Follow Your Bliss

Write Tribe Festival of Words #4 - Inspiration and Creativity

My theme for this festival is "Inspiration in three words"

Day 1 May 25 2015 = Follow Your Bliss

"Follow your bliss" is a phrase coined by Joseph Campbell that in essence tells us that we should pursue what gives us great joy, which we are passionate about, something that comes from deep within us. However, "Following our bliss" is that which does not harm anyone but is achieved with love and kindness.

Each of us has a purpose to fulfil in our lives. Some have grand purposes and some have little ones. It does not matter which group you fall into. What matters is that we achieve what we are meant to achieve, what our soul is meant to learn or experience in this lifetime.

The way to fulfil that purpose is to "Follow our bliss".  Our passions, deep desires and all the things that bring us joy are indicators of the path we are meant to walk. I also believe that when we "Follow our bliss", when we are in alignment with our soul or life path, things appear easy, that is we don't need to force anything.

No matter how crazy your bliss might seem and no matter what the people around you think, follow it. Because as Mother Teresa very wisely said, "In the final analysis, it is between you and God, it was never between you and them anyway".

Share your bliss with us.

Warm Regards


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Life's Jigsaw - Yearning: Dreams and Desires

Life is like a jigsaw puzzle. Each little piece is an aspect of our journey through it. And when at last we find that last piece and fit it into place, we eventually see the meaning of this life.

UBC Day 29 
The Y Piece - Yearnings: Dreams and Desires

Synonyms for Yearning: Desire, Dream

Letting go of eXpectations however does not mean you let go of your dreams or desires.

When we dream we set an intention and the Universe has something to work with for us. And even if that exact dream is not in your destiny, the Universe will provide the next step in your journey.

The dreams that we have a deep desire for are probably the ones that will come true as I believe they are good indicators of our destiny. But we need to let go of the need for it to come true in the way we want it to or imagine it to come true. And we do need to set our intentions in a way that the Universe can work with.

One of my dreams was to build my own house. But I didn't ask for a magnificent mansion, I asked for a house that was sufficient for my needs. And so 17 years ago, my dream came true of building my own house. I think if I had asked for a magnificent mansion or got too prescriptive, I might still be waiting for that dream to come true. (By the way, magnificent mansions hold no appeal for me. My small cosy home is just perfect for me).

So in other words, we set an intention but from then on we let go and go with the flow. Often we ourselves get into the way of our dreams or dither about constantly changing the parameters of our dreams and then keep complaining that they never come true.

This poem by Lauretta Burns, sums it up very nicely.

As children bring their broken toys with tears for us to mend, 

I brought my broken dreams to God, because He was my friend. 

But then, instead of leaving Him, in peace, to work alone; 

I hung around and tried to help, with ways that were my own. 

At last, I snatched them back and cried, "How can you be so slow?" 

"My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go.

Wishing you many dreams come true. 

The Jigsaw Pieces of my journey so far

Check out some blogs participating in the AtoZ Challenge


Written for: A to Z Challenge and The Ultimate Blogging Challenge


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Warm Regards

GBE2 - Work

I am so glad 2012 has arrived.  Work-wise 2011 had great achievements and some massive disappointments as well. And financially it was a tough year.

So for GBE2's topic on Work I am going to focus on the future ... my life's work, the work that won't be work but great pleasure.

The Dream
My dream is to work in the humanitarian aid arena - managing international global aid programmes focussing on children.

Aid for me is not just about financial aid though it certainly encompasses that, but "aiding" people have better lives - research, conservation, education, science - setting the foundations for future generations.

I have this vision of working for organisations like UNDP, UNESCO or UNICEF. I have no idea how I'll get there but just today I came across this quote via a post on facebook that I believe is a message for me, as it jumped out at me out of several messages:

"You don't have to understand, you just have to have faith" ~Serendipity

And so I simply have the faith that my vision will come true very soon.

Sabotage
Until April 2011, I truly enjoyed what I was doing and work has been mostly great pleasure - not easy, but still a great pleasure. Even the high stress projects that I managed were fun. However since early 2009 I felt some twinges of change ... that the time for a change in direction was near ... but what could that be and when?

Then in May 2011 I took up a new contract for a few months and the pleasure drained. It was a tough environment because of some people I worked with and then my project got cancelled and I found myself without a job - something I had never imagined or experienced in my 25 working years. It came as a shock. A bad time to be unemployed - the economy was so bad and jobs hard to come by.

In the end after trying for a few weeks, I just decided that after 25 years of slogging, perhaps the Universe was giving me a chance to simply enjoy life - chill - and to think of the future. Even though my finances are being drained, this is a necessary step in moving forward.

An aha moment
And then I had my big aha moment ... I need to change, move towards my dream now, rather than postponing that dream until I had reached financial abundance. My abundance would come from the dream not the "work" I was chasing now.

It's a major shift - it's like taking the road to the left - when the "work" I've been doing all along is actually the road on the right.

Is it scary to take this step?  Yes it is. And financially it is a backward step. But I know I have to take it. Because this is what my heart desires and this is what I believe I am meant to do. And this is what will bring me great joy.

How do I know these things?

Planting seeds
I believe deep down we just know, but the Universe also sends us clues and quietly directs our path - plants seeds in our brain.

"Because a vision softly creeping, left it's seeds while I was sleeping. And the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains" - The Sounds of Silence (Simon and Garfunkel)

So here is the story of the vision that was planted in my brain ...

Family
My paternal grandmother was an amazing lady. She dedicated her life to helping underprivileged women and children. This was her life's work. She even won an award for that in her later years and one of the projects she initiated was endorsed by UNICEF.  She wasn't financially rich and she lived a very simple life but people were her greatest love and helping them gave her the greatest joy.

I truly believe that there was a reason why she was my grandmother ... at some point, I would carry on her work.

School
During my school days I belonged to a club and every Saturday we would visit orphanages, old people homes etc to help them out. I loved visiting the Orphanage - I loved the children - being with them gave me so much joy and they in turn gave out so much love. And then after leaving school, I forgot all about them.

Strengths
About 15 years ago, I was sent on a leadership and management course. The subject we were discussing was strengths and how these add to achievement and our joy in our work. The facilitator was randomly talking about each attendee (we were 8 of us). When my turn came, he simply said "Your life's work will be in the humanitarian aid arena - you are just made for working there because compassion is your greatest strength".

I did not know, but apparently I was nodding and I had the biggest smile on my face. And then I forgot all about that.

A Life Map
A few years later I put my name down to do another company sponsored course on "Life". It had nothing to do with work but about what we wanted from life. It's the best course I ever did. The first thing we were asked to do was to write down 1 thing we truly wanted to do but had never got down to doing. We were given 1/2 a minute - the idea was not to think too hard. Mine was - Sponsor a child through World Vision. The entire course took me on a journey to my current dream.

The last words the facilitator said to us was "You have created a life map. Make your dream come true". That was 10 years ago. And then I forgot all about that and went back to doing the "work" that I was doing.

Passion
About 5 years ago I was sent on another company run leadership and management course. We had many scenario games to play and one of them was where 2 groups were bidding for some medicinal plants from a country. 1 group was an organisation prepared to pay big sums of money for it, the other was asking for it free of charge to aid underprivileged people - the scenario was given to us after the groups were created. Well, I ended up with the  "please, free of charge" group.

And then as we were ready to state our case, another set of rules were provided - only the women were allowed to speak and confer - hey, I was the only woman in my group - the other had 4. So I was pretty much on my own. I didn't expect to win, but I was going to give it my all. Guess what  ... my group won.

The feedback was that I was so passionate about aiding the people and that they felt it was so real and I was so convincing.  And then I forgot all about that and went back to my "work".

Think about it
In 2010 I went back to my hometown for a visit. And I got talking to my cousin about the children I currently sponsor through World Vision (I have 5) and that I am also a UNICEF global parent and how much I enjoy doing that and how much joy that brings me. And she told me to consider working in that arena.

Do it
I am sure none of these were "chance" incidents.  If you believe in "Synchrodestiny", nicely summed up as

"Coincidences are not accidents but signals from the Universe which can guide us toward our true destiny"  by Deepak Chopra

then you will agree that the Universe has truly left many clues and has now nudged me onto that path by sabotaging my quest for "work" as I know it.

And so I believe that the time to convert a dream into reality is here ... 2012 is my year for dreams come true.


And I hope that 2012 will be your year of dreams come true too.

Enjoy the "Sounds of Silence" - don't know what Simon and Garfunkel thought about when they wrote and sang this song, but I thought it was apt for my post.




Warm Regards

I Love Quotes - Law of Attraction

Do you believe in the Law of Attraction (LoA) and has it worked for you?

I do believe in the LoA but I also think that there are other factors that influence if it works or not.

Firstly, I think that timing plays a great part in receiving or achieving what you deeply desire (secretly harbour) and/or love. I believe that it will only appear at the time it is meant to be. This is so true for those who desire a soulmate to share life with. If no one is showing up it may be because there are things that you and your soulmate still need to learn or that the time to meet has not yet arrived. I do believe that each one of us has many soulmates that we could share life with.

Secondly, we need to "do". If there is something we deeply desire, we need to work towards it. For example, if I desire to be a photographer for the National Geographic, I need to take steps that will give me a good chance of achieving that dream. If I never buy a camera or learn to photograph well, I am surely never going to get there.

Thirdly, I think we need to be open to receiving and connecting. Often we are so set on something specific that we fail to see opportunities that may be similar or even better. We do attract what we desire, it just may be in a way we don't expect.

Fourthly, I think that the LoA has a better chance of success when we desire something that is beneficial to many.

Lastly, I think that there is Destiny or Fate that plays a big part in whether LoA works or not. If what I desire, like being a photographer for the National Geographic (an example only), is not part of my life path and destiny, I am not going to get there no matter how much I desire that. However, I do believe that if the desire for photography is great, I will end up in the photography industry just in another way as I think your desire aligns you to your destiny.

Check out my related posts: Is Desire the key to Destiny?   Mind over Matter or Destiny?

Have a great day - maybe the day when you finally attract what you desire.

Warm Regards

Be Inspired by Steve Jobs and Oprah

RIP Steve Jobs. His death and life are probably the most talked and reported subject in the last few days and there have been so many blogs written about him.

I came across one that had a link to his 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. And like everyone else I listened to it.  And then I noticed the link to the 2008 Commencement Address by Oprah Winfrey which also showed up at the conclusion of Steve Job's address.

Both addresses are so inspiring but I think Oprah's address touched my soul a little bit more. Probably because Steve Jobs address was more career focussed, Oprah's more on the humanitarian side.

But the sum total of both their addresses covers a wide spectrum and I took bits from both that I will draw on now and in the future.

So here are the links:
Oprah Winfrey - 2008 Stanford Commencement Address
Steve Jobs - 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

Be inspired.

Warm Regards

List It - My Dream Adventures

  Set an intention and watch it come true
  And what a better way than to share it on my blog.




I love to travel. And I'm very grateful and thankful that I've visited a lot of places in the world.
But rather than list all the places I would like to see (too long a list), I thought I would write about the adventures I would like to have or experience.

1  A Biblical tour of Israel.

2  A Mediterranean Luxury Cruise - Spain, Southern France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Egypt

3  Hot Air Ballooning in various places - Queenstown New Zealand,  Kruger National Park South Africa,
                                                              Grand Canyon USA, Sacred Valley Peru,

4  The Pyramids of the world - Egypt, Chichen Itza and Teotihuacan Mexico,  Machu Pichu Peru

5  A scenic flight across the Himalayas Mt Everest  Nepal

6  Spiritual Indonesia - Borobudur, Bali, Mt Agung.

7  India - Palace on Wheels - New Delhi,  Jaipur,  Sawai Madhopur and Chittorgadh,  Udaipur,
                                            Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Bharatpur, Agra, Khajuraho, Varanasi

8  See the Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights)  and/or the Aurora Australis (the Southern Lights)

9  Canadian Rocky Mountaineer (train journey) and Alaskan Cruise

10  Quinghai - Tibet train (Beijing to Lhasa)

11. Trek to the Valley of the Flowers and the Nanda Devi National Park, India

12. Mohenjo Daro and Harappa, Pakistan

I Love Quotes - Nelson Mandela - The walk to freedom

There is no easy walk to freedom anywhere,
and many of us will have to pass through the valley of the shadow of death again and again before we reach the mountaintop of our desires.
                                                    ~ Nelson Mandela




Nelson Mandela celebrated his 93rd birthday last week so a quote from him seems appropriate.
I think that when we really have to work towards attaining the things or circumstances we desire, we value and appreciate them all the more.
Life would not be exciting or fulfilling if everything we ever wanted was presented to us on a platter.
Thank You Nelson Mandela. Whenever I have to walk the hard road, I will remember this quote.

Question of the day - Is Desire the key to Destiny?

Desire is defined as "a strong feeling of wanting to have something or wishing for something to happen".

I believe that true desire is more than just a want, it's something that comes from deep within your soul.

I have found that when I simply want something I will analyse whether I truly need it, examine the pros and cons, procrastinate. If the want does not materialise, I may feel it momentarily but then I can pretty much shrug my shoulders and move on with an "Oh it's not meant to be".

Desire on the other hand, seems to propel me forward, compels me to take some action, won't let go, is joyful and exciting, yet serene. When I try to move away from that desire, it just seems to come back, like a second chance, as if it is a destiny I am meant to fulfill.

I am convinced that true desire is the key to your destiny and so peace comes in knowing that what you truly desire is already yours because it is your destiny.