This is first in a series of interviews of self help experts in the Tips from Masters series.

Lisis Blackston is a stay-at-home wife and homeschooling mom who shares her personal quest to finding happiness amidst the challenges of life at her blog, Quest For Balance. Lisis teaches by example that happiness and inner piece come from realizing your purpose and serving others.

1. How did you find your passion? What do you think is the best way to find it?

My passion (helping others overcome their challenges) was actually there all along, but it took me a while to recognize it. I was always playing armchair shrink to all my friends and family. They would tell me I should become a psychologist, psychiatrist or life coach. But I was never comfortable with the idea of charging people to help them feel better (even if they can afford it), or with having to adhere to medical ethics and standard protocol. I will do and say anything I can to help someone else find their way out of darkness, and I don’t have to file any paperwork for it!

The way I finally recognized that it was my passion was that I turned within. I don’t know if this works for everyone, but it worked for me. I spent a couple of years living out in the country, in relative isolation… not on purpose; it just worked out that way. I would only see my husband evenings and weekends, and my son all day, as I was homeschooling him. I had email and phone conversations with friends but, for the most part, I had silence, solitude, and the serene reassurance of nature to guide me in my journey. Once all the noise and distractions were quieted down, my passion just bubbled to the surface… and I started my blog.

2. How do you go from goal setting to implementation? How do you make sure that you take constant action toward your goals?

To be perfectly honest, I don’t set goals. I used to. In fact, I was your typical over-achiever for a long time. But what I found was that setting goals and trying to achieve them kept me constantly focused on the future, so I was never really happy in the present. I was happy to be working on something, but in that “I’m not complete until I accomplish this” sort of way. Then I would meet my goal, enjoy it for a day, and get right after the next one. I was always living for something other than what I had.

Now I have a vision for my life: I want to help others. I want to radiate love and compassion so that others learn by example. I want to help my son become a happy and healthy person who shares the best of himself with others. I want to support my husband, and anyone else, in the endeavors they are passionate about. That sort of thing. There’s no time line, or moment when I can check an item off a list. But the things I do in every moment either contribute to, or detract from, my overall vision. I try my best to contribute more than I detract.

3. How do you stay focused? How do you keep distractions at bay?

I stay focused by knowing who I am and what I value beyond any reasonable doubt. Because I have taken the time to know myself, I have no trouble at all saying NO to anything I don’t want to take on, or even to social engagements or any other distractions. I guess I’m focused on being true to myself and my passion for helping others… everything else, to me, is just white noise. I don’t pay any attention to it. I believe it’s easy to get distracted when you are not really sure where you are headed. But I know what I want and, more importantly, what I don’t want in my life. Distractions are almost a non-issue.

If you want to learn more from Lisis, visit her blog, Quest For Balance.

Tags: happiness, inner piece, Lisis Blackston