Video: Follow Your Inner Compass

I recorded this video while I was walking back to the farmhouse in Ujire, India, on the two-mile road between the main road and the farmhouse. Although I left Ujire several weeks ago, I'm posting this now because I feel this message is very important.

When we follow our inner compass -- our intuition -- we discover that life feels less restricted. Things just seem to flow from one thing to the next.

This effect can even be seen in the video. Initially, I wasn't going to record anything and I began walking away from the stream to continue on to the farm. But I felt something tugging at me. My inner compass was telling me to turn around and capture the moment.

Unlike a compass, however, life doesn't always point in the same direction. And it's not supposed to. If you listen carefully, your inner compass will push you in the right direction, guiding you where you need to go.

But it's important to recognize that "the right direction" isn't always the easiest, most obvious, or even the most pain-free route. I wasn't going to record this video initially because I was feeling sick and I just wanted to get back home. In the end, however, recording this video actually made me feel better.

Strangely enough, it was in this same spot that I learned and wrote about lessons from a crab on how the right path in life isn't always obvious or easy. I think that's an important lesson to keep in mind when following our compass.

Life isn't all fun and games. It's not all pleasure and happiness. Ignoring our inner compass and always looking for the easiest route will have the opposite effect and lead to more difficulties in life.

This doesn't mean we should blindingly follow any whim that comes along. If we're trekking and we come across a great chasm, do we listen to the compass and keep walking? No, we use the compass as a guide, to assist us on the journey.

In the same way, listen to your compass. Hear it. Be aware of it. Use it to help you make decisions. When in doubt, trust it. Let it be your guide; your mentor. Respect it. Just as a real compass is simply a tool, use your own inner compass to guide you on the journey of life.

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  1. Raam, this was awesome. More than the concept itself, which is good on it’s own, the way you describe it is very powerful because you can see very obviously that you believe wholeheartedly in it, and because of that, you create an extremely captivating video. Well done.

    Let us all follow our compass.

    • Thank you, Ross! I think if we all follow what we truly believe — if we live with conviction, passion, and purpose — it will come through and show in our daily life. By following our inner compass, we can not only make that happen but also achieve whatever we’re looking for in life.

  2. You’re spot on, Raam. As Ross says, one can tell that you are in harmony and in balance with yourself by doing what just that, following your inner compass. Very inspiring.

    However, I want to note that it isn’t always obvious to hear the “voice” of that compass. Worries, opinions, advice from others, … can very much obscure the “signal” of your inner compass. On the other hand, that is what I have always found fascinating about that inner voice, its subtlety and the fact that it doens’t force you to do anything. Ultimately, it’s up to you. That’s also what I like about your analogy, i.e., like a real compass, it doesn’t force you to go in the direction it points to, it’s just a kind, subtle hint.

    Wonderful post!

    P.S.: The video doesn’t show in Safari and Chrome (on a Mac). It does work in Firefox, though. Just you know.

    • Thank you, Bart.

      I agree that it’s not always easy to hear our inner compass, but in the same way that it’s not always easy to hear a soft-spoken person unless we’re listening, we need to be listening to hear the compass. I think if we listen carefully enough, all of us can hear that inner guide. For some, it may be more difficult (for example, those who find it difficult to concentrate and clear their mind). But that’s what we have meditation for. Practicing meditation daily allows us to have a greater control over our mind.

      Are you sure the video doesn’t work? I also have a Mac and the video works in all three browsers for me (Firefox 3.5.9, Chrome 5.0.375, and the latest Safari).

      • Well, I tried to steer clear from meditation as I seem to talk about it way too often, but you are absolutely right. Meditation is ideal for getting in touch with that inner compass.

        Everything works fine now. It must have been a glitch on my Mac earlier today.

  3. Mine has changed directions on it’s own a few times over the years. At least half as much as I’ve tried ignoring it to no good effect.

    That place looks amazing. Don’t get eaten by a tiger.

  4. nice post Raam, I get the feeling that your thought came to you when you where actually in a state of “no mind”..just extremely relaxed..calm…yet a mind that is very alert and sensitive…it is this sensitive mind that is able to perceive your inner compass….and like you said you need to start paying attention to it…follow it…but be prepared to fall… because your inner compass wants to explore the unknown.. it will take you into what you perceive to be wrong…but this is the only way you know whats right for you..is by experiencing the wrong…but in the process you will learn to become aware of your emotions..of your feelings…developing into trust..trust in your abilities in your intelligence…trust can only be gained through your own experience and understanding…keep it up…happy for you…I can see your in a beautiful space 🙂

    • Thanks Ivan!

      I was definitely in a calming, relaxing, and beautiful place! I had so many insights, ideas, and self-discoveries while I was in Ujire!

      You’re so right about trust only being gained through experience and understanding. Too often we choose to relate with things only on the surface and discard or ignore everything else. We need to tune into our real self, discover who we really are inside, and constantly focus our attention inward.

      Love your blog! So much awesome info there. 🙂

  5. Great, great message. How calm and well-paced you are when you talk on video. I am full of energy and all over the place….I need to calm down. Raam, I do hope you are staying on top of your health though – please do not relax about that and stay in good shape!! And I promise to follow my compass to the fullest!!!! Thank you!

    • Thank you, Farnoosh! Don’t worry, I’m staying healthy! 🙂

      If you’re full of energy and all over the place, you can use that to your advantage. You just need to focus that power on things that matter to you. And remember, you can only focus energy in the current moment! Trying to focus your future or past energy will get you no where!

  6. This is so true 🙂

    I only read recently that we need to work with our natural capacity. I like the simple life and not a lot of the consumerist/modern day culture we are supposed to like e.g tv, alcohol, shopping, it makes me feel at peace to watch your video. I will make an effort to listen to and follow my inner compass now and see where it leads me – I think we all to often do things that are expected of us by society and not what we truly want to do. Awesome post, I love it x

    • Thank you, Debbie! 🙂 Trusting our inner compass and letting it guide us can be scary, but it sure beats handing over our lives and our futures to somebody else (in this case society, which is everybody else!). We just need to recognize that we have an opportunity with this life and to waste it would be an absolute shame!

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