“There’s something inside you that knows when you’re in the center, that knows when you’re on the beam or off the beam. And if you get off the beam to earn money, you’ve lost your life. And if you stay in the center and don’t get any money, you still have your bliss.” – Joseph Campbell
Did you know that there is a path you were born to travel . . . what Joseph Campbell calls “the beam” of your life? You can be “on the beam” or “off the beam.” And where you are in relationship to this path makes all the difference in whether you are experiencing meaning and purpose or emptiness and frustration in your life.
A great percentage of people don’t even know that the beam exists. Common wisdom says you need to work for money so you can pay for a lifestyle that may not bring you any real joy, because that is all there is.
But common wisdom is wrong.
You were born with the kernel of a purpose planted deep in your heart and soul, a kernel that if found and given the opportunity to germinate and grow will bring forth the awareness of that purpose for which you were born. And when you find it, it makes all the difference in the world to how you can choose to live.
It becomes like a beacon drawing you toward your most authentic destiny, pulling you more and more into what you were designed for, what you “fit” in life. And as you more and more consistently aim your life to stay on course with that beacon, you become more and more your true self in the process.
But it’s also easy to get “off the beam,” especially when we get distracted by things that appear to bring joy or satisfaction, usually because of how they are presented to the emotional part of our brain, which is not a very good discriminator of truth. That’s why it is so important to be clear about your purpose, your calling, your personal truth and to be absolutely committed to being authentically who you are.
It is the path of your bliss, which is to be ever moving toward that beacon.