The Bumpy Road to Bliss and Your Internal Compass

What do you do when the bumpy road to bliss seems too difficult? After all, even as you work to cultivate happiness in your life, that doesn’t mean unfortunate circumstances automatically become fortunate ones. Difficulties don’t disappear. Instead, life continues as it did before, with its ups and downs. Yes, it is a bumpy road to bliss, but you can rely on your internal compass to guide you there.

Accepting the Bumpy Road to Bliss

Let’s face it: living a blissful life does not change the messiness of life; it changes how you respond to the messiness. You will still experience times of anxiety, depression, anger or frustration. But, if and when are truly living a blissful life, you will know that turns and twists are simply the nature of the road you travel.

Furthermore, you won’t be surprised, angry or completely undone when you face those turns and twists. Living joyfully means accepting the road to bliss is a bumpy one and being at peace with that.

You aren’t debilitated, because your happiness is not dependent on external circumstances. Instead, your happiness and direction are dependent upon an internal compass that guides you again and again back to a place where you can comfortably say and know that, “I’m okay, and this is going to be okay,” wherever you are and whatever “this” is.

Use Your Internal Compass on the Bumpy Road to Bliss

It turns out that bliss is a destination but it’s also a journey. You don’t work toward achieving bliss and then wake up one day suddenly having it. You develop more and more bliss as you work toward having it in your life.

Still, to achieve bliss, you need a compass for the journey. You need something inside you that will orient you and give you direction. Your internal compass serves as your trusted guide. It is aligned with your deepest values. It is true to you and your goals. And, if this is the case, then you can rely on your internal compass when traveling the bumpy road to bliss.

What to Do When the Bumpy Road to Bliss Gets Tougher

Bliss is the road you travel when you are learning about how to live more skillfully and fully. Because you are learning, you are going to make mistakes. You will take the wrong path on occasion. You will veer off course. But let your internal compass guide you back in the right direction.

There may be times when your internal compass will need to be reset. As you learn more about yourself, as you grow toward a better version of yourself, you will discover that old ways and habits no longer serve you but keep you stuck, aimlessly wandering. At times like this, reset your compass so that you can move in a new and better direction.

When you feel completely lost or uncertain of which direction to take, when the road to bliss is particularly bumpy, ask yourself a few questions to reset your compass and get you back on track.

• Is what I’m doing helping or impeding my growth?
• Is what I’m doing aligned with my deepest values?
• Is what I’m doing getting me closer to, or further from, bliss?

Checking in with yourself from time to time will allow you to thoughtfully consider the path you’re on and recalibrate your internal compass if needed.

The road to bliss is bumpy, but your internal compass can help you navigate the bumps successfully.

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Image from Wikicommons user Shyamal.