Susan Burrell

One Sip at a Time, Blog

Finding Your Moral Compass

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Do you ever find yourself wondering where you got lost in the journey of living? 
I know I have.  I recently found myself in yet another lawyer’s office dealing with ongoing issues regarding my ex-husband, when I noticed the lawyer had a compass with many points on it hanging on his office wall. When I asked him about it, he told me it was to remind him there are only two ways to navigate life - the right way or the wrong way.  That statement struck me as extremely limiting and judgmental. What about the other points on the compass? Anyone who has lived long enough hopefully realizes there are many gradients of perspective. What one person believes to be right may be wrong for another person.

I began to investigate within myself how many points my compass would have.  What would the points tell me about myself? The first point that presented itself was Integrity which is extremely important to me.  My integrity keeps me straight and honest, not only with myself but with those whom I interact. It keeps me from telling a white lie and causes me to apologize as soon as I realize I have made a mistake, no matter how humiliated I may feel.  Truth is another point that is aligned with integrity.  My personal Truth may not be the same as another’s, yet it guides me to Spirit within. I realized that the rough journey of divorce had changed, or clarified if you will, my inner Truth.  My new Truth wasn’t about being a good wife or mother.  It was about putting myself first and loving myself more than I ever had before. 

When I realized I wanted to live my life loving myself, everyone else reminded me of another point on my compass, Compassion . And by delving into compassion for myself, it opened my heart and allowed me to see a much bigger picture, allowing a view beyond my personal anguish.  I became more Generous with myself and with others. I allowed myself treats I would have denied myself in the past because my ex-husband wouldn’t have approved, such as buying myself an orange purse.  I found that generosity towards myself gave me more courage to be generous with others. This grew my Happiness quotient because I was connecting with myself and with others from a heart centered place of Love.

My compass points became clearer as my investigation proceeded.  If I could love myself more and become happier, then what else could happen? My out-of-the-box thinking inspired more Creativity from within me and infused my business and my life. My creative thinking reminded me I am more of a rebel than a rule follower.  I was now Free to be all I was meant to be, a fiery redhead who is compassionate with herself and guides others on their journey to an empowered life by finding their own moral compass. Bon voyage!