Recently, I was on the phone with my Dad and he asked me if I ever shared my piece titled “A Compass Versus a Roadmap.” I said, “No, Dad. I don’t think that pertains to Dog News readers.” My dad said, “Well I do. I think it pertains to everyone who is alive. It’s one of my favorites.” When I got off the phone, I thought, “Why not?” So in honor of my dad, I’d like to share the following thought I explored regarding how to navigate life with Dog News readers.
We each have in our toolbox of life, both a compass and a roadmap. As this year comes to an end and the New Year approaches perhaps some of you will stop and ask, “Where do I want to go in the New Year? What do I want to bring more of into my life?” Each of us in the dog show community is on a personal journey. Here are my thoughts on how I have learned to find my way.
Our inner compass constantly, gently sometimes, not so gently other times, draws us like magnets towards our inner truth, our inner knowing. It is an inner calling or yearning that quietly speaks to us saying, “I want more. There is a direction I’ve been yearning to go in, but I don’t know how to get there. We may question ourselves, thinking no one told me how to read this thing. Why didn’t this inner compass come with better instructions?
Why not just follow a roadmap? It seems a roadmap would be easier and make more sense. Many of us get frustrated because we don’t know how to follow a compass. We just want a damn roadmap so we know where we are going. But do we really want that? A roadmap is created by people and institutions such as parents, school systems, societies, friends and family members. Is this what our heart wants us to blindly follow? Do we really want to simply walk down a road paved for the masses? Where is the adventure in that? It fact, if we check in with ourselves, do any of us want to be lemmings, following a predetermined path? Hell no! Besides, what would we really do with our lives if we had a clearly defined road map telling us where to go? I certainly wouldn’t want to follow a specified path just because someone told me I should or had to. I want to be in control to determine my own direction. In addition, for the times we wish life were easier and want to simply know the road before us…. What happens to us mentally when we know exactly where we are going? We tend to tune out or focus only on the destination. We lose sight of the journey.
I believe we are each meant to be trailblazers. We are given a compass so we have a direction that we are magnetically pulled in, but we are free to choose our own path. When we are on our path and living our truth it feels as if the wind is at our back propelling us forward. When we are not, we often feel at odds with our being and our life direction.
I believe we are meant to trail blaze, because we each have a unique calling. We each have a unique expression we bring into this world. Part of the fun and adventure is that we each get to walk a path that has never been experienced before and will never be experienced again in our own unique way. Each of us has a unique deep calling within us that wants to experience certain things in this lifetime. Our inner compass works similar to a magnet, pulling us closer to our true essence or repelling us because what we are doing is in opposition to where we are truly yearning to go and who we are truly yearning to be and experience.
Think about how we use a compass versus how we use a roadmap. If you use a compass while in the woods or at sea, you are able to experience all the nuances along the way. However, when you are on a road that is paved, you don’t look around and take in the experience, you often just become focused on getting to wherever the road is supposed to take you. With the compass we can’t see the destination, so we often need to tune-in and become present.
Think about this some more. If you end up on a paved road that has been set out by the masses, you might find yourself in a place where you suddenly wonder, how did I get here? Instead, if you are blazing your own path, you must be a part of each moment because you are creating the trail.
Let’s tune-in and determine the path we want to be blazing. Let’s become one with our truth, do what feels right, listen and let our inner compass direct and guide us. Yes, if we are feeling lost, we can stop and ask for directions. However, each time we receive guidance from someone else, we should stop and tune-in to determine if the advice feels right. It may be perfect advice for the person giving it, but it may not be what feels best to our inner being.
So which tool will you choose to navigate life? Will you use your inner compass and follow its magnetic pull or will you choose a roadmap? Others can give us guidance and advice on how to swim, but in the end we must find our own way. Yes, a roadmap would be easier, but in my opinion that would be boring. If the path we are on isn’t requiring any thought, how meaningful is it really? For me, I want life to feel meaningful. I want to experience my life in the deepest most vital way. I want to truly feel what it means to feel vibrant and alive on a daily basis. Learning to read this compass is a fascinating mystery that I am excited to discover. Let’s each embark on this journey with an open mind and a curious sense of adventure. I believe listening to our inner compass can lead us to our most passionate life.
P.S.: As the year comes to a close, I want to express my gratitude to Dog News and all the readers who have supported my venture as a writer. Putting my thoughts and writing out into the world for the first time, and to my community of peers, has been scary, exhilarating and rewarding. Thank you to those of you who have written me or stopped me to talk about one of my articles. Your interest and enthusiasm fans the flames of my desire to continue writing and sharing for this I am deeply grateful.
About the Author
At eight years of age, Kelly Lyn Marquis began showing dogs. She has been handling dogs professionally for more than 25 years. In 2002 she handled Ch. Blue Chip Purple Reign, #1 Doberman, #1 Working Dog, #5 All Breed. She is a member of the Professional Handlers’ Association, and the AKC Registered Handlers’ Program. She is a CTA Certified Life Coach and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of New Hampshire. To comment on articles or to suggest future article ideas, please visit her website at https://winall.us.
Published in Dog News Magazine, December 14, 2018, page 52