For a Happy and Fulfilling Life, Follow Your Joy.

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away - Pablo Picasso

These are inspiring words, but good advice and making it happen are two different things. Moreover, some would argue that this principle of following our passion is simplistic, impractical, unrealistic and, most important, doesn’t pay the bills. We’ve been taught to plan, strategize and work really hard to get to where we need to go. Certainly, a strong work ethic is required, but in order to have a happy and fulfilling life, following our joy is mandatory.

By following our joy, we align with our true self; who we truly are. By aligning with our passion, as life unfolds, the circumstances, people and resources will present themselves. Of course, there will be challenges and opportunities along the way. But, if we stay in the flow, listen to our guidance, follow our heart and trust our intuition, we’ll see the signposts. We’ll know where to turn, who to call and what to do. Our joy both the reason and the confirmation that we’re on the right path!

Follow your passion; it will lead you to your purpose - Oprah Winfrey

Following our joy, energizes us. Doing something we hate because it’s all we know how to do, or we want security or any other countless reasons, will eventually suffocate

us or lead to disease. However, sometimes we have to rediscover our joy. We lost it along the way by overworking or getting burned out. If you’re not sure what your passion is, just start small. Contemplate on what you loved doing as a child. Get a coloring book, a microphone or a camera. Swing from a tree. Find the joy in something and build from there. The good news is, we all know deep down inside what we need. We just forget.

Meditation, exercise, yoga, walking or being in nature or even alone in the car, are good ways to quiet the mind and go within to reevaluate our belief system, release negative thought patterns and discover who we truly are. Life is a journey and we constantly need adjusting. We have to understand our emotions and motivation for wanting to do something. We have to pay attention to our true desires and follow what gives us joy.

Following our passion can be difficult when we have to give up certain luxuries and change our lifestyles for a period of time. However, if we continue to follow our joy, we will develop a new perspective and make new choices, which, untimely, will make us feel more grateful and fulfilled.

To live a fulfilling life, we must live from our heart and trust our intuition. Our logical mind can help us take the action we need, but our heart and gut feelings will lead us to victory. As we follow our joy, we connect to our soul and higher power, and discover our gifts that we can share with the world.

If you follow your dreams and spend your life doing what brings you joy, you are more likely to find success - Richard Branson