Follow Your Bliss

Sky Blue runs Picante Latin Dance, a successful dance school in Sydney. She finds ongoing fulfilment and purpose in sharing her love of dance and the Latin culture with her students. “When I’m teaching I feel joyous. When I’m with the students I feel a sort of a satisfaction when they get it and they’re moving forward,” Blue says. “I like the feeling of giving and seeing how they grow.”

Another clue that you’re following your path is an overriding quality of being rather than doing. When you are engaged in the activity that is your passion, it’s said that you may experience the sensation of time standing still, of being in the zone. “Bliss, the sages tell us, is not a thing to be acquired, conquered or possessed by outer means,” writes Boldt. “Rather, it is an ongoing experience to relax into. Bliss simply is.”

For Sky Blue, dancing is a kind of spiritual connection. “When I’m on the dance floor, it’s a personal release. I feel very free,” she says. Armstrong thinks, however, that idea can sometimes be a little romantic when applied to the craft of writing. “It is hard work, but incredibly satisfying. Quite often, it’s difficult. Occasionally, once a year, I get that feeling that time stands still,” she says.

Once you’re on the path

Once you’ve isolated what it is you love to do and you embark on that path with clear intention, another big clue that you’re on the right track, according to Kahlert, is that obstacles seem to fade away. “Your life becomes much smoother. If you love the thing, it follows that you become good at it and then people will notice,” he says. Once you’re doing what you should be doing, opportunities will arise. It’s then up to you whether you take advantage of these opportunities.

However, let’s not get too carried away! It pays to be aware that success in your chosen life’s work may take time. If you are indeed carrying out your calling, you’ll find that you have the necessary faith to stay on track through some hard times. “Once you’ve found your dharma, there is no time frame,” assures Kahlert. “Move towards it, but don’t stop doing it. If it is in your dharma, there will be your time.”

Blue concurs that you have to believe in yourself. “You’ve got to be able to trust if you follow through and keep going with it, that there’s going to be a good outcome.” In Blue’s case it wasn’t till after the first three years of the establishment phase of her business that she started to see some financial rewards for all her hard work.

Armstrong also finds that the work she has put into designing and implementing her writing classes is reaping rewards for her, with many of her students now coming through word-of-mouth. “I don’t have to advertise a lot for my classes,” she says. She finds it almost uncanny how things flow effortlessly for her. “I think of a date for the next course and, before I even put an ad in the paper, the class starts to fill up!”

As much as it would be the ultimate fantasy for many people to throw in their nine-to-five job to follow their dream, Kahlert counsels not to drop everything. While he says it’s important to employ your intuitive, lateral mind in discovering what your dharma actually is, he warns that the rational mind needs to come back into play in the implementation of a practical plan to help you fulfil this life’s purpose. Do your research about your chosen field, says Kahlert, and go slowly, patiently and with intelligence. This is a good time to pick the brains of people who already work in your chosen area and to seek feedback from a trusted friend or career counsellor.

Take advantage of social and professional networks and remember that your dharma needs to unfold at the right pace for you and your circumstances. Often, practising your dharma as a hobby takes the pressure and potential failure away from trying to make your entire living from it. This allows time for your life to blossom organically towards your aspirations. “When you find your dharma, it doesn’t mean that you will be a financial success at that,” clarifies Kahlert. “It only means that when you’re doing it, you’re in tune with your life’s purpose.”