Following the Moral Compass: The Evolution of the Soul

A moral compass is defined as, “an inner sense which distinguishes what is right from wrong, functioning as a guide for morally appropriate behavior.”

A moral compass can be seen as “doing good,” or interpreted today such as, “I’m better than you” because I am doing good. The perversion of social media stigmatizes kind acts because everyone wants to be in the limelight or to be praised for their good work. 

A compass is a navigation tool to get you back on path when lost in the wild or in the dark. Ironically, the needle points northward, which symbolizes our souls connection to God, the universe and source. The moral part of the compass includes the mental processes of our soul’s direction or guidance.  It's the balance between the head and the heart. 

"On the ocean of life, let your mind be the ship and your heart be the compass."
-James David Manning

If anything, a moral compass teaches us to swim out of the depths of our psyche, addictions or destructive behaviors, and follow the light to a better and brighter future. In simple terms, the moral compass chooses things that better serve us and is the guider to the evolution of our soul.

According to Psychology Today, one of the problems in today’s society is that we are “amoral,” meaning lacking a clear compass or a foundational guide. Although there are plenty of immoral things happening today, as well as throughout human history, it is evident that people are losing their way. 
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In the past, our ancestors used tools like the Bible, The Golden Rule or nature as their moral compass. Religion was used as a method, or a compass, to control the primitive pagans and instill some form of “humanity,” which led to the church controlling the state. Since then, we’ve evolved and it seems that people need a new set of values for their compass. 

Today, the social media-induced, corporate culture is harsh, competitive, prideful, egotistical and selfish. While surrounded in that environment, it is easy to get lost, or thrown off path since many people find fulfillment and confidence through the external world. 

Humans are multifaceted creatures. There is no one perfect person and it easy to admire and love someone like JFK, Martin Luther King and Oskar Schindler for their courageous work. However, all three of these men were either womanizers or had multiple affairs outside of their marriage. 

So how moral were these characters? It is only fair to analyze all areas of the character. It is easy to judge the moral humanitarian character as a ‘good’ person, but what about the destruction caused to the wife’s heart? Today, with the exposure of powerful men taking advantage of women, we see another part of one’s moral compass suffering. People are human and make mistakes. 

But it is important to learn from these mistakes so one can better setup their future. People who don’t have a moral compass (or a connection to it) often make the same mistakes again and again. Most cannot look in the mirror and admit their mistakes, weaknesses or the pain they caused to other people. 

So how do I improve my moral compass?

There is no one viewpoint on this topic, but three prime focuses are respect, well-being and integrity. 

Respect is a quality that we should have for ourselves and others. It is defined as, “a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements.” We respect ourselves and others through our thoughts, actions and behaviors. 

What do you think of yourself? How do you speak about others? How do you treat your body? How do you treat your coworkers? If we respect ourselves, we generally respect others (and our home).   

Well-being and respect go hand in hand. Well-being is the state of health of our inner and outer world – the mind, body, soul and environment. Our moral compass should respect ourselves to balance and harmonize ourselves and discover that self-satisfaction comes from within, not others. Balance is key. Aim for equal parts of activity, rest, recovery and maintenance. In the world of well-being, fitness and dieting, it is easy to go extreme, but the reality is that the body is best in balance when in harmony, or in a state of equilibrium. 

Integrity is moral uprightness and the quality of being honest, and having strong moral principles. This is self-explanatory, but many people lack integrity. For example, a woman meets her soulmate. But, her soul-mate is married. Confused by lust and emotion, she cannot see that his heart is already taken and that he is a human being too. I’ve seen this happen where the two have an affair and the man ends up not leaving his marriage and the soul mate is crushed.

Let’s look at this scenario from the lens of respect and integrity.

Why do people ignore respect for their pure selfish motives? Why did the woman not have respect for her body, but also for the wife and child? Why did she not respect her emotions? High emotions clouds good judgement.

Instead of rationalizing and respecting the situation (or keeping it platonic), both succumbed to love, lust and animal instincts without integrity or thought of how these actions will affect other people. The reality is that infidelity always catches up and the truth will always be exposed. 

Marriage is the most sacred bond on this planet and it is important to block temptations and respect the bond and vows that were created by two people. Read more thoughts on my "Soul Mate is Married" blog. 

What are your thoughts on a moral compass? Check out my latest Sunspiration post on Steering your Ship with Your Moral Compass. 

Sticking to your moral compass isn’t easy in today’s world, but it’s the one way to evolve our souls and consciousness.  

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