What is Your Compass?
When in the throes of change and transition, it’s important to be able to quickly find your “north star” and ground yourself on your path and in alignment with your values and direction. For those who haven’t given it much thought, they often find themselves trying to borrow or use others’ compasses in a pinch when they feel lost or misaligned. But having others point the way isn’t as likely to yield the same results of putting you on your own best path to your highest fulfillment.
If you’re used to listening to the “still small voice” of wisdom within, your own intuition or sense of “knowing”, you may not feel as much need to identify a compass, of sorts. But for me, it was especially helpful when I doubted myself or couldn’t tune in because of too much internal noise and/or outer distraction. If you can relate, I encourage you to give it some thought and see what comes to mind as perhaps, something you’ve returned to many times throughout your life.
There are many sources of inspiration and reflection of values that may serve as a compass. For me it’s something simple, yet profound, that I was given to memorize as a child. As it’s my compass, it’s where I am on my journey and in relation to these qualities personally, versus how someone else defines them or thinks they should be developed. Throughout my life thus far, it has served as a point of reference to my “true north” and been a measure in my decisions to affirm (or not) if I’m on the right track with my deeper values. While I do not identify as a member of any particular faith, my compass comes from the biblical scripture Galatians 5:22,23 which outlines the nine “fruits of the spirit”: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, LONG-SUFFERING (PATIENCE), KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITH, MILDNESS and SELF-CONTROL.
For me this resonated, as I love(d) spirit — that which I sensed I was an integral part of. And in my young mind I wanted to be like a tree: home to birds (which I have always loved), providing shelter and shade, and fruit — so this concept really clicked for me at a very young age. If I could live in such a way as to develop and demonstrate these qualities, I believed I would be unconquerable. Some of them, like patience or mildness (not gonna lie) have been pretty challenging. But when I measure my actions, towards MYSELF as well as others, for these qualities, and I’m acting in alignment, I do feel unconquerable and without regret.
