Anyone who knows me well knows I love compasses. If you know where to look you can find them all over our home. The largest one is right above your head when you step inside our front door.I love everything about a compass. I love the artistry and the precision of a compass rose. I love the magic of the needle being acted upon by unseen forces. I love the idea of something that aligns itself with the very nature of the earth. Perhaps most of all I love what a compass is, what it does, and also, surprisingly, what it doesn’t do.What is a compass? It’s a tool. So right off I’m already a fan. Tools exist for one reason and one reason alone—to help. So in a world where we all need as much help as we can get, I am a fan of good tools.What does a compass do? It’s a tool for discovering where you are and deciding where you want to go next. A compass helps you get your bearings, and that’s something that not many things in our world actually help you do.And finally, what’s all this about loving what a compass doesn’t do? Well, that’s something I came to appreciate only a handful of years ago. A compass can help you discover where you are and tell you where you’re headed, but a compass will never tell you where you must go next. A compass helps. It does not command you or demand anything from you. A compass describes reality to you. It never prescribes reality for you. A compass has no story to tell. It simply says, “here you are,” at let’s you decide your next move.In that way a compass is like a really good friend. One who’s always there to bounce things off of and get your bearings, but no judgement. Just help.And lastly, the one thing I love about a compass perhaps most of all … It reminds me that, even though I may not be where I want to be at this moment, if I just know where I am, if I can just get my bearings, then each step from this moment forward gets me a little closer to where I want to be. And that, I believe, is what truly defines a person. Not where they are at this exact moment, but where they’re going.So after my long ode to compasses I leave you with this simple thought …Never define yourself by where you find yourself, only by where you find yourself headed.And even though your chosen destination feels a million miles away, take one step toward it and you’ll already be building yourself a beautiful life.