Trust Your Compass

Enduring Principles and Truisms

“Mike, trust your compass, it will never lie to you.” - MAJ Kurt Smith, 1^st Ranger Battalion, 2007, advice before going to the Army’s Advanced Land Navigation School.

The cardinal directions are unchanging. North is always North, South is always South, East is always East. West is always West. Nothing I say, or do, or believe can make it any other way.

I’ve had this compass since 2006. I’ve trained with it, deployed with it, hiked with it, and jumped with it. This compass has seen more fighting and more combat than most of our Army – and it’s got the bumps and bruises to show it. The compass always points North. I take this compass everywhere.

No matter where we are, or what we’re doing, or how cold it is, or how dark it is, or how deep the valley or high the ridge line, the compass always points north.

The impact of stress on our decisions is really interesting. We talk ourselves into crazy things. I have definitely been in the woods, off trail, in the dark, right on the verge of being misoriented…and staring at my compass, trying to snap an azimuth to my next attack point, questioning if the red arrow was still right. Or worse, convincing myself that the north seeking arrow was incorrect and that my stress informed subjective terrain assessment was somehow more accurate than the compass.

Isn’t that weird?

Even though I know the compass points north, and I know that north is unchanging – I have still been in situations in which I’ve nearly talked myself into thinking that I knew better. Maybe north is east today…because I want it to be so.

That’s how we get lost.

Here is the leap. Values are the same. Our Army Values are enduring and rock solid.

• There is such thing as truth.

• There is such thing as intrinsic honor.

• There is such thing as treating people well.

• There is such thing as being a good person.

• There is such thing as taking responsibility for your actions.

Our Army Values are like the cardinal directions – unbending. Nothing we say or do or believe can make it any other way.

So, the question is, what’s your compass?

Do you prescribe to an unbending sense of right and wrong? Or do you define “truth as a social construct?” (It’s not, by the way.)

Just like I’ve made the mistake of questioning the fidelity of my compass – we sometimes go through the process of questioning our own sense of right and wrong. It’s a natural part of navigating the land scape – and ultimately getting better – and learning to trust your compass.

Last year West Point hosted MSG (R) King’s as a guest speaker. His comments were absolutely awesome.

• “If you are serious about walking, you gotta be okay with the fall.”

• “Enjoy the music you got right now!”

• “Accept the challenge, it makes us better, don’t step away from grind and grit.”

It’s about our values. It’s about the enduring principles that endure, regardless of our feelings or proclivities. It’s about unshakeable virtues.

Said differently, it’s about trusting your compass.

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