Following Your Bliss

Back in the day, when I was cranking out screenplays, pitching ideas and going to seminars for screenwriting, I was introduced to Joseph Campbell, whose 1988 PBS series with Bill Moyer “The Power of Myth” was recommended by everyone, in part because Campbell’s ideas had reportedly been the basis for the Star Wars trilogy and Hollywood was jumping on the bandwagon.

I loved the series and drank in the phrase Campbell coined, “follow your bliss.” He meant that whatever it is that makes you blissfully happy is the thing you must pursue in your life and all else will fall in.

To this day, I fervently believe in that principle. Last week, I was personally elated, to the point of tears, by an example of the truth of that philosophy.

My sister, Julie, had been trying to get into nursing school, and finally was admitted after two years of applying, and to the program she really wanted at SAC State.

The critical part of this story is that Julie, after 23 years of working for a very stable company as a manager, quit her job to pursue the lifelong dream of becoming a nurse. She had spent a couple of years in part-time schooling, but then it became obvious that to really achieve her goal she would need to go full-time.

My brother-in-law, John, was capable of supporting them both, but it represented a big change in their lifestyle and sense of security.

Additionally, it couldn’t have been easy to leave a position where she had achieved no small measure of success for the scary prospect of finishing school and then getting a job in a completely new field.

I don’t think Julie was aware that getting into nursing school would be so difficult. What she discovered after getting top grades was there were just not enough slots in the nursing programs and most of them were based on a lottery system, not merit. So, effectively, her struggles to get all A’s wasn’t really getting her anywhere.

Happily, SAC State’s program is merit-based, and in January she’ll be on the last leg of her journey to finally being the nurse she’s always dreamed of being. Julie followed her bliss and all else fell into place.

When she called to tell me the good news, she and I both cried and then after we hung up I found myself choking up for about an hour afterwards. I realized a great part of my emotion was joy for my sister, but a huge chunk was joy that my belief in following your bliss was reaffirmed.

“Follow your bliss.” ~ Joseph Campbell