Follow Your Bliss
Do what you love… find your passion… follow your bliss. When I look back at my life, I am following my bliss. What is my passion? I love to teach. I love to learn. I love to lead. When I was teaching at the high school, I was teaching, learning, and leading. After 16 years, it was time to move onto something else to embrace new challenges and a new way of being. Now, I tutor mathematics, I’m a graduate student, and I’m a school trustee. Once again, all three components satisfied with three distinct educational opportunities. The problem is, I have to acknowledge that I am following my bliss. It’s so easy to dwell on what should be and lose sight on what I am trying to achieve. I have three obstacles to overcome:
- Unrealistic Expectations: You cannot cram a literature review, a 10K run, or dissertation proposal.
- Fearful of Feedback: You cannot move forwards without feedback, input, or insight from others.
- Living a Lie: You cannot realize your dreams when you feel like you are not deserving or worthy.
According to Alasdair MacIntyre (1984), to achieve the goods internal to the practice one must exercise the virtues of JUSTICE, COURAGE, and HONESTY. To be focused on the goods external to the practice (eg. money, status, or fame), one can never achieve the goods internal or standards of excellence. MacIntyre (1984) provides the theoretical framework of my research study, but also guides my way of being. The more I can understand what is, the more I am able to identify that my obstacles correlate with MacIntyre’s virtues… set realistic goals (justice), be open to feedback (courage), I am worthy (honesty). I am living my dreams. It’s not about what other people say or what they think. What matters is what you think and what you’re going to do about it. Follow your bliss.