Navigating by the stars

We all have some internal way of setting the course of our lives - though we may not think much about it - and this is likely to include having some role models whose lives we aspire to emulate.

Role models are not necessarily people we admire; they may simply be people who have 'gone ahead' of us, such as our parents. But we are also likely to look beyond them to others who are outside our immediate sphere. In our culture, which worships celebrity, we may well look to the rich or famous, to pop stars or Hollywood stars, or to 'celebrities' who have no other role than to be celebrities. These appear to be the successful and beautiful people, when our lives can feel humdrum and plain.

So we emulate their looks, their ideals, their behaviour; we make believe. And why not? Doesn’t this lift our eyes beyond our small horizons and introduce a bit of glamour?

Given that it is impossible to see things with much objectivity (see my last post: 'We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are'), we need some way to maintain a course through life when all else shifts - our moods, our circumstances, and as we move from childhood to adolescence to adulthood and to old age, our perspectives on life change.

Ancient mariners navigating by the stars knew that they needed to find the Pole Star to find true north, for even the stars appear to move round on their axis, with the Pole Star alone giving a reliable course. So, we too need to look much further, much deeper, to a fixed and unfailing point in order to set a true and reliable course over a lifetime.

But Hollywood stars and celebrities come and go; they may be shooting stars, but they certainly do not offer a sure means of navigation for life. Moreover, in emulating them we haven’t fooled anyone, least of all ourselves – our dreams remain only make-believe while our lives continue as humdrum as before.

If they do not offer a reliable means of navigating life, what does?

Many look to the ancient religions, which purport to offer a timeless wisdom, the promise of fulfillment and bliss in the life hereafter. Moreover, these bear witness to having sufficient benefit and wisdom that they have survived over countless generations. There is a selection of such religions to choose from according to taste!

But pause before rushing on, for choosing one's Pole Star is no small matter. In fact therein lies the problem: one cannot choose the Pole Star - there is but one! Choosing any but the true Pole Star will gradually but surely lead us astray.

So what do you navigate by in life, and is it a true and reliable guide when all else is disorientated?