One Thing

For Margaret Atwood it’s writing. Warren Buffett loves investing. Nelson Mandela fought for justice.

The lucky ones always know what it is - and it becomes their life’s passion and joy.

Others fall into something they love. They are lucky, too.

But too many merely endure week to week. Weekends, milestones, and holidays are their reprieve - shelters from the storm. Sadly, many use these times for distraction or to numb their emotions - periods that could be spent doing what brings them to life.

For some, it’s fear that prevents them from changing careers. Others just believe it to be too late; unwilling to take a step back, even if it could lead to a happier future.

Yet, almost everyone can find some time to do the things they love. So figure out what is important to you and do it.

It may be learning to play the guitar, painting, reading great novels, or exploring astrology. It can also be spending time with friends and family. The things you enjoy doing is a big part of what makes life worth living.

In The Power of Myth, Joseph Campbell states: “We’re so engaged in doing things to achieve purposes of outer value that we forget that the inner value, the rapture that is associated with being alive, is what it’s all about.”

The outer values Campbell mentions are those of society. They are distractions. A fulfilled life comes from finding your inner values and living by them. Life is too short to climb someone else’s mountain.