About Me

I have been a teacher of fitness and health for thirty years. In 1989 I was certified for personal training with the National Acadamy of Sports Medicine. I had a gym in Santa Barbara for eight years. Co-owned and created a spinning bike company which manufactured bikes for five years. Also I have worked with nutrition companies for twenty years. Along with many wonderful non famous people I have trained many celebrities, and members of the Royal Family. My own athletic past consists of long distance running, long distance cycling, cross country skiing, down hill skiing, rollerblading, hiking, sand running, track work, and weight training. I have authored two fitness columns in local papers, and have been writing this blog since January 2010.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Follow Your Bliss!


Have you ever heard of that statement, "Follow Your Bliss"? It was penned by a man named Joseph Campbell who was a writer, lecturer, educator, and teacher. He passed away in 1987, but his teachings and philosophies have endured and surly will continue to for many years to come.

Joseph Campbell was known as an American mythologist, but covered many aspects of our human experience, one being the understanding that if you "follow your bliss" you will find true fulfillment and happiness.

What Mr. Campbell is referring to is living your life by doing what is your passion, what fills your soul, or what truly makes you happy. If you choose to work in a field that you do not find happiness or fulfillment, you are not following your bliss.

Many people spend their lives doing something that they do not enjoy in order to survive. They may have a job their whole life that they find no satisfaction in, but do it because they feel they have no other choices. They feel trapped and fearful of doing anything else.

What Joseph Campbell is saying about following your bliss is, if you find what you are passionate about and do it, your success and support will come as a result.

I believe that this is true. You can look around at people who do follow their bliss, and see that their lives fall into place because of it. Those that are always doing something they do not enjoy, may never find true happiness within themselves.

When I was a teenager, I wasn't sure what I was passionate about. I knew I loved to exercise, ride my bike, and do things like hiking, but how could that be what I was supposed to do? Back in those days, personal trainers did not exist, nor did many successful female athletes. It was not something that I thought I could make a living at.

I chose to go to college for business, but found out that is not what moved me. When I was twenty-five I found aerobic classes, and realized that I loved doing it and began to teach classes at a friends club.

Still it was more of a side job than anything, even when I opened my own studio it was not something that I could support myself with. I kept trying to work in business and sales, but I was not very happy doing it. I was not following my bliss.

As time rolled on I began doing more and more in fitness when at the age of 33 I became a personal trainer. I was now doing what I loved, and excelled at it. Things began to open up and happen to support my work. I have followed my bliss now for all of these years, and the universe has always supported my needs. It is magic when you find what it is you are meant to do.

Many of my teenage students are not sure what their "bliss" is at their young age. That's O.K. Just learn to pay attention to what makes you happy, or when you are doing something and you lose track of time. That is usually a sign that you are doing what you love to do.

Do you love to work with people, love to draw, or build things. Do you like to work with children, take care of others, dance, teach, or have a love music? You might be good at numbers, love to cook, or like myself love physical activity. What ever it is that makes your heart sing, follow that as your path to "Your Bliss" and support and rewards will follow.

Remember too, if you are doing something for the sole reason of getting money, you are most likely not following your bliss. Usually that is not going to give you happiness and fulfillment. Money will come if you find your true path and "follow your bliss", I promise you that.


So focus on finding what makes your heart soar, and time disappear, and you may be on to what you should be doing in your life. Never settle for less if you want to be happy and fulfilled. It is in your "Bliss" that you will find true satisfaction in life!


Till Tomorrow,
Queenie

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