How to Live A Happier Life - Part 3, Follow Your Bliss

Welcome to the final part of our 3 part series, How to Live a Happier Life. Part 1 offered some useful tips on how to keep our physical body in great shape by detoxifying the body, eating properly, breathing deeply, getting off the couch and drinking more water. Part 2 focused on our thought processes with tips on how to become more positive and magnetic with information on personality types. In Part 3, we will be discussing how to follow your bliss!

Picture this! You are sitting on your porch in your favourite chair in your senior years, reflecting on the tapestry of your life. Are you sitting in the sun with a huge smile on your face because you have lived your life to the full and allowed yourself to take the road less travelled, or are you slumped and miserable because your dreams always seemed to elude you and you feel like you have missed out or not fulfilled your dream? Did you have a dream to start with?

Many Australians will remember our 22nd Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, advising us that life was not meant to be easy, however, he was only telling half the story. The original quote from George Bernard Shaw was "Life was not meant to be easy, my child, but take courage: it can be delightful".

Following the road that takes us out of our comfort zone is usually the road that leads to greater fulfillment. For example, Bill Gates dropped out of college to start Microsoft, Mother Teresa, an Indian Catholic nun, founded the Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata and ministered to the sick, poor, destitute and dying, while expanding her mission throughout India and the world and Nelson Mandela, who served 27 years in prison for sabotage, went on to facilitate negotiations that led to multi-racial democracy in South Africa in 1994. We might not be that famous but having the courage to say yes to the opportunities that arise in our lives takes tremendous trust and self confidence.

When it comes to taking the plunge, many of us are crippled by a fear of the unknown. A motivational speaker once said, FEAR is only 'Fanciful Events Appearing Real'. Those of us who have taken the plunge have had to very quickly change our FEAR into a more positive light -'Fabulous Energy And Respect' - Part 2 of this series gives some great tips on how to overcome fear). Or it may be, that like me, you are forced to take the next step.

For as many years as I can remember, I have had the words "go to India and work with children" passing through my mind. At times, it would be a faint murmur but at other times, I would be in tears at the thought of never fulfilling that dream. Even though it was agony at times, at the core of my being, I was fairly certain that I would never trust myself enough to actually let myself go to India and work with children. However, events conspired and my long term and permanent position at a prominent West Australian university was made redundant. At age 54, I had run out of excuses not to go.

As the plane started its decent into Indira Gandhi Airport in New Delhi, I had a minor panic attack. What did "go to India and work with children" actually mean? What on earth was I doing? I seriously needed my mother at that moment!

Three years later, I now support a wonderful School and Children's Home called Balmaitri Shishu Sansthan in the foothills of the Himalayas in northern India at a place called Diuli, about 30 kilometers north of Rishikesh in the state Uttarakhand. I have found sponsors for 19 of the 40 children who live there. Another 80 children walk to school from the surrounding villages 6 days a week, some walking as far as 10 kilometers a day. To date, I have raised about A$15,000 to support the school and have a wonderful relationship with the founder, Mr Rishi Kumar, the staff and the children.

Balmaitri is now my home away from home and in hindsight, the experience turned out to be far less fearful than I originally thought. In fact, just yesterday, I received an envelope filled with drawings, letters and gifts from the children for their sponsors. It gives me so much joy to know them and to be a part of their family.

If you have a dream lurking in your conscious or sub conscious mind, take courage. Why not take a responsible plunge and see if you can find a way to jump into the void of an amazing new experience. Some of the tips in Part 2 of this series may help you to identify your bliss and give you the courage to follow it, whatever it may be. Leave your comfort zone behind and turn your FEAR into a 'Favourable Exciting Adventurous Route'.

Be the person sitting on the porch in the sun with a smile on your face because you had the courage and skills to explore new avenues, to say yes to exciting opportunities and to follow your bliss.

Part 1  Part 2

Jannette has researched health and well being issues for the past 20 years and holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Health Promotion. Healthy eating, regular meditation, moderation in everything and taking the correct supplements can make an enormous improvement to the quality of our lives. Claim your free Aussie eBook "The Truth Revealed - Activated Liquid Zeolite" at http://www.CleansingZeolite.com or email Jannette at janobarr@gmail.com