When I graduated in May, John Gulley, our faculty speaker, spoke a lot about following our bliss. As theatre majors, our bliss lead us to that moment. Theatre--art--brought us together. And that moment, together, was really special.
Since then, I've been thinking a lot about my bliss. And here's what I've come to find--
My bliss lives in a lot of different places.
It lives in art--expression--creativity. But it also lives in my current job--loving where I am and working towards more. It lives in Sam. It lives in marriage and family. It lives in traveling. It lives in job security, a home to call my own, and putting food on the table.
And that's only the beginning.
I think sometimes we get scared. I know I do. I'm a planner, and so when my heart starts to pull in a direction that I wasn't planning, I get scared. This last year has been a test in that. But, what I've learned is that I don't have to give up one thing to welcome another.
Balance.
I think that we have to listen to what we want, which sounds easy, but the practice of it is sometimes difficult. We want to make ourselves happy, but not disappoint the people around us. Here's the truth: true family/friends/allies/mentors will support you no matter what. Sometimes we have to run hard in the wrong direction to get back on the right path.
I think we are spending too much time worrying about what's to come instead of living in the now. After all, we can't control our destiny. To be selfish and talk about myself--I'm working on co-producing a show right now. It's a crazy awesome experience, but sometimes I let it overrun me. The big picture (which is supremely exciting) starts to block what is needed in the now. Small steps lead to creation. When I feel overwhelmed I find myself fearful that the challenge is too great--but then I am reminded of small steps.
I don't think we will ever really find our bliss, and I think that makes us really lucky. Things change and shit happens--it knocks around what we want and what we need. All we can do is hold on and trust in our gut.
So here's to you and your bliss--listen hard--what do you really want?
"We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars."
-Oscar Wilde
