If you think that you are a mess, nothing is going right and you see yourself as a total failure, maybe your boat could be a small raft or a life boat (a life vest would be too harsh and technically it is not a vessel).
If you are somewhere in the middle, your boat could be a sailboat, a motorboat or even a yacht.
And yes, you guessed it right, you are the captain of your boat. There are several factors that could affect the direction of your boat, the waves, the weather, the wind. But the real determining factor that affects the everyday direction of your boat is YOU.
Now, the question is do you know where you are going to? Do you have a compass pointing to True North?
Are there a lot times that you tend to wander in the vastness of the ocean? No real direction and just going where the waves or the wind will take you. If this is the case, chances are, you have a small boat. And you always tell yourself that there is no way you can go against the wind or the waves unlike the big boats. And how you wish you have a big boat that doesn't get rocked easily by the movement of the seas nor the threat of a bad weather.
And when you look around, you are in the company of a lot of small boats and almost each one is voicing out the same sentiments. That's why the waves and the winds brought you all together.
There are times that you come across either an abandoned or a new boat. Either way, both are much bigger and beautiful than yours. They are just there, floating and waiting for a new captain. But you like your boat. It might be small but you grew fond of it. You like the scent of the material that it is made of. You know every detail of it. It feels that you are one with it.
And jumping into that new ship might mean you having to do it all by yourself. Because, you will leave behind your countless companies who have been sailing with you aimlessly for years. You are afraid of what is out there. What if there is nothing out there? What if I have an accident and there is no one to help me? What if I am heading the wrong direction? What if's here, what if's there.
You tend to always give your apprehensions the justification they need to refrain yourself from changing your course and eventually your boat. Although there is enough proof around you that the captains of the bigger boats don't just travel faster and safer, they also get to more places, have more meaningful life experiences, conquer a lot more areas. They look happier than you or your friends. They speak with confidence and look knowledgeable of where they are heading. Seems that they are aware of where True North is!
Sometimes you think that they can't probably know where True North is. Because not all of them are going to the same direction. Just like you and your friends, they sail all over the place. But still, your general observation remains the same. The captains of the bigger boats have more and they can offer more. Sometimes they pull other stranded smaller boats even inviting the stranded captains over.
Well, if you, my friend are also asking "Where is life's True North?" I have a good news for you. There is no real and absolute True North. Everyone has his own True North. Your True North is not the same as mine or anybody else's. It is yours and yours alone. It could be in the same general direction as the other boats, but it is specifically yours. It might be farther or nearer than others. The path to your True North could be more treacherous or more serene than others.
But believe me, when you know where it is, that's the start of your real journey. That's where everything seems to make sense. And if you focus on your True North, and keep the course, strong opposing winds and gigantic waves won't threaten you as much as they used to. Maybe not at all. They may even fire up the passion in you to reach your destination.
I have always believed that each one's True North depends upon his own passion. I believe that God has given us that passion because that is the role that He wants us to play as one of the stewards of His creations.
It might take time to fully realize what exactly your passion is and where it leads to. But if you constantly look for it without fail, you will find it. And just follow it nevertheless with vigor and enthusiasm. And you will find yourself aboard your dream boat. And you will experience how insignificant the size of the waves and the strength of the winds are.
“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” --Jimmy Dean
What is your boat? Where is your True North? Are you heading to your True North?
Have a blissful day!
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