Be You Own Compass -by Ingrid Nazar

I recently overheard a conversation in which one person gave advice to another regarding a big life decision. The advice that was given was "You just gotta do what's right for you." To this advice the other individual replied..."Yah..I just wish I knew what that was."

Why is it so hard to find answers at times?  It should be as simple as knowing what is right for us shouldn't it? And then simply following through with what that right thing is. I myself have endlessly pondered solutions to questions that puzzled me to a never ending query. I felt the answer to my dilemma could be simple and obvious yet never a conclusion could be met. There seemed to be infinite factors to consider that made that just do what's right for me solution slightly out of my reach.  I suppose if we lived in a bubble, doing what is right for us might be a tad simpler. The plain fact is however that our decisions often do impact others and other's reaction to our decisions will in turn impact us. This is where the hang up mostly lies. There are consequences to our actions. We affect one another with each and every choice that we make. And yet I do believe that we still must do what is right for us and if everyone followed that advice perhaps the right thing to do might be more apparent for us all.

There are a few hurdles to overcome when becoming a master of doing what is right for oneself. The first hurdle is guilt, the second is control and the third is doubt. For heaven's sake let go of the guilt and discard the notion that doing what is right and true for you is a selfish act. If it is right for you it is an act of self care and can only enhance your life and ultimately the lives of others.

As for control, aside from the fact that believing you have any control at all is an illusion, releasing the need to control the world around you and the lives of others will make your decisions much easier. Look after yourself and trust that others know what's best for them too. Control is utterly exhausting and you'll find that by releasing the need to caretake other people you will free up enormous amounts of your own precious energy that can be redirected into healthier self pursuits and your own soul journey. 

The third hurdle of doubt rarely exists in an individual that has developed a strong relationship with themselves. A healthy relationship with oneself involves respect and integrity and trust. Stop seeking outside of yourself, every time you ask another person what is right for you you have blown it. How can anyone else possibly know what is right for you? Become your own authority and stop seeking approval for you choices. You made them for a very good reason trust that. Believe in yourself, be your own barometer and your own compass. The more the relationship that you have with yourself is strengthened the easier it is to hear your own answers. The easier it is to know what the right thing for you is and the easier the follow through will be, no matter what the consequences of your decision may be. Know thy self and trust thyself, don't let doubt interfere with your deep knowing. Foster that connection to self by challenging doubt and honouring your first instincts. Listen to that wise self that knows and the doubts will begin to diminish.

Listening also requires a quiet environment conducive to hearing. Being rushed, flustered and preoccupied will always keep you out of ear shot of internal guidance. If you are seeking answers slow down and give them a chance to actually catch up with you. It is the still moments that bridges the gap and it is in those still moments that you will gain access to the answers that you are seeking.

More than ever I find we live in a new world filled with choice, the old should's are losing their stronghold and many avenues of expression are presenting themselves. This makes it easier than ever to make a right choice because to some degree there are no wrong choices, in the end it is what is right for you and everyone is entitled to their own interpretation of what is right. Although this new found freedom might be scary for some that have always been comfortable with a strict code of conduct it is a brave new world that we live in and one that is becoming more and more multidimensional. So embrace the new world, throw your hat in the ring and boldly declare what is right for you.