Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where there were only walls. 

― Joseph Campbell 

It too has been a driving force for some of the most successful people and greatest achievements in art, music, science, literature, and sports. It has to do with finding those little things that you – and maybe only you – love to do. These include things that you could do for hours at a time, things that your friends and family members may not understand at all, and may even think you are a little strange for doing. They are so easy to miss when we are busy doing what we think we should rather than what we really want to do.

The technical name for this is “behavioural activation” because it has been a way to get people who are depressed to begin to be active and involved with life again. In fact, research has showed that once many of them have started to do this, they often begin to experience pleasure again, and often don’t want to quit! Behavioural activation is everywhere in positive psychology – and is big part of many of the exercises that you will be doing. Joseph Campbell called it “following your bliss” – which means to do those things that you love to do and that you feel like you were made and meant to do.

The idea of behavioural activation is to find things that you enjoy doing so much that you don’t want to stop and that they help you find what you love to do, what you might get paid well to do, and what often brings you to other people who also love to do it. This often involves the element of Engagement in PERMA and the experience of flow, which is like being in the zone that athletes get into when they are at the top of their game.

So, the first thing is positive reappraisal, the ability to change our minds for the better, and the second is behavioural activation, the power of doing things that you really love to do. But, as they said in Star Wars, “there is another” and this other can be most clearly seen in the most challenging part of that “hero’s journey” that we can see in Star Wars, in other popular and inspiring movies and stories, and in the story of our lives.

We can see this power most clearly in the “exposure” therapies that enable us to overcome anxiety and face the things that we fear the most. This can also be one of the greatest sources of courage and best ways to increase it. Some of us may think that courage means not feeling fear, but the reason why exposure therapies work is it provides a supportive context to gradually expose someone to what they are afraid of.

When we are really afraid of something, our strongest inclination is usually just to avoid it. If we are terrified of public speaking, then we may not take a job or class where we have to speak much in front of other people. If we are afraid of being rejected, we may avoid dating or trying to make new friends. If we have a fear of failure, we may avoid trying something new or something that we are not sure that we can do well. But when we avoid doing what we are afraid of, our fear grows and we don’t have the chance to learn that we can reduce it.

Whereas when we face it and move forward anyway, we generally discover that the fear begins to melt away and we gain increased confidence in our ability to overcome our fears. This is how this third principle of exposing ourselves to what we fear helps us. In facing the things you might be afraid of in this challenge, exposing yourself to what you are afraid of, is often what it takes to defeat the inner “dragons” we may fear the most. For most of us at most times, courage may not be the absence of fear, but finding a way to go forward in spite of it – just as this challenge is designed to enable you to move forward in spite of stress.

There are two things that may help us in exposing ourselves to what we are afraid of and rather than just continuing to avoid it. The first is that we can often gradually expose ourselves to what we are afraid of so we can gain more courage and confidence before facing our greatest fears. The second is that although there is no one else who can face our fears for us, there are friends, mentors, and fellow travelers who can encourage and support us as we do it and may even face some of the same fears with us.

But we can also get help from the first two building blocks and where all three can begin to work together for us. When you can change your mind using positive reappraisal, you can better see the gifts and rewards that you may get for facing your fears and begin to see yourself as having the courage that it takes. When you can get a taste of those things that you love to do in using behavioural activation – even when you are sick or tired or scared – the motivation to act will often become greater than the fear that holds you back.

As you go through this challenge, you may not always be aware you are doing it, but you will often have the opportunity to practice these three building blocks. You will be using positive reappraisal to see things in a more beneficial light, behavioural activation to identify and practice doing more of the things you love do, and exposing yourself to what you fear to build the confidence and courage you need. The more you are aware of and practice these keys to positive change, the more you will be like that Jedi master in Star Wars who learns to use the power of the Force. Although many people are not aware of them, research has consistently shown that can be a potent force in our lives – that can not only free us from anxiety and depression but can enable us to make the most of our lives.

Workbook Tasks for the Chapter

With these building blocks in mind, here are the tasks that will help you understand, appreciate, and benefit from them.

First there is special TED talk video with Shawn Achor talking about the value of positive psychology and how happiness can lead to success. You will see him give an example where positive reappraisal helped his sister cope with an injury and you will see him talk about the benefits of many of the activities you will be doing in this challenge.

Secondly, you will once again be asked to write down three good things that happen to you in the next day. This time we want you to reflect on them before you go to bed and also try to think of where you may see good things during the coming week. This will help you practice positive reappraisal and enable you to change how you see the world around you.

Thirdly, you will have a list of pleasant activities and you will be asked to identify the top 10 that you would like to try. This task is a form of behavioural activation that can help you discover new things that you may enjoy doing and want to make more a part of your life.

Finally, there are reflection questions about what new pleasant event you would most like to try and also about what fears you might need to face on your way to getting the most out of life. This may help you see how you can use things you love to do as a motivation and reward for exposing yourself to things you are afraid of and that get in the way of your living the kind of life you most want.