Not All Who Wander Are Lost
Follow Your Inner Compass
“Too often, the world is governed by false values.
Rather than following our own path, we look around and start doing pretty much what everyone else is doing. You can easily get the impression that you should strive to know important people, gain power over others, acquire expensive things, or be highly thought of by your neighbors.
But these are just the tinsel of life, glittering but worthless.”
— Alexander Green, Beyond Wealth
It’s easy to find ourselves pulled off course by society’s standards of success—going viral, having thousands of subscribers, earning six figures of income, et cetera.
We lose sight of the reason why we started in the first place and find ourselves chasing vanity metrics and external validation. Our feeds are flooded by gurus claiming to know the secrets to success and promising foolproof solutions to our problems.
I once believed in their promises—only to realize they led me astray…
The Illusion of the Proven Path
As a beginner creator, I was lost and uncertain of my path. I didn’t know if I was doing the right thing so I looked to these so-called “gurus” for guidance.
Their words were polished, their testimonials glowing, and their methods seemed to have worked for countless others. So I trusted and invested in them. And for a short while, I felt like I was finally on the right track.
Until I realized I wasn’t…
The secret “hacks” they were teaching felt off, but I initially brushed them off as just common marketing and sales strategies.
It was only when I experienced firsthand what it felt like to be sold to and treated as a mere “prospect” rather than a human being that I realized just how hurtful and unethical these tactics are.
Fear-based marketing, high-pressure selling, ‘subtle’ manipulative tactics…
I felt sick to my stomach and completely lost my trust. I knew I didn’t want to be learning from people whose values didn’t align with mine.
Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost
“All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost.”
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
I walked away disillusioned and disoriented after that experience.
I started questioning whether I was still even on the right track…
I feel like God is redirecting me to another path—where that is, I have no idea.
All I know is that for now, I’m embracing uncertainty and following my own inner compass.
No more “proven” systems, secret hacks, and guru advice.
It might take me much longer to figure things out, but if that means walking a path of authenticity and integrity, I’ll take that anytime.
“It's not the result that's important,
It's who you become in the process of achieving the result.”
— Jack Canfield
If you’re feeling impatient with your progress, take a deep breath and remind yourself that real growth takes time.
Don’t be tempted by glittering promises and shortcuts.
Follow your purpose and always stay true to who you are.
I've been discussing the concept of following your inner compass with Alexandra Mateus recently, you might not know where you want to go in life, but if you have a set of values to guide you, your inner compass, will ensure you don't stray off course.
I feel very strongly that I might not know exactly where I'm going, but because I've got a set of core values, I won't go too far off course and I'll end up somewhere positive as long as I keep moving.
For me at least, there is a swag in being uncommon, challenging others beliefs & showing bitter reality. Are you with me on this?