“This is the true joy of life…”

A wise quote from George Bernard Shaw.

“This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it what I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.”

I encountered this observation recently and resonated with it. Really connected with it. Let me try to break it down:

• … being used for a purpose: When I wrote my first screenplay in 1986, I knew that being a screenwriter was what I wanted to do. And I’ve had a good run with it with 30+ paid film and TV gigs in my career. Then I discovered teaching. When I took a position teaching screenwriting at DePaul University in 2016, I realized this is what I needed to do. Writer. Teacher. This is my vocational purpose in life.
• … force of nature: In 2008, I felt another need churning inside my creative soul: launch Go Into The Story. Apart from a two-month hiatus in 2020 when I was laid up from shoulder surgery, I have blogged every day. That is 5,600+ days. I’d say that qualifies as a force of nature.
• … my life belongs to the whole community: Pinned to my Twitter profile page is this tweet:

A major part of sense of purpose is to teach and support other writers to become good storytellers. In fact, this is the dedication in my book The Protagonist’s Journey:

I was a complete outsider to Hollywood when I broke into the business and had only one connection. Since that time, I have felt an obligation to support the community of aspiring screenwriters.

• … the harder I work, the more I live: I work. A lot. Between teaching at DePaul and Screenwriting Master Class, blogging at Go Into The Story, and my writing projects, I probably log 80 hours per week. But I love it. I get to watch and analyze movies and television series. I constantly read screenplays and provide feedback to my students. I tap into my creative energy hours at a time every day. My work makes me feel alive.
• Life is no brief candle to me … I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations: Apart from my family and friends, I experience no greater joy than when someone contacts me via email or social media to share in the celebration of their writing successes. This is especially meaningful when those comments come from a writer inspired by The Protagonist’s Journey. I never intended to write such a book and would not have taken up that project were it not for the overture from my publisher Palgrave Macmillan. Writing it was the most challenging project of my life, but I pressed on day after day for twenty-one months because as the narrative I was constructing in those pages became ever more clear, I sensed it would be something of value, not only for this generation of writers, but also future ones.

As I reflect on Shaw’s observation, I realize it aligns with the life-principle I have been following since my days in college: Follow your bliss. In fact, I begin every course I teach at DePaul with this advice to my students:

What is your bliss? It is that thing inside you which energizes you … which enlivens you … a talent you have you want to share with the world. Your bliss may be a vocation or an avocation. You may discover one which you follow your whole life … or your bliss may evolve over time into multiple passions. Whatever it is, follow it. Because that is the path toward an authentic life … and a joyous experience living it.

As we draw to the end of this year, I encourage you to reflect on Shaw’s insights … and go inside your Self to get in touch with your bliss.

All the best for your creative and life endeavors in 2025 … and beyond!