True North

I once told a friend that she should find her true north. Back then, I thought I understand what it truly means. At that time, I thought I could explain it to anyone. On that conversation, I thought finding one’s true north is a simple process and that one must have a conscious effort to engage with it at every significant stages in one’s life.

Several months later, that same friend told me she couldn’t remember much what I said about finding one’s true north. I also couldn’t remember. Actually, I realised I was only talking rubbish when I told her about it. I really didn’t know or understand what I was talking about that time.

Lately, I have been thinking about it a lot. Now is that time in one’s life to walk the talk. I can always echo the things I read or hear from people I look up to but the real deal is when you get to apply to your own life a cocktail of wisdom and learnings and use it.

I thought finding one’s true north is being naked from all safety blankets that we have attached ourselves with in the past. I thought finding one’s true north is removing all superficial gap-fillers in our lives that we blindly see as the source of our happiness. I thought finding one’s true north is catching that one good wave (that comes randomly) and glide through it with confidence and freedom. I thought finding one’s true north is listening to that subtle voice, which in my life I refer to as ‘His’ will.

I further thought that finding one’s true north is not about stopovers or crossovers, it is about bringing life into full-stop, standing still and looking at the horizon. I thought finding one’s true north is also about choices. Choosing what is more ‘freeing’ to the soul. I thought finding one’s true north is not just about settling but settling down.

I am not a sailor. I don’t know how to sail through rough waters and technically, I don’t know how a compass really work. I can only guess that a good compass is an important piece of equipment for a sailor or any traveler. I thought, in life and in finding one’s true north, we should use not only one compass but multiple compasses – spiritual, moral, emotional, social and intellectual compasses. When and how to use all these compasses is key in finding one’s true north.

And so – as someone traversing the fine line of mid-life, I will not simply have a stop-over or just have a plain cross-over, I will bring myself into full-stop. With all the compasses closely held in my chest, I will search for that true north. I may or may not find it, but at least, I tried. It maybe distant and elusive but it is worth pursuing.