Joseph Campbell, author of "The Power of Myth," was the world's foremost authority on mythology. A professor at Sarah Lawrence College (a girls' school) for almost 40 years, he was beloved by his students. His constant advice to young women was to "follow your bliss!" If you did this, Campbell believed, you could not fail to become totally authentic, and to lead a powerful, meaningful life. In the cover image, a princess leans wearily on the windowsill of a castle she shares with a treasure-hoarding dragon. Beautifully dressed and coiffed, rich, secure and safe, her days are devoid of color and passion. She is totally cut off from life. A climbing rose has made its way up the stone walls of the palace that's become a prison. On its topmost branches, a bluebird sings. What beauty and freedom! Inside the card, the runaway princess has made a bold decision. Capering down the hillside, she casts her crown, jewels, and shoes aside to "follow her bliss." Her loosened hair blows wildly in the wind. She abandons the dragon, castle and gold for something new. Who is the dragon? Was he her captor? Her life circumstances? Or was he that part of her soul that feared going after what she truly needed? Only the princess knows. But she has chosen the path of risk and adventure. Will she live happily ever after? Probably not. Real Life isn't a fairy tale. There will be bumps along the road. But one thing is certain. Unless she dares to leave the safety of her prison, she will never find out what she can feel and do. Follow your bliss, goddess! You've got only one life. As Joseph Campbell says, "Pay attention to it!" Story on back |