How I Learned That True North Is a Direction, Not a Place

For most of my life, I believed peace would come with arrival.

If I could just get the title, land the opportunity, finish the project, or earn the recognition, then I would finally feel steady. I believed clarity lived at the finish line. That once I reached the right place, I could exhale and know I was enough.

But every time I crossed a finish line, something unexpected happened. The rush of satisfaction faded, and in its place came a hollow quiet. The horizon moved again. The clarity I longed for was still out of reach.

That is when I began to realize that True North is not a place. It is not a destination you arrive at once and for all. It is a direction, a compass point that you return to again and again.

The Seduction of Arrival

The culture we live in feeds us the myth of arrival early. It tells us that the next milestone will deliver fulfillment.

Once you graduate, then you will feel secure.
Once you get married, then you will feel complete.
Once you earn the promotion, then you will finally feel confident.
Once you achieve the next goal, then you can rest.