On January 20th, 2020, I wrote this in my journal: “You can keep the course without the map. You can charter the waters without the stars because the direction you need lies inside of you already. The future version of yourself knows the answers. And the future version is already here. Call on the collective wisdom and guidance and allow it to show you where to go. ”

I’m obsessed with boats, or I should say I’m obsessed with beautiful vintage paintings of ships out at sea. I think something is captivating about that image to me. A vessel on open waters comes against the harshest of environments to serve its purpose.

The boat’s purpose is to get something or someone across the water, and these paintings often depict a ship in crazy storms and waves. I’m not as drawn to the images of a boat sitting at the dock or peacefully floating in the water. Instead, I’m drawn to the paintings showing the ship forging through the waves.

I wasn’t thinking about waves and ocean storms when I wrote, “You can charter the waters without the stars, because everything you need lies inside of you already.” However, it only proves to strengthen what I believe was the meaning behind what I wrote.

We look outside of ourselves.

We often look to everything or everyone around us for what we need. We look to the experts for their guidance. We look to our family and friends for approval. We look to our coworkers for help and assistance. We look for someone to give us answers to the meaning of life, and we look for leaders to inspire us. We look outside of ourselves for what we need or what we want.

We look outside of ourselves for so long that we forget to look inside. We fail to believe that we already have everything we need right now to take the next step: to charter the waters without the stars and keep the course without the map. Someone, deep inside of you, I believe you know it’s true.

There’s a little spark within, but you’re terrified to pay attention to it. You’re frightened of your inner guidance. You’re terrified of the wisdom that comes through you. So you don’t pay any attention to that spark, and you hope it’ll go away. You want it to burn out, but it doesn’t.

This is my story. I didn’t trust myself. I didn’t believe that what I had within was worthy, valuable, needed, or helpful. I spent so much time and effort looking for other people to show me the way. I wanted someone else to give me the map, chart the stars, and show me where to go. I was looking for approval, love, acceptance, and recognition.

I never looked for any of that inside because I didn’t think that what I had within me was worthy. It’s why I want you to know that what you have inside of you is worthy and who you are at your deepest core is enough.

If you can learn to believe those things, you can learn to trust your inner guidance. You can tap into what’s within to know where to go next. You can keep the course without the map. You can charter the waters without the stars because the direction you need lies inside of you already.

When other people charter the waters for you.

My insecurity made me absorb what everyone else thought was right for me, what everyone else thought I needed to do, and what everyone thought I should be. I didn’t stop long enough to look within and examine whether the course I was charting was the one I wanted. Am I crashing through a bunch of waves that aren’t even meant for me? Am I dealing with someone else’s waves because I’ve let everyone else chart my course?

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can keep the course without the map because the map exists within you. You can charter the waters without the stars because you inherently know the direction you need to go. You can believe you have value right at this moment.

We think when we reach a certain level of success or abundance, then we’re worthy. It makes our worthiness conditional and based on things outside of ourselves. We will never reach the destination we want when using someone else’s map.

For most of my life, I never let myself determine the direction I went. I’ve been on many incredible boats. I’ve been on many fantastic journeys out at sea. I have had many wonderful, great experiences in my life. I’ve had opportunities that have come to me that I would’ve never thought would come to me. And I’m grateful for all of them. But they were never my boat. They were never my journey to be on.

I was looking at someone else’s map. I let them interpret the stars for the direction I need to take.

Now I know the direction I need (and the direction you need) lies inside you already. If you want to find it, you have to start believing in your worth and value. You have to see yourself as more than enough right at this moment because I’m not sure you can see the map inside of you until you do.

Your struggles are better when they’re yours.

The dreams you have and what you want to accomplish in your life are already inside you. You don’t want to pay attention to it because it feels too big. It feels too overwhelming to trust that what you want might be best. What if you can’t handle the waves that come your way?

When you are not on your path and are not chartering your course, the struggles and obstacles you face aren’t yours to face. You will experience the good and bad of life whether you’re on your path or following someone else’s path for you. Why would you want the struggles and obstacles of someone else’s course that do not lead you to where you want? You might as well experience all the struggles and success on the path meant for you.

You can keep the course without the map. You can chart the waters without the stars because the direction you need lies inside of you already.