Navigating Life’s Choices with the North Star as Your Compass

Phrase of the day: Your North Star

We all want to be happy. But what does that mean? Achieving happiness is not something you can simply try to do by forcing yourself to feel a certain way, or by looking for the next big thing. Instead, it’s about making choices that lead naturally toward what you really desire —and releasing the beliefs and narratives that no longer serve you along the way. I believe that applying this kind of mindfulness to everyday life is actually quite simple(but sometimes not that easy to implement): Simply find out what makes you happy right now, and then keep doing it!

I heard the phrase “north star” very casually on an episode of Sarah Jakes Robert’s podcast, Woman Evolve. At the time, I wasn’t sure why I felt the urgent need to check what it meant. Now I do. The north star is what guides you through life. It’s your purpose, your passion and the reason you’re here. It’s not a goal or a wish list, but something bigger than yourself that drives you forward every day. I had been thinking about “purpose” and “showing up as the best version of yourself” for a while, so I’m sure that’s why it stood out to me. Your north star is the thing that makes you happy, the thing that fulfils you. It’s your passion; your purpose in life and it’s what drives every decision you make.

“The North Star, also known as the Pole Star or Polaris, is an F-class supergiant star four hundred-thirty lightyears from Earth. Polaris is located above Earth’s rotational axis at the North Pole and can help observers navigate north and calculate their latitudinal position in the Northern Hemisphere. Polaris’s size and brightness make it relatively easy to identify with the naked eye.”

- Jessie Krebs, Masterclass

What is the North Star?

The north star is a constant in the sky. It guides many species of birds and animals, as well as humans. Apparently, it has been used for navigation since ancient times, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that scientists began to understand why this star was so important. They found that the light from this star does not change much over time, but other celestial bodies do change their brightness depending on how far away they are or how much dust there is between them and us.

It’s said that every person has their own north star, something that guides them through life. While some people are lucky enough to have this light in the dark from the very beginning, others have to find it for themselves. The key to finding your north star is in identifying what makes you happy. What do you love doing so much that time just flies by? What makes you feel complete? What brings a smile to your face when you think about it? What is that one thing that you feel you have to do (or be) to feel truly fulfilled in life? That’s your north star.

But what if you never find your north star?

What if you are always wondering whether you are on the right path or not? The North Star is a metaphor for your personal mission statement. It’s the one thing that drives you, keeps you going when times are tough, and keeps you focused on what is important. It’s your purpose in life. It’s like a compass: it points in the right direction but doesn’t give any specific instructions about how to get there or what steps to take next. It is the guiding light that leads you in the right direction. It is what shows you which way to go when you’re lost and confused. It’s your reason for being here on Earth and it fuels your passion for life. Your north star is what gives meaning to all of your actions, big or small.

Your North Star is the one thing you can’t live without. It’s the one thing that makes you better and brings out your best self. It’s your personal mission statement. It could serve as your compass in navigating life’s choices, but it can also be something more: a reminder of what matters most to you and what makes life worth living.

So, what is your North Star? What’s the one thing that makes you feel like you’re living your best life? For me, it’s providing solutions to problems. It’s being the best version of myself. I want to be happy and healthy, but more than that, I want to make sure that my actions are contributing positively to the lives of others.

Using the North Star as your compass means aligning your decisions according to what will make you better.

As you go through life, sometimes the path you want to take isn’t the right one. You might feel like what makes sense for other people isn’t necessarily going to be best for you. You may have goals that don’t match up with those around you or desires that are difficult for others to understand. In these situations, it’s important not just to follow your heart but also to consider whether or not following your heart would actually lead to a more fulfilling life overall.

Making decisions based on their impact on yourself is called self-interested altruism —and when used properly (without hurting others), it can be an incredibly powerful tool for getting what matters most out of life and preventing regret later on down the road when faced with tough choices between two equally good options.

When making a decision, ask yourself if it will make you better.

A personal mission statement is a way to define yourself. It’s an answer to the question “What do you want your life to be about?” You may already have one, or maybe you don’t. If you don’t, then I suggest taking some time and thinking about what would make your life better if it happened—what would make it more meaningful?

In terms of direction, the North Star is like a compass that points directly towards what matters most in your life. The North Star shows us where our true north lies: where we should be headed as we navigate through this thing called life.

Conclusion

With this mindset, you can navigate through life with confidence and determination. You will be able to make decisions that are right for you, instead of being swayed by what others think or say about them. Your North Star is there to help guide your way forward – don’t let it pass by unnoticed!