Day 4: Seek Clearness with Others

Seeking clearness is the last step in the discernment process. Clarity - that feeling that you know what you stand for, you are sure of your objectives, you have set the best intentions, and you understand your next move - is liberating and empowering. 

Most of the time we don't wait for clarity; we act on autopilot, or on other's expectations and assurances, or because the situation is urgent. Waiting for clarity seems selfish or exhausting or just impossible.

But being clear in your heart that you are on the right path is a wonderful thing to wait for; it's transformative in itself! When you have gathered all the information, weighed all the possibilities, invited a leading of the spirit or Inner Guide, and you think you know what you are being led to do, it's time to test your leading with other people.

Many times, when I have an idea I'm mulling over, I will talk casually about it with my friends, and listen to what they say. I get to process my idea out loud, and I feel clearer. Most of the time that is enough to go on with, but - especially when I'm making big decisions- it has a major flaw: My friends don't know that I'm using them for clarity, so they might just tell me what they think I want to hear, or they might thoughtlessly tell me what their own fears and inhibitions tell them.

The Quakers have a wonderful format called a Clearness Committee, for when an individual (or a family or other group) is facing a particularly difficult situation or has a leading to test. A clearness committee of two or three other people meets with you for one or more sessions, and is tasked with asking questions that will lead you to consider the idea from new angles, and see it in new light.

Day 3: Write a Mission Haiku

Stephen Covey says, “The first principle of ethical power is Purpose. By purpose, I don't mean your objective or intention- something toward which you are always striving. Purpose is something bigger. It is the picture you have of yourself-the kind of person you want to be or the kind of life you want to lead.”

Purpose and mission statements are popular with organizations, but they are also useful for individuals. I'm using Purpose to mean your overarching idea of who you are and what you want to contribute, and Missions as your various big projects or directions in life.

After all the work you've done in the last weeks, you probably have an inkling of your purpose in life, and some ideas of missions. Today I ask you to choose one mission or leading to examine closer, and write it as a haiku that gets to the core of your mission, and gives you a framework for your actions. You might be surprised by what surfaces in this process, so give it a try!

• Start by ranking your missions in life: If you discovered today that you had just six months to live, what would you focus on? How would you rank your goals by priority so that they would be accomplished before you die?

Day 2: Truth Walk

Truth is a continual revelation, a constantly unfolding series of insights about how your mind works, how the world works, and how you might best act with more love, generosity, justice, and peace. I'm using Truth with a capitol T to mean an absolute - something that is foundational for you: Your values and principles, and your world view, and the leadings you have for action. 

If you have no Truths (no moral absolutes) then you will have no moral guidance. Everything will be situational: Whatever feels or seems right at the time and in that situation is right. This kind of “whatever feels good” mentality and lifestyle creates a society that regards all values, beliefs, lifestyles, and truth claims as equally valid. If we have no absolutes, then chaos follows.

At the same time, we need to accept that Truth is not the same for everyone, and learn how to listen to the Truth of others without getting angry or confused. And we need to accept that our own foundations change, as we grow and understand the world differently. 

Examining your Truth from time to time is a habit that expands your understanding of life, and gives you greater clarity.

Yesterday you wrote out your conscious, top-of -the-mind ideas about how you wish your world could change, and ideas that could lead you to change your world for the better. Now take another pass at it. This time, access your deeper, intuitive mind - your connection to God, or the Inner Guide, by putting yourself into a relaxed, trance-like state, and seeking a leading of the spirit with an open mind and heart.

Week 8: Transform Your World + Day 1: Journal & Set Intentions

For the first four weeks of this challenge, you deep-dived into your reasons for living, made a map of your path forward, and a plan for how to give full effort to your priorities. And for the last three weeks you centered your living in love by giving open-hearted attention to your daily interactions with the people in your life, to your personality style, and to generosity, equanimity, and other virtues and social skills.

The only thing remaining to do is to go out and transform your world. That's the gift we have - to see what needs to change and do the work to change it. No matter our limitations, we CAN make the world better, one smile, kind word, or conversation at a time. 

When I say "transform your world" I am suggesting a shift towards a better life: It could be mostly an inner renovation, or lifestyle alteration; it could be an adjustment in your relationships; it could be a new project or area of growth; or it could be a move into activism or service. You might already have an inkling of where you are being nudged. 

The work of transforming your world has several steps. This week you will take time to hear your truth, and get clearer on your various missions in life; learn how to test your leadings; and how to open the door to the uncertainty of life, take creative risks, and find the courage to act on your leadings. 

We will go through the steps of discernment - the process of making deeply important decisions in your life - that I set out at the beginning of this book. You will:

-Use your practical wisdom, collect information, reflect on your values, and weigh all the possibilities for action. 

-Seek a leading of the spirit (God or Inner Guide) with an open mind and heart. 

-Seek clearness by inviting thoughtful questioning (not advise) from some people you trust.

A note about your Inner Guide

I've mentioned your Inner Guide throughout this book, but what is it, really? Some people call it intuition, or a gut feeling; others feel it in their heart; and some might call it a leading of the spirit. It's that flash of insight, or creative impulse, or sudden clarity you get when you've been working out a problem; or it might be a leading or itch to act on something you never thought of before. It's sometimes quiet and subtle, and sometimes loud and clear.

Day 7: Review, and Start a Map Book

Take a few minutes to review your first week. Look through your journal. Write about your accomplishments and what you still need to work on. Did you:

-- Brainstorm some lists of goals, dreams, and exciting ideas for your future, and write about your most important reasons for living, and what your best life would look like?

--Go on a vision walk to access your deeper, intuitive mind- your inner guide?

--Write a letter from your future self?

--Discern your top 10 (or fewer) core values and principles that describe the vision of who you are and how you want to proceed down your path?

--Discern your top 4 to 8 priorities that seem most important and feel most meaningful to you in your life right now, that will give your days focus and help you to decide how to best spend your time?

--Map out the relationship between your core values and your top priorities to help clarify connections and renew your sense of purpose?

Start a Map Book

Your Map Book is a place to collect your various maps and plans and creative visions as you work through this book. (I use a 3-ring binder.)

• Today, punch holes in your Base Map and put it into your empty Map Book. If your map is too large, fold it!

Summary

Day 2: Go on a Vision Walk

Yesterday you wrote out your conscious, top-of -the-mind ideas about where you would like to go in your life; now take another pass at it. This time, access your deeper, intuitive mind - your connection to God, or the Inner Guide.

It's hard for most of us to set aside thinking and doing. We are busy people, involved in what's going on and getting important things done. And rationality is the flavor of the day... but we all use intuition or inner knowing, too, whether we acknowledge it or not. Some of us experience it in the gut, as butterflies, or tingling on the back of the neck, or as a flash that takes the breath away. Or it can be a guiding voice, or light.

Today you will practice opening to this guide intentionally, by putting yourself into a relaxed, trance-like state, and seeking a leading of the spirit with an open mind and heart.

• Set the mood: Light a candle and dim the lights. Turn on some favorite instrumental music very softly - Native American flute, or Shamanic drumming - anything that will help to tune out your rational mind (I usually use a YouTube video such as Project For Gaia - shamanic trance journey (15 mins), or Native American Flute Music.

• 
  Craft a clear intention: 

Week 1: Map Your Path + Day 1: Journal Brainstorm

No matter how old you are, the rest of your life is an unknown that stretches out in front of you. Where will it take you next? You cannot see the future, but you can have a guiding vision of how you want to live and act, who you want to serve, and how you want to grow. 

This week you will learn the habit of mapping your path. Life presents you with decisions every day- too many, too quickly; it helps to have a map to refer to. Your map will be a collection of ideas, beliefs, and possibilities that will inform your daily choices. Some of these are not really new ideas; you are already using them as a guide. But this week you will get them down on paper in a form that is a useful reference.

The alternatives to mapping your path are to wing it - be completely spontaneous - (great for ducks but not always for people), or let others choose for you, but your life journey is too important to trust solely to chance or the advice of others. No one else can draw a map for you; you need to create your own vision, and discern your own path.

Some of you are happiest trusting your instincts and intuitions on life's path, paying subtle attention to the Inner Guide with very little thinking and planning, and that is absolutely fine. Please try this habit in the simplest format you can, because it will help to ground you. 

Some of you, like me, are happiest when you plan for every contingency: Please don't allow yourselves to get stuck on this step... at the end of one week, move on! 

The Mapping Habit has several parts, which we will take one day at a time. Once created, you will need to develop the habit of checking your map regularly to get your bearings, and make adjustments. We will revisit your map often in the course of this book.

A note about discernment: