Compass Exercise 1

INTRODUCTION TO THE COMPASS CONCEPT

I recently had the opportunity to reflect upon and write about some exercises in values identification, purpose, and identity. These concepts were taught to me by two very dear mentors. Their teaching and guidance made such a tremendous difference in my life at the time and since, that I share these ideas freely with others. I share them now with you, brave wanderers, in memory of two people who loved me well and taught me how to navigate in an uncertain, unpredictable world.

My mentors referred to navigating life by your own values and authentic self as “true North”. Before you can test your inner cartography and sense of direction, you need to deeply and thoughtfully consider yourself as a unique and separate person – how you are wired, and who you are made to be on the planet. Was it uncomfortable to read that last part? Many of us are engrained with beliefs that spending any time thinking about ourselves is wrong. You may have had someone in your life who depended on you to think, be and do only what that person wanted. You may have been told that caring much about yourself or your own direction in life was fluff, or selfish, or only for people who had enough resources to choose their life path. I want to tell you something: you are an individual person with a once-in-the-cosmos purpose, and you being “you” matters to this world and the people in it. You are someone special, and your presence impacts the arch of history.

It’s okay to think about it.

TRUE NORTH – AND WHY IT MATTERS

In this context, true North is total alignment with values.  It is very important that we get over the idea of values as morality.  Values are the sum of what is most important to us – where we want to spend our finite resources as human beings (time, materials, physical health, energy, relationships, opportunities taken and lost, so forth). 

When we live in patterns that find us spending these limited, critical resources on things that are not aligned with how we are wired and what matters most to us, we get exhausted, frustrated, foggy, and can even become sick.

In fact, when we have a state of incongruence (in neuro talk, that is dis-integration or dysregulation), it can cause scripts to run in our minds which preoccupy our thoughts and pull resources from our cognition, but also from other parts of our physical bodies impacted by added strain on our autonomic nervous systems.  When we identify it down the track, it often feels like anxiety or low-level frustration always bubbling.  Basically, we’re aware of constant static and friction within (functionally, biologically, emotionally); it’s tiresome, physically uncomfortable, and distracting.

Consciously working towards alignment between your own values and the patterns of activity in your life can bring you closer to congruence, or integration.  You have greater reserve capacity, and your mind and body are more free to live fully, in strength, and be effective doing what you love.

TELL ME MORE

This is the first post of many on this topic. I will write in a progressive order with reflection questions in the Self Reflection section below.

REMEMBERING

Whilst the writing and interpretation is my own, these concepts and exercises were inherited from my professors and mentors, Dr. Jennifer Nelson and the late Dr. Tim Nelson.  With my love, always.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

Read more about navigating by values here: Finding Your Way.