3 Card Tarot Reading

The Empress Tarot Card Meaning

The Empress is so caring but also hard, she has had to be, she has been through the washing machine of life, the stress cycles and stands there as the person who is adored. This is a woman who sits on that throne because she created the throne and the kingdom around her, she needs no permission. The most important thing I want to say to you, is this women does not need it validated. She does not need anybody to tell her she's doing fine. She KNOWS. She is really fucking powerful. And here is the bit nobody talks about. The Empress raises life. That is her power! But this is not soft. When this card appears in your reading she isn't saying "just chill and enjoy the abundance." She isn't saying YOU ARE THE ABUNDANCE. She is saying stop looking outside yourself for something you already are. Stop letting someone else give you what you built. And, that now, in this moment the harvest is ours. You grew it, and more importantly it is about making sure you stop apologising for taking up space.

If anyone has made you feel stressed out over the last few weeks - like your work isn't important, your body isn't enough, your creativity is pointless - the Empress has a message for them. She barely looks at them. Because, she does not need to. She keeps growing things. That is the most devastating response anyone can ever give, in the face of stress, even failure she keeps building and she keeps growing. You don't fight them, you don't argue, you keep creating. So one day they are in YOUR garden wondering how it got so big.

What does the Empress represent?

The Empress represents mothering love, an authority figure that is looking out for you and is often a kind guardian, it could also represent you, that you are now on the higher levels of spirituality, that you have learned your lessons. She is wise and has attained her place in the hierarchy of the older tarot through her own missteps and finding her way. She has learned her lessons and is now in a position to give her wisdom to you. This is usually a motherly representation in one way or another indicating that you need to look out for someone around you or that someone is looking out for you. She can be represented as an older woman with authority in her own right that has come from wisdom and experience.

She is a reminder that life is precious and can be found in even the smallest of moments. By her side stands a guardian to protect and watch over us in our journeys ahead. Her aura is one of elegance, power, beauty and love - an invitation to explore the possibilities of life. She is the Empress and she stands ready to nurture us all.

As I have said above the Empress also represents a pure form of abundance. If you have received this card in your reading, you are going to be well taken care of. You will get everything that you desire and more. 

She symbolizes the Land of Milk and Honey after a long journey of hard labor and stress. She is the Universal Goddess: Isis Unveiled, fertile, strong and dynamic. She is also Venus: plump and curvy, attracting wealth like a magnet. This woman is represents female strength as well as a symbol of ultimate abundance in your life. I want you to know that her needs will be fulfilled with joy and satisfaction. There is no need to fear. Having the Empress on your side is like having a fierce mother, protecting you always. Receiving this card in your reading means that you are making the right decision, that you are supported, and that there is a vast array of possibility for abundance currently transiting around you. Many rewards are coming your way.

The Empress, governed by so many feminine energies is pure emotion and deep intuitive understanding. The lessons that you have learned in your life will now continue to benefit you. As you apply what you learn, you will reap the benefits of emotional rewards. She encourages you to express unfiltered emotions because you have earned the right to do so.

The Empress In Love

When the Empress shows herself in a reading about Love whoever you are thinking about ADORES you. So be prepared to go through a cycle of being worshipped. Everyone wants to be close to you because you are The God/Goddess of Love. How can they resist you? It is practically impossible. This is your time to say what you want exactly the way that you want it and have others rush to your side to provide it. Take this time to be a little selfish; do not compromise your beliefs or your integrity for anyone that isn’t similar to you. Take this opportunity to attract someone fantastic, that matches your energy, and let it happen. Now is the time.

The Empress As Feelings

As I have said above if someone feels the empress towards you they ADORE you. They are going in with an open heart and generous spirit, the Empress tarot card speaks to us of a connection that is deeply honest and honoring. She means to “feel adored” and accepted by another person on a soul level - as if they hold you thought dear, respect and care for each of your needs. Regardless of circumstances or external factors, this tarot card can serve as a powerful reminder to show respect for others. As long as we do not attach any strings, requirements, or conditions to our love, we become an incredible force for healing.

The Empress has meaning that extends beyond just pregnancy, but also the earth by extension and the act of lovemaking, too. In your enquiry of feelings, it points to clear and obvious physical attraction that pulls the person you ask after towards you like a moth to a flame. Tread carefully, lust clouds the head like fog – physical love doesn’t guarantee feelings beyond the surface level. If the attraction is shared, take small steps forward to see if you are also compatible in terms of opinion and lifestyle before going any further with the relationship. 

The Empress Love Reconciliation

Yes, you will likely get back together this is commitment, beauty, happiness, and, of course, the starting of a family. There’s a REAL feeling here, and pregnancy. If you are single, a new romance is likely to blossom. Keep your eyes open and enjoy every minute, this next love may well be “the one” you’ve always waited for. Remember to stay in tune with the emotional side of any fledgeling relationships, it is not just the physical attraction that matters, but emotional compatibility, too.

The Empress in Health

When the Empress comes up with a reading where health is asked, she is telling you that you have been working too hard and it is time stop and smell the roses. You likely are in a place where you can enjoy the rewards of your hard efforts and look upon them from a comfy chair overlooking the ocean and be pleased with what you have been able to accomplish. The act of healing from a busy time is just as important as any other preventative measure one to protect their health.

When stress is allowed to eat at the body, it begins to disintegrate. The Empress informs you that you need to give yourself the time off that you deserve so that you can have the perspective of a job well done. The Empress also weighs in on reproductive health. If you are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant, this card bodes well for you because you have her support. If you are trying to increase circulation or need to focus on feminine issues, the Empress will help you.

The Empress in Work, Money, Business, Career, and Wealth

Take or plan a vacation and enjoy the moment rather than constantly trying to find ways to make more money. Often this card will pop up when you are at risk of spreading yourself too thin. Do not make large decisions regarding change of employment or financial issues. If you are seeking work, the Empress says that it is going to take time. Even in the most dire situations, there are solutions that can be found and likely others that are willing to help you get on your feet until a more productive air is around you. As the empress is connected to the earth element in work she brings with her a nurturing move on the part of an employer or employee. Something is delicate, almost born. It can mean that you might be aiming high but you need time to develop yourself. The empress also indicates that one must be guided firmly but surely if contemplating a new career path.

The Empress Advice

The advice of this card is to be who you are and stop asking for permission. That's the message. Pulling the Empress into advise mode, she looks you in the eye and says WHY ARE you WAITING? And you know what to do, you know this for weeks. But the Empress doesn't check, she creates. She chooses and then builds and if someone does not like what she built they do not tear it down - they plant something else next to it. Whatever decision you are circling now, there is no information shortage going on right now. The Empress in advice is like your grandmother telling you to just do it.

The Empress Yes Or No

This card for this position is a yes. The Empress is connected to positive outcomes and new beginnings. In questions regarding fertility or pregnancy, this card carries extra meaning; your answer is it will happen, and there is very likely to be a baby in your future. 

The Empress Past

The Empress highlights a significant female figure from your past, she walked through the pages of your history like a leader, leaving her mark and paving the way for you. She might have been maternal, she might have been an equal, whatever the case, did she teach you lessons that you are now ignoring? This card may also appear in your past position when an opportunity you seized in the past has come good in the present. Seeds do not grow overnight but instead, they must be cared for and watered in order to become something more. The card reminds you that hard work is worth it, even when the rewards lie further down the road than you’d like. 

The Empress Present 

And something new is coming! The thing I want to remind you is that you don't have to be BRAVE in the way you think brave looks. No need to charge forward with a sword, as the Empress wears no sword. Yes, she really grows things, she is strong but not loud. It is deep and still and immovable if you know what I mean. It's the woman who keeps the whole family together and nobody notices until she stops. So stop figuring out what this new thing is. She needs soil and time and the will to keep going when nothing is visible yet. Seeds are already in the ground. And here I am telling you that you were the one who planted them - believe it or not. That was planting. every decision you made recently, every hard conversation, every door you closed - that was planting. And now let it grow, you will change with this new chapter. Let it change. 

The Empress Future and Outcome

All I can say is massive abundance is coming.  You will blossom into something much, much more; it could be a personal ambition about to take flight, a new relationship or stage of commitment with a loved one, or simply a change in location and lifestyle. Whatever the transformation, be happy that you have it all to come - the results will be as beautiful and distinct as a crystal blue sea.

The Empress As Friendship

For friendship, this is having real friends for once. If you are seeing this card, you are an important part of that balance so keep on doing what you’re doing and the happiness within your friendships will continue to fill each of you with gratitude and joy. If you have broken a friendship or had problems with a female then this is a kind of healing card. Things are going to work out. 

Reversed Empress In A Reading

The Empress in the reversed position, in my view, is symbolic of infertility, inconclusiveness, lack of abundance and confusion as well as instability and sometimes financial issues. It can also be a female that is starting to really ANNOY you. This happens when one is too caught up in attempting to make everything perfect and there is never any rest to gather what was. This also means that you need to use caution in your spending habits so as to not flitter away financial resources.

Take care to set up a nest egg for yourself so that you might be prepared should something go wrong. Question your poverty mindset and your feelings toward money or abundance. Do you feel worthy of relaxation? Of reaping the benefits that you have sown after hard work? Do you feel as though it is impossible to catch up? Ask the Empress to help heal your poverty mindset so that you can reap the benefits of the abundance that she has to offer you.

The Empress Reversed - Love and Romance

Your relationship is bad right now this card drawn means the lover is both tender and sad at the same time. It could be that you fight over little stuff. Maybe somebody gets mad about nothing. This often occurs when we realize something has gone, or that you forgotten to love each other. The Empress reversed also carries warnings of a love that has resulted in some hardness and lack of empathy. For some of you, you and your partner may have been arguing or ignoring opportunities to be tender and loving with one another.

The Empress reversed - Family and Home

Thsi card can sometimes end up in spreads  when the maternal figure of the family has been too busy or occupied to take on her normal role as the carer and nurturer of the family. If this figure is usually you (reversed), then it is worth refocussing your attention. Remember that communication and affection are two of the most important things in any happy, healthy family talking.

The Empress Reversed - Work and Finances

I often see this when someone's career has become dull and unfulfilling, it may not be awful, but like bread without butter, it’s far from ideal. Perhaps the pay is good, but the emotional side of things are lacking and leave a hole in your life. The Empress asks if you have put money and status above what you’re truly passionate about? Or maybe you are working hard and enjoying your tasks but not feeling the benefit of appreciation from your colleagues or boss. Sometimes we can improve things without making huge changes, we just need to look at things in a new light and keep an open mind to see the possibilities before us. 

The Empress Reversed - Health and Wellness

Remember that the best way to break out of a lull of energy is to force yourself to get more active and reignite your passion for life, through movement and the great outdoors. This card has a connection with nature, and when reversed it may highlight that a person is spending too much time indoors and away from the natural world, are the four walls closing in? For women trying to conceive, this card reversed often suggests complications or issues with infertility. Go to your doctor for a check-up to see what your situation is.  These complications may appear both for women who do want to conceive and for those who may unknowingly be pregnant and so it’s better to be safe than sorry.  

The Empress Reversed - Personal Spirituality

The Empress reversed points to a crossroads of the true spiritual path. You may have allowed yourself to disconnect from your spiritual journey, sometimes the daily bustle of life gets in the way of the deeper meaning that sits behind everything. This card reversed urges you not to get caught up in the mundane things in everyday life. 

The Empress Upright Meanings in Keywords

• Romance
• Pregnancy 
• Birth
• Growth
• Motherly

The Empress Reversed Meanings in Keywords

• Delay
• Domestic problems
• Family problems
• Stuck feminine energy 

When you have received the Six of Swords, this is a sign that the difficult cycle that you have been experiencing is now ending.

You must allow yourself to flow with the phase so that it can completely eliminate itself from your experience. Now is the time for you to investigate the possibilities at your disposal. You have been experiencing unpleasant times, therefore to fully get rid of the frustration you have to completely separate yourself from all energy that is even remotely similar so that you may find peace of mind and harmony. This is very similar to the sunshine after a storm that was mentioned in the Three of Swords. You have gotten through the worst of. Now, full of ammunition as a result of all that you have learned you begin to take strong steps out into the sun to celebrate. Make sure that you realize that everything is relative to the viewpoint that it is perceived and try your hardest to communicate in a non-combative way with others so that you appear to be a receptive person. When listening to what others have to say, you will learn different perspectives that you had not considered prior to this moment.

The image of the card in the Rider Waite deck is that of a woman who has clearly been through something difficult. She and her child are taken across the waters to calmer shores. This is a time when are going to be blessed with a better future; you will have success over your anxieties. Often times this card is symbolic of a physical move in addition to an emotional transition. This card describes what it feels like to have gotten through a difficult period. You have basically escaped with your metaphorical life and now you are heading to territories that will be healthier for you and for any that come with you. You no longer fill your life with confusion or frustration.

You do not start painstaking and pointless battles with others and you have begun to understand that an attachment to an internal fantasy world where you are paranoid about what others think about is not going to benefit you and in fact, never has. This card is applauding you for making positive choices for yourself because, through this motion that you have decided to take, you will be able to be free and contented. Starting over is the absolute best way sometimes, to come to a refreshed state in your existence. Your burden is made lighter and you have much to rejoice in.

Now that you have been blessed with the support that is provided to you after having terrible adversity, you are able to maintain the perspective of someone who is tranquil in times of turmoil. If you have already been through it, then you won’t feel as afraid as you did originally. You will get better at taking things in stride. Just as the woman is doing in the image on the card, you are willing to take you across the metaphorical waters. This willingness shows strength in character that will only bring you greatness in the future. You do not waste your energy on pointless drama, for you have learned your lesson.

The number six throughout the suits stands for expansive lessons, currently, boundaries of self do not stop at the surface of your body and your goals begin to take on the air of your extended self. You begin to help others, you feel expansive and enlightened.

The Six of Swords in Love

When the Six of Swords appears in your reading about love and relationships, you can expect to find new love in your new environment. You have decided to get rid of everything that makes you unhappy and you no longer perpetuate negativity by holding onto baggage. Therefore, this card shows you putting your past behind you and going to a whole world of new opportunities. In love, after you have had time to settle into your new situation, you will feel that everything is sparkling and new in your home, and in this there will definitely be someone who is going to sparkle their way right into your world. You no longer have to worry about being abused, for you look forward to your future and nothing can hurt you right now.

The first assumption when looking at the ferryman is the fact he is taking the women and child away on his boat. Is she leaving a lover? This card indicates that there is an end or new relationship beginning and calmer waters are on the horizon. There is a feeling that trauma has taken place in love. The child and mother are moving away to a new start via the waters of emotion. We often overlook the third person in the picture, the child sits helplessly next to his Mother and it was most probably the mother who decided to leave. Is she removing herself from abuse? Is the child removed from love and friendships due to her fleeing? Is this "you" as a child? It could simply be that your parents have controlled your love life to the point of this being intolerable. I do feel in love this card means “think about the child” this could be your inner child - or a child (born or unborn) in real life. The child is being held closely by the mother for comfort, this card can also mean possible children from love. In my experience, this card often comes up when the relationship is challenging or that there is a new start of two lovers. It could simply be that a partner has just stopped listening to you and walked away. This indicates two people who were in love but that this relationship is just gone - vanished without conflict. If you are asking about a "future love outcome" the six of swords in a spread can often indicate that you are moving away from a difficult past and to the future. As their backs are turned to the past this indicates a better, more happy future in love.

The Six of Swords in Health

The Six of Swords in Health refers to all of the changes that you have and are going to make for your body. You are getting out of a phase of stagnation or dormancy with your physical body and must continue building the momentum by pursuing cardio as well as perhaps yoga or anything that is going to stretch your body out so that it continues the momentum of restretching itself into the body that is healthy and no longer full of emotional or physical baggage.

The Six of Swords in Work and Wealth

The Six of Swords only appears in a work or wealth reading to point out the passing phase of a job that was extremely frustrating for you. If you are in a bad job situation right now that is making you miserable and you are trying to decide if you should leave, the Six of Swords supports you in your decision to make the change. As of now you feel abused, exhausted and you need to make the change. Now is the time to do so.

The Six Of Swords Reversed

There is either too much or too little happening for you right now and you feel as if you need a mental retreat but have absolutely no desire to make it happen for yourself. You are distracted from all of your projects and you are experiencing a level of neurosis that is hard to control. With this information overload, the best thing to do is to practice clearing your mind and putting your thoughts in order. When there is a situation of physical or mental abuse you need support. This should either be from a professional if the situation is severe, or through the help of a friend or loved one who has the additional perspective that you need to get out of this negative time in your life. The more distance you have from this abusive pattern in your life, the easier it will be for you to rise above it. Make the changes; get across the river to safety as fast as you can.

Six of swords reversed love

In the Waite tarot deck, the six of swords reversed means that someone will declare love to you. It can imply that you have come to a stalemate in a relationship. The rough waters mean you are not balanced. You do feel now the time is to give up "come what may." There is a time of transition romantically, maybe obsessing over a relationship and also a lack of action. It is a card to say that you are sick of trying to make someone happy and you will go it alone if needs be. The good thing about this card appearing in the spread is that you are ready to work on problems and mend strained relationships. Battles are ahead I am afraid and tenacity is needed. The future does look quite rough but you can overcome any problems. Don’t lose any hope at the moment. 

Upright Six of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Don't rock the boat
• Physical travel
• Changing location/moving
• Moving from one path to another
• Leaving 
• Holidays
• Running from something

Reversed Six of Swords Meanings in Keywords

• Being ruled by your heart
• Dealing with trauma
• Post-traumatic disorder
• Healing your heart
• Building yourself up
• Taking care of yourself
• A fresh start

The Lovers Tarot Card Meaning

Seeing the Lovers in your reading is a favorable sign.

Often interpreted as romantic love referring to marriage or sexuality, it is also much more than this. The card being present represents the hand of the divine reaching down and blessing you in your life at this time. Now is a time of fruitful change and one in which you are encouraged to act. Changes that come up in your life at this time are usually for the better and bring with them good fortune, harmony, and a time of peace in your life.

The Lovers card represents love and affection at it’s highest point. The two figures on the card offer themselves naked to the higher being in the sky often referred to as God. Thy symbolism of growth and sexuality in the card leads the viewer to understand that the love that the card is depicting is not first love or the beginning stages of love. It is more pronounced and mature and often references marriage between the two on the card.

The Lovers card is one of the cards in the tarot that greatly depends on the other cards surrounding it. It’s important to view the location and the placement of the card in order for the true meaning for you personally to be understood. If drawn in a one card reading – like in the case that you are looking for inspiration for your day or wondering what energies are around you right now then it is truly a great card. It says that your day is going to be one of attention and uncharacteristically positive. Today is a good day to make choices, take risks, and be carefree. If in a more complex reading the Lovers card also heralds good news regarding communication and personal values. If you are seeking the answer to a specific dilemma rest assured that you are in the right and that you can trust your own opinions to be received in a positive light.

The Lovers in Love

The Lovers card is a grand card indicating relationship bonds and the affection of those around you. Often it will denote that you are in or headed towards a lasting relationship worth developing and committing to. Other areas of life are affected by this card as well. It confirms positive inclinations of the heart by telling you that you can trust the path you are on should continue moving forward. If you are looking for love and the Lovers card appears congratulations! This is a favorable omen about a relationship beginning. Most of the time the Lovers card appears when a relationship will be starting with someone that you already know and are already close or intimate with. It can indicate that a friend is actually interested in something more or that a lover is looking for a more serious arrangement.

In a relationship reading if you see the Lovers card combined with the Tower, the Magician or the Devil card it tells you that you must be wary in a relationship – usually love or close friendship – and that something is being hidden from you. With these combinations but the Devil card specifically in your reading, it is always best to seek a further explanation by asking for clarification from the deck and drawing another random card. This is because the Devil card and the Love card are actually closely related to card mythology. When you see these two together it can indicate an unhealthy obsession or unrequited love that should be avoided.

The Lovers As Feelings

This is a card which means the person you have asked about feels that you are his soul mate. The lovers is about that special person that you connect with. This is about passionate nights together, but also it is about choice. The choice to be together on a psychic level and also about how two people can be for each other. When the lovers appear as feelings it is about being full of emotion and that you both will be together in the end. I like to think of this as Romo and Juliet in terms of that love connection. This is about wanting sex with you, wanting love with you and just wanting you all around. The star sign with this card is Gemini which makes me feel there is a balance here, the history of the lovers card is about “love” in my view. That deep sensual love and lust that we feel in the beginning of a relationship. 

The Lovers Tarot Card Yes or No

The Lovers tarot card for “Yes or No” readings is about the connection between love and hate, in my experience. Reading tarot for 30 years I believe it is not as clear as you might think when it comes to yes or no. I know that seems a bit sharp. In my view, this card is a reminder that sometimes we can block off or ghost at the drop of a hat, but if we love ourselves enough to take a step back and just wonder why has this happened. This card in love yes or no is a “Maybe” as it is a choice card, just like the seven of cups in my view. The lover's tarot card acts as a "moral reminder" of how important it is to be kind, show compassion and be understanding - even when it isn't easy. Learning to trust your intuition and act with integrity will get you the results you desire in any situation, especially when it comes to matters of the heart - so remember to listen to what your heart tells you.

The Lovers As Action/Advice

The Lovers card tells us to choose love and move forward with our own decisions, no matter how weird or crazy they might be. It calls for a complete bridge of two souls merging together in real strength across the rainbow. To use this connection wisely is to think positively, act lovingly, and do what your heart tells you is right. For love radiates not only as an emotion but through our actions too: Love itself can be seen like a verb or power we direct towards ourselves and others alike!

The Lovers As Past

When I see the lover's tarot card in the past position, I personally see this as bridging our hearts and souls together as one. I love this when it pops up in the past position. This can be past love or marriage partners. In the past, if you pull the lovers then I believe the union has already taken place. I do feel this is a great card for love in the future if you are single and the past has not treated you too well.

The lover's card in the past reminds me very much of Adam and Eve, in that there has been this amazing connection between you both - you are here because there has been a Union between two people - who are in LOVE. If you are currently alone or on your own and you draw the Lovers for the past it can mean that an everlasting love has entered your life. 

I also believe that we have Temptations no matter what happens in our lives: temptations of how we go about a love affair or temptations to end a situation that we don't feel serves us anymore. so, I do feel that this card equals that love is likely to flourish and the fact that it appeared in your past means that love has happened between you and somebody else. I'm also going to say that nobody's actually perfect in life we all have our ups and downs. few are looking at finding out if somebody still wants to be with you and you draw the Lovers for the past.

The Lovers Tarot Card As Reconciliation

Standing together in my card the two lovers can get over any storm. The message if you are asking for love reconciliation from this tarot card is that love will happen again. Previously, the man and women were married by the Hierophant on the fools journey. Whenever I draw this card in my readings, I believe that love wins though all the rubbish that life throws at us. The lovers is about choice as I have said before but also decision. If this card pops up in a reversal for reconciliation then it is probably a no I am afraid. 

The Lovers As A Person

It can mean that a person is thinking of you allot, and as this card is ruled by Venus then this could be connected to a Taurus. There is a focus on following your heart if this comes up as a person. I do think there should be some level here of giving a choice in love. And, I believe this is a good card if you want marriage from this person so this is the choice of marrying someone or not. The card is also deemed related to Gemini - so to me, this is about the fact that this person can be up and down about you. Sometimes you in there minds and at times you don’t. To me, this is all about crazy or things that will pass, and good decisions will be needed going forward in this relationship. 

The Lovers in Health

The Lovers isn’t a common card for health readings, but if it does come up it is usually less about your personal health and more a reassurance that you have support at this time. Other times in health readings the Lovers card will indicate a health problem with a body part that has two parts to it – kidneys, lungs, arms, eyes and there being an issue with both. The Lovers is also indicative of all things revolving around the heart, metaphysically speaking. It will appear in times of grief or loss, but usually as a hopeful card showing that things will be better. When dealing with a loss.

The Lovers Work and Wealth

Attraction isn’t always between two people. The Lovers card represents attraction in finances and money as well. Think of the ‘Law of Attraction’ and apply it to your work or financial situation. Now is a good time for you to branch out and make something happen for yourself. If you have been thinking about a job change then now is the time to do it. When dealing with a delicate work or financial time, rest assured that there is assistance coming your way that is going to lighten your load. The Lovers card can also refer to the coming together of forces, such as in a business proposition, starting a company, or even when seeking a loan. It is an excellent time for you to be seeking out these opportunities.

Reversed Lovers in a reading

Even in the reversed position the Lovers card still represents attraction, coming together, and completion. However, when turned flip-side the coming together that the card speaks of is for all of the wrong reasons. In a relationship setting it refers to people being sexual but not connecting in other areas or can represent a marriage that is lacking substance. The two are not seeing eye to eye to eye concerning long-term goals. The reversed Lovers also gives an air of materialism, making rash monetary decisions, and being irresponsible in other areas of your life. Consider focusing on avenues that make you feel whole rather than those that merely make you joyous.