By Larry G. Patten
TTL Today – Reflect. Think. Live.
Most people don’t realize this: there are two Norths.
One is magnetic. The other is true.
Magnetic North is where your compass points—shaped by the shifting flow of Earth’s molten core. It’s not fixed. It drifts slowly over time. Right now, it’s moving toward Siberia.
True North is different. It never changes. It’s the precise point where the Earth’s axis emerges through the northernmost tip of the globe—the place where all lines of longitude converge. It is constant. Reliable. Anchored.
That difference matters.
Because if you’re navigating with a compass and don’t account for the gap between magnetic and True North, you can end up far off course. Ten degrees here. Sixteen there. On a long enough journey, a small misalignment will take you somewhere you never intended to go.
Now here’s the part that matters more than geography:
You have a True North inside you.
Finding the Direction Within
In my book The Compass Within, I describe True North as the Delight of Your Heart—the place where your purpose, passion, and presence all align. It’s not about what others expect from you. It’s not the version of you curated for applause or approval.
It’s who you are when nothing’s pulling on you.
But life is full of magnetic forces.
Fame. Fear. Pressure. Pain.
Money. Influence. Expectations. Approval.
Even well-meaning voices—friends, family, faith communities—can pull you a few degrees off center.
And the farther you go, the harder it becomes to remember what direction you were headed in the first place.
Recalibrating
That’s why it’s essential to stop regularly, pull out your inner compass, and ask:
- Am I still aligned with what truly matters?
- Am I making decisions based on my core convictions—or magnetic pressures?
- Have I veered slightly off course without realizing it?
It might only be ten degrees. But ten degrees over time becomes a different life.
True North doesn’t shout. It doesn’t demand. It doesn’t need the crowd to cheer it on.
It just waits.
It waits for us to realign.
How Do You Know You’ve Found It?
True North feels less like ambition and more like peace. Less like noise and more like clarity. It may not be the easiest path—but it’s the one that feels honest.
And once you find it, you’ll know.
Because your decisions feel lighter. Your steps feel grounded. And your soul finally stops searching for permission.
Staying the Course
Just like Earth’s magnetic field continues to shift, the world around you will keep pulling. New voices will try to define success for you. Old habits will resurface. The pressure to conform won’t go away.
So you’ll need to keep correcting. Not just once, but over and over. Gracefully. Gently. Consistently.
The journey of a life well-lived isn’t about getting it right once. It’s about realigning every time you drift.
A Closing Thought
If you’re feeling lost—or just slightly misaligned—don’t panic.
The compass still works. True North is still there. You haven’t failed. You’ve just drifted.
And with one small, quiet correction, you can return to the life you were meant to live.
The Delight of Your Heart is waiting.
If this speaks to something deep inside you, you might find The Compass Within helpful. I wrote it for people exactly like you—people who are ready to stop chasing magnetic distractions and start moving toward a life that feels whole again.
Let’s walk that path—one true step at a time.
📘 See all my books at www.amazon.com/author/lpatten