Finding Your True North 

If happiness is the destination, then how do we actually get there? 

In life and in work, most of us navigate with external measures, checklists, timelines, achievements, and accolades. But what if the true guide wasn’t what we’re chasing, but what we feel guided toward from the inside?

That question sits at the heart of intentional living, choosing direction instead of default, and meaning instead of momentum. 

That’s where the Happiness Compass comes in: a simple heart-aligned framework for making decisions that move you closer to the life that feels meaningful and fully lived. 

What the Happiness Compass Is 

The Happiness Compass framework is a straightforward format that often requires a reminder to be incorporated into daily life. 

It’s a decision lens. 

It’s a way to slow down just enough to evaluate opportunities, commitments, and partnerships and life through a more meaningful filter. One simple, grounding question to bring you back to yourself before you move forward: 

Does this move me closer to the life I actually want to live? 

Not the life that looks impressive from the outside.

Not the life shaped by obligation, expectation, or urgency.

But is life aligned with your values, your energy, and the season you’re in? 

Life is layered. It’s complex. There will always be challenges, responsibilities, and moments that stretch us to our limits. The Happiness Compass doesn’t promise ease; it offers clarity. It invites you to choose direction over momentum. Quality over quantity. Fulfillment over friction. This is what living with purpose looks like in practice, recognizing that not every opportunity is meant to be pursued, not every yes is a good one, and not every pause is a setback. Sometimes the most powerful progress comes from choosing what supports your life, not just what advances your resume or fills your calendar. 

At its core, the Happiness Compass is about intentional living and designing a life where purpose and presence aren’t afterthoughts, but guiding principles. And when you begin to make decisions from that place, happiness stops feeling like something you’re chasing, and starts becoming something you’re consciously moving toward. 

When Happiness Becomes the Compass

We’re living in a moment of quiet questioning. 

We are in a season where old measures of success no longer hold; more people are choosing meaning over noise in their work, their travels, and the way they shape their lives. We can all see it.  In how experiences are chosen, how communities rethink growth, and how individuals pause long enough to ask what actually matters. The Happiness Compass was created for this moment, for those who want to build full lives without losing themselves, and who understand that purpose isn’t postponed. It’s practiced daily, one intentional choice at a time. 

The Three Directions that Guide The Compass

If you ever feel like you need some help finding your bearings again, the Happiness Compass is something you can return to. At its core, it’s the simple understanding that we are not meant to live, work, or decide in the same way at all times. Energy moves in seasons. Capacity shifts. Clarity comes when we are aligned, not when we are forcing momentum, frustrated, or depleted. 

There are three directions to come back to again and again. 

HEART: Meaning 

Does this choice feel aligned with what truly matters to me? 

Does it reflect who I am, not just who I think I should be?

CAPACITY; Sustainability

Does this decision respect my energy and the season I am in?

Can I take this on without sacrificing my well-being?

PRESENCE; Impact 

Will this choice allow me to be more present in my life, work, and relationships? 

Does this align with the impact and purpose I want to have? 

Not every choice will line up perfectly, and that’s part of living a real human life. But when something feels aligned in at least two of these directions, it’s usually a sign that you’re moving in a way that’s supportive and true to you. And when all three come together, you’re living your true north, the place where clarity, ease, and purpose naturally meet. 

Where is your compass pointing?  (And how does that align with the purpose you feel called to live?)

Thank you for reading until the end, Ayerim 

About the Author

Ayerim Maduro is an award-winning destination marketer, speaker, and founder of HAMAK Hospitality Solutions.  A proud wife and mom of two young adults, Ayerim shares on her blog, Ayri Vibes, blending personal storytelling with professional expertise. She writes about life, purpose, travel, hospitality, entrepreneurship, and what it means to design a life you truly love. Her work weaves together her 25+ years in tourism, digital marketing, and community. What it means to build authentically, making an impact from the heart.

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Any views or opinions expressed in this blog are solely Ayerim’s own and do not represent the views or opinions of those people, institutions, or organizations that she may or may not be associated with in a professional or personal capacity unless explicitly stated.