It can’t ALL feel good.
There’s a common misconception that following your calling is supposed to be easy, fun, and feel good ALL THE TIME.
It’s not helped by the fact that much of the self-help industry tosses around cliches like “Follow your bliss”, making it seem like we should all be walking around blissed out all the time. (And by implication, if you’re NOT, you must be doing it wrong.)
Here’s my take on it… It can’t all feel good, because it’s not supposed to.
Truthfully, even when you’re following your bliss, there are going to be days where it feels hard AF.
Days where you wonder what the hell you were thinking. Days when you want to throw in the towel.
But that’s ok, and here’s why. We humans are hardwired for meaning. We automatically create meaning out of our experiences, even as we seek out experiences that feel meaningful.
And often, the experiences that feel most meaningful to us are the ones that came after a struggle.
Crossing the finish line of a marathon. Giving birth. Writing a book. Reconciling with a loved one.
It can’t ALL feel good. If we only did what feels good, we’d never do any of these things.
The good feelings often come at the beginning and at the end. The middle is messy. It has highs and lows. Sometimes it feels good, and sometimes it feels like an endless slog through one challenge after another.
The slog is what makes us appreciate those moments of goodness, those tiny bright spots along the path reminding us why we started in the first place. I love the bright spots. They’re important.
But equally important – perhaps even more important – are the obstacles we encounter along the way. Because, as much as we enjoy those moments of bliss, it’s often the obstacles that make the journey that much more meaningful in the end.