The Compass
by Tammy Kling and John Spencer Ellis

List Price: $23.95
Pages: 224
Format: Hardcover
ISBN: 9781593155421
Publisher: Vanguard Press

What Will Move Your Compass? 

The Compass is a life transformation novel that will guide you on a journey of self-discovery. At the core of The Compass are specific lessons about belief systems and understanding who you really are in order to live out your destiny. Jonathan, the main character, escapes his suburban life after a tragedy that alters his plans for the future.

Paralyzed by grief, he decides to journey across the globe in an effort to realign his inner compass. He sets off with a backpack leaving behind his career, friends, family, and home. His travels begin in the dry desert of Nevada, and continue on to the pristine mountains of the Adirondacks, and then to a medieval village in Romania. In each destination Jonathan encounters one pivotal person who offers a major life lesson, and he begins to realize that each individual was placed there for a reason.

The Compass is a metaphor for the journey of our lives.

In the tradition of The Alchemist, The Compass provides you with specific life lessons aboutauthenticity, self-empowerment, and believing inyour dreams. As humans we are all connected --- bylove, pain, and sometimes even by tragedies orevents we cannot control. Each one of us travels aunique path, yet we are linked by experiences andemotions. In this connectedness, there is life.

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The Compass is a life transformation book that guides the reader through a journey of self-discovery. At the core of The Compass are specific life lessons about belief systems, authenticity, and understanding who you really are in order to live your destiny, and to understand your role and connectedness to the world.

1. One of the core lessons of The Compass is that there are people and circumstances you’ll encounter during your time on earth that will lead you towards your destiny. And sometimes people are placed in your life for a reason - to teach you something. Understanding it all and being able to see the unseen, is a critical part of achieving your life’s calling. Have you met someone who you felt was placed in your life for a reason?

2. How did that person impact you and your life’s journey?

3. In The Compass Jonathan's foray into the wild is a metaphor for the adventure of life we all embark on with its intermittent peaks and valleys. He’s experienced a tragedy, and along the way he meets people who help pull him out of his darkness, and change his perspective. When he meets Pete, the old man at the cabin, he is able to see how Pete has survived being abandoned by his parents, to live a happy and productive life. One of the life lessons Pete teaches us subtly, is that true strength comes from brokenness. What else did you learn from Pete?

4. In Holland, Jonathan’s journey takes him to a bike shop where he meets Toin, a young athlete who ends up in a wheelchair. How can the strength that Toin shows in overcoming adversity help someone you know overcome a challenge in their own life?

5. The Earth is a huge magnet with two poles - one on top, and one on the bottom. The magnetic North pole is in northern Canada and one end of every compass needle is drawn towards it. Sometimes in life we feel our own internal compass moving in the same way. Like Jonathan’s journey into the desert, in his quest to find answers, at times it feels like you simply must go and travel in a certain direction. It’s as if a mysterious magnetic pull has drawn you towards a specific event, career path, or person. Have you had a life defining compass moment?

6. In Romania, we meet a young boy named Solomon, who is an old soul, in the body of a young boy. He has a lot of wisdom, even though he’s an orphan. Why do you think the author chose this theme of broken homes, and tragedy, in the background of the characters?

7. At any point in his journey Jonathan could have chosen to continue running, and escape the mess he left behind. He could have started a new job, or a new relationship, in a new country. Why do you think his compass brought him home again, even though the journey to repair and mend life would be in some ways more difficult than the escape?

8. Ultimately, the book is about growth, and restoration. It’s about action, and not attraction. What happens when you stop waiting and wishing, and start taking action steps towards a healthy life, and the life of your dreams?

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"The Compass is a simple yet profound guide to take you from where you are now to where you want to be."

— T. Harv Eker, author of the New York Times #1 bestseller, Secrets of the Millionaire Mind

"The Compass will take you from where you are now to that place you've been destined to reach. It will help you achieve your goals and dreams."

— Brian Tracy, New York Times bestselling author of Flight Plan

"This book is a road map for you, disguised as a fascinating novel --- use it to navigate your journey to achieving your dreams, happiness, and inner peace. It will inspire and guide you as you continue on your path to fulfilling your life mission joyously."

— Marilyn Tam, Co-Visioneer HealthWalk, former CEO Aveda Corp and President of Reebok Apparel and Retail Group

"If you want to change your life, read the life lessons that will transform your reality into an abundant new future."

— Kelli Calabrese, America's Fitness and Lifestyle Expert