Follow Your Bliss or Face Your Fears?
November 2, 2008
Did she feel fear?
‘Follow Your Bliss’ is the prime directive of some of our most beloved and respected teachers on the planet right now. The teaching can be boiled down to the following – ‘if it feels bad, don’t do it’. The goal is to use our feelings as a guidance system. If we are feeling negative emotions (fear, sadness, anger) then we are heading in the wrong direction. You are to pursue only that which feels good – or at least makes you feel better.
There is however, another teaching that is worthy of our consideration. Face Your Fears. I recently attended a three-day intensive seminar that was specifically designed to bring our fears out into the light and kick our asses until we were ready to break through them. And, we weren’t dealing with any little fears of spiders and heights. We were dealing with the biggest of the big: fears around money and fears around failure.
Was it comfortable? No. It was at times HIGHLY uncomfortable. There were moments that my mind was screaming ‘this is bullshit’. I was being dragged kicking and screaming out of my comfort zone. My mind was producing all kinds of negative thoughts (and their resulting feelings) to try to get me to stay in that comfort zone.
I faced my fears and left a different person. Had I insisted on gauging every experience by the Bliss Test – I would not have made it through the weekend.
And so, I asked myself this question – Is it Follow Your Bliss or Face Your Fear?
The answer is, of course, both.
There is a very powerful guardian standing between you and your bliss. It’s called the ego. The ego doesn’t want anything to do with bliss. Mine wants a steady paycheck and nice comfortable routine. Mine likes to pay bills on time and clean the house.
Some lucky souls might just fall into their bliss with the greatest of ease. Others of us have to fight for our bliss. That means being willing to face a few fears and shed a few tears.
So the next time you feel fear – consider this. If you’re not feeling some fear…it’s probably not worth doing.
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ps.
If you would like to attend the same intensive three-day seminar for a cost of next to nothing (honestly) click here for more information. If you indicate some interest I will email you more information and I’ll happily answer any of your questions.
Seminars are happening in Ft Lauderdale, Salt Lake, San Fran, Chicago, Montreal, Toronto and Denver soon.
November 2, 2008 at 1:09 am
Hmm . . .
I remember a timeless little book, Love Is Letting Go of Fear. I guess in this case, bliss is embracing fear. If not, surely there’s something in the relentless squeeze-back.
Bliss and fear go hand-in-hand for me. I followed my bliss to become a copywriter. Then, suddenly, got smacked up side the head by my biggest fear of all: belonging.
Doh!
November 2, 2008 at 1:15 am
Sat Nam Alix
Thanks for this post! By reading it I realized that the theme (following bliss & facing my fears) is something I’ve lived deeply this past year.
It’s just today actually (or some minutes ago) that I’m rationalizing my whole process and coming to the conclusion that the constant push-and-pull between these two experiences left me with a more neutral approach to life.
This neutral space is by no means a finished result, I still see it evolving. But I do feel more relaxed about things that before would be concerns of mine. Whether these would be about things I wanted to avoid or things I was craving for or I felt I needed in order to secure bliss.
Living this reality in a constant basis and with an elevated dose of pressure taught me to surrender deeper and have patience, patience, and patience. And just allow, allow, allow.
Now, I would say I just “live”. Haha… It’s interesting. I can’t find the words to describe it. But I can say I no longer seek anything (or avoid something for that matter -unless it’s a real threat). I’m just content and grateful for the things I have right now. For both the things that give me pleasure, joy and spiritual satisfaction, and the things that still move out of my ease zone.
To try to put it into words, the constant pressure and having to face my fears in such a way lead me to become less afraid of living with “not enough” or the “wrong” people or with the “wrong choices”. I surrendered to my human experience and trusted my choices. I see now I’m still breathing and there’s always a way through, always.
Hugs to you and H.B.
