Learning from Your Bliss

Monday, May 16, 2016

Last Friday, I hopped into my car after a half-day at work. I drove away from Charlotte, excited to arrive at my destination: Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina.

Ocean Isle is comforting. I grew up there. It's beautiful, it's where my friends and family are, and it's a lot less busy than a more commercial beach. Walking into the waves of Ocean Isle offers a certain kind of bliss that only comes from feeling completely at home. 




Home

Ocean Isle will always be my hometown, but things are changing, causing me to have a sense of urgency to soak in every moment. My grandparents still live at the beach, my dad is there for a few more months, and two of my best friends live there, but with my parents and brother moving to their new farm in South Carolina, and my Grandparents following them soon after, everything I have grown up with is morphing into something different.

But Ocean Isle still holds a special place in my heart. It will probably always be the beach I want to vacation to, and it will always hold beautiful memories. 
Two of my best gals are still there, and I know that when I miss them (which is often), I am welcome to drive down and see them.




Blissful Things

People use the word bliss in many different ways. But in my eyes, bliss is what makes your heart soar- the thing that makes you somehow relax yet come alive at the same time. It's the meeting of peacefulness and passion. 

The Ocean is that for me.

As soon as I lay my towel down, dip my toes in the cold water, and playfully fight with the waves, I start feeling like I can accomplish my goals, achieve my dreams, and make good things happen. Mysteriously, the salty sea and ocean breeze wake up my spirits almost instantly.


With or Without It

Unfortunately though, I can't live at the beach right now. I can't move there, I can't spend all my time there. I can't go to the beach every time I run out of motivation, or every time I'm feeling uninspired.  

The beachy-bliss feelings are great, and I'll take them any time I can get them, but living life as an adult requires that I learn how to find inspiration even when I haven't seen the waves in months. I can't wait for seashells and salt air to give me magical powers.

The Clay Cottage // Ocean Isle Beach, NC


I have to live my life consistently- daily. Whether I'm at the beach, stuck inside on a rainy day, or living in Siberia, my life needs to be lived out in the same way I would live it if I did spend every day at the beach. Living life well means going all out, remaining steadfast, and holding onto determination even when I don't feel like it. When I'm depressed, when I'm angry, when I'm overwhelmed, and when I have no motivation, living well means moving past those feelings pressing on anyway.

No one accomplished their goals by saying "Well, I would do this...but I don't feel like it". On the contrary! People accomplish their goals when they determine, "I'm exhausted and it's 3 a.m. but I'm not quitting until this project is finished".

No one get's to quit on life until they get to go on vacation. I don't and you don't either. We all know that deep down. But I feel like so often, we really do give up. We give into the lies that say we can't do it. We give into the nagging exhaustion that creeps up when we've been pushing our hardest. And we even give in to our laziness and Netflix addictions. 

We give in a lot. 

But if you're like me and have a deep longing to accomplish your dreams, you know that we can't keep giving in. 

We can't wait for a perfect fit of inspiration to pursue our dreams. We can't wait for a fantastic day to live life well. We have to live right now. We have to keep on living well even when it feels like we can't any longer.

Will you join me today in living an "inspired life" even when you aren't feeling inspired? Will you commit to living life well even when things aren't going your way? That's the way we were meant to live, and it's time we start getting it right!


18 comments

  1. I work extremely hard to pursue all my goals for many plans and goals. I obviously have a Plan A, Plan B, Plan C and I'm working on all of them as hard as I can, so in case one fails completely then I can move onto the next. I don't need a lot of motivation because I'm so passionate about all of them, but sometimes I wonder when I make no progress or I'm fighting tooth and nail and still no progress, am I even doing what God wants me to do. I don't need motivation so much as, just a bit of encouragement to let me know I'm on the right path. If I just knew that, I would never quit working but sometimes it all seems pointless. Sorry to be letting all this out on your post, but I really love this post and as discouraged as I feel, it does give me a little boost, so thank you :)

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    1. I'm so sorry you are struggling with that!
      I am not God and have no idea what God has for you, but I do know that He often causes us to have to wait on our goals and dreams. Just because it takes a long time doesn't mean it's not His plan.
      Keep seeking God about it, working towards your goals, but being willing to be flexible with wherever God leads :)

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  2. I loved this article and found it so relatable. Your bliss feeling from the ocean is exactly how I feel when I'm in New York or traveling in general. I've noticed that embracing the creative ideas I have more often in my free time has really made a difference to make the struggles and challenges of the real world much easier. Especially since I'm still a recent grad and the transition last year was not what I expected.

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    1. Good! I'm so glad you liked it, Allison! I think you are right! If we would just embrace our creative ideas in the moment instead of waiting for something "magical", we'd be way better off!

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  3. a bliss life is so empowering and one of the hardest things to do. This is a beautiful post and I hope you find that blissful place in day to day life

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    1. Thanks, Angela! I think we all have the ability to find that place in day to day life- we just have to harness it! God has blessed me in so many ways and there's no reason I can't live well every day! :)

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  4. I love this post and definitely agree sometimes I think we all search or wait for that seemingly "perfect" moment or opportunity to do something, and that moment is now. Also, how cute do you look in that hat?!? Love it!

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    1. Awww! Thank you, Cara! That made my night!
      And yes, I do that all the time. "I'll correct my attitude when...", "I'll work harder on my goals after...", so silly of me!

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  5. Aw. The ocean is that for me as well. I'm so happy that you can have that bliss in your life. At the same time, this post makes me a little sad because I've always wanted to live near an ocean, and I know it won't ever happen :/

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    1. You never know where you'll end up! It could happen! But even if it doesn't, try to soak up wherever you are!

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  6. The beach is my happy place, too! I love what you said about reaching your goals. I don't feel like working today, but if I give in to that today, then I will tomorrow, too. Then nothing gets done and I'll never get anything accomplished.

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  7. Going home - such a blessing.

    It is so nice to have that place and people who make it happen for you. I've been through those times where life was so hard and it was so challenging to live contentedly each day - but God has really worked in me so that I can truly say that this verse is mine: "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Philippians 4:11

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    1. That's so wonderful, Marjorie! That verse isn't quite "mine" yet (in the sense that I'm not very good at it, haha), but I hope that God will continue to make me more pleasing in His sight so that it is my verse!

      Going home was wonderful!

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  8. North Carolina looks SO beautiful! I love the first beach future. I also love the idea of "bliss". Such a great post!

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    1. Thank you, Kelsie! North Carolina really is a gorgeous state. I am so blessed to have lived in NC my entire life. I LOVE it!

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