I knew it, I looked around, and the bus was empty except for me and the driver. I had missed my stop. The crabby little man yelled at me that the ride was over and I had to get off.
I did. And…I found that I was lost.
It was after midnight. My cell phone was dead. (Not that I would’ve known who or how to call anyway.)
I just started walking aimlessly in the dark streets. I was so afraid.
I cried. And, I prayed. I didn’t think I would make it back to my hotel that night. I didn’t think I’d ever see my family again.
And then I heard voices. So I followed them. I found a family (grandma, grandpa, husband, wife and two young kids) in a park playing in the dark night.
What were the chances?
I stumbled up to them sobbing. The mom started hugging and comforting me. In their broken English and my non-existent Italian, I managed to give them the name of my hotel.
They called a cab for me. They all kissed me and sent me on my way. I think they were angels.
The really crazy thing though, was this: I was less than two minutes from the doorstep of my hotel.
My “home” was so much closer than I thought it was.
I was not OK for the rest of that night. I felt as though I had been on the verge of something very dark. I had never been so scared in my whole life. I whimpered myself to sleep, too afraid to call my parents because I knew they would feel terrified and helpless all the way across the world.
I found my way back. I am still here. I am better for all of my experiences, even the “bad” and “scary” ones.
There is Beauty in Trust
Wherever you have been and no matter how much you’ve been afraid or hurt, you can find your way back.
Let go. Take a risk. Do that thing you’ve been putting off your whole life. Even if you are afraid. Even if you don’t know how it will turn out.
There are good people in the world. No one is out to get you. Everyone is just trying to find their own place in life.
Everyone is trying to find THEIR home, just like you are.
And…whether you realize it or not, your “home” is so much closer than you think.
That is where your bliss resides.
There is beauty in trusting others. The highest beauty though, is in trusting yourself.
You are powerful. You are amazing. You are exquisite.
You will be OK.
You will be happy.
Sending you my wishes for a week in which you trust…and go.
All my best,
-w