Kevin The other day, we talked about unofficial observances and holidays, and while today is Technology Day, I’ve also decided to make today’s observance about my North Star, since today would be their birthday. In other words, North Star Day is something I totally made up.
We can still write about technology, though. It probably won’t be today, but it’ll happen at some point.
I first heard about the concept of having your own North Star on an episode of the Mel Robbins Show, and it was a total lightbulb moment for me. Not the concept itself, but the term to assign it. Years back, my North Star came to me in a dream I had one night. I won’t reveal his name, or specifics about where he lived, since his surviving relatives don’t seem to have much of an online presence, and I want to respect their collective privacy.
The dream ended far too soon, and he’s been a part of my life ever since. I’d heard his name in the news, and as I read more about him and his life, cut far too short, the more I thought that this was someone I wanted to emulate and look up to. He had an insanely busy schedule, both with work and family, and he still found time to help people in need. He was a living example of the fact that if it mattered that much, then make the time to do it. He did just this. He found a way to make the time for what mattered to him, when others in similar circumstances had nothing but excuses. Based on what I’ve gleaned about him, he had a fondness for amusement parks and swimming pools, same as yours truly.
Over the years, I kept him with me as I worked on projects, same as I do now. I also kept him with me throughout the first phase of my mission as my motivation for weight loss. I imagined he was encouraging me and cheering me on with every victory, whether it was big or small. When I didn’t have anyone to talk to about this, I talked to him. I took him with me on my walks and bike rides, and places I went. He also turned out to be one of the things that helped me keep moving forward to where I wanted to be, since he’d never sabotage me or try to talk me out of it.
He was also a huge source of comfort and solace during a time where a family member was going through a health crisis. In the evenings, I’d sit in an old lawn chair in the backyard, among a ridiculously huge patch of weeds enveloping the remains of an old garage torn down 30 years ago, and I’d talk to him as the sun set.
In short, he’s become my source for exercise motivation, since from what I could gather on what little’s publicly available about him, he walked everywhere. He also lived in an area that made this possible, and he got around for sure. People would say they saw him here, there, and everywhere. He’s been my motivation at work, which is now my day job, since he had a lucrative career that had him traveling internationally. He had the type of life I’m hoping to have for myself someday, and he was the embodiment of the type of person I strive to be.
To honor the life of my North Star, I’ll be listening to one of his favorite songs. What about you readers? Do you have a North Star? How have they inspired you?
