Tenet 2: We recognize and follow our internal compass to speak and act with integrity

We are all born with the innate capacity to decipher which actions will bring about the most good for us and others. Although it may not be as dominant in our lives today, this skill can be developed and refined through practice. Our internal compass acts as a type of universal unspoken language.

Many have described it as the voice of our conscience letting us know what to do, day by day, and even hour by hour. Our quest is to become well acquainted with this language, and to use it often. When we learn to understand it and act upon it, it can help us make choices that will increase our joy and our capacity to influence for good. Doing this will aid us in fully experiencing and growing life-culture.

So how does our internal compass operate? What does it look like, and how does it feel?  Although there is no “standard” way to describe it, we do have some clues that can help us identify it. Because we are all different, we likewise have different ways we understand and identify our own internal compass.

Here are just some ways that our internal compass might operate within us.

• The feeling that something is true

• A clear thought or impression to do good

• A more clear understanding of a concept

• A sharper memory to do something good, or recall something important

• A moment of inspiration where your heart is touched and you are filled with positive emotion

• A sensitivity to others around you, to reach out to someone and help them in some way

• It might even be the feeling of danger, or the thought to avoid doing or saying something

• Tender feeling of compassion toward others

• A compelling impression to act without a full knowledge of why

These are merely a few ways in which our compass gently nudges us toward life-culture. The key is to consistently listen and act. Identifying how the compass speaks to you is the first step, the second, and perhaps the most important step, is following through with the action. The more we act on our impressions to do good, the more this capability within us will manifest. Subsequently, the more we will understand clearly what choices are best for us to make, and when we should make them.

Whenever possible, we should recognize experiences where we have been directed by our internal compass, and write down those experiences so we can remember them at a later date . As we become skilled in this language, it is important to pass this skill on to the rising generation, and others so they too can learn. Our personal experiences make great teaching opportunities in how this capacity has helped us navigate life choices.    

Having a pure heart

As we foster our internal power through Big Ocean philosophy, our hearts are pure and ready to work in unity. As we counsel together and work side by side, we find great joy, and we shed all desire for competition, personal gain, and self-interest. Our motives and purposes are elevated, and we find ourselves working together for a greater cause – our human family. Our pure hearts allow us to create greater collective unity.

• When was the last time you felt a desire to serve someone or do a kind act?

• How did that beginning feeling or thought occur? What did it feel like to you?

• When was the last time you received a clear idea or an answer to a problem? What did that feel like?

• When you receive these ideas or impressions, how do you typically react? Do you follow through? Why or why not?

• If you have a hard time following the path your heart is telling you to go, what are some possible reasons you hesitate or don’t act?

• How can you teach this idea to your children?

• How might becoming proficient with this tool help you day to day?