This self-published deck and booklet are the intellectual property of Beverly King. Please do not copy or reproduce these drawings or blog posts without permission.

Monday, February 19, 2018

Beyond the Obvious

Photo from Royalty Pecan Farms

          Moneymaker, Creek, Stuart, Desirable and Caddo are just a few names of the 500 plus varieties of pecans. Carya illinoinensis is a native of Mexico and the southern U.S. The native nuts, called 'seedlings,' can be bitter-tasting and are often small in size. The larger, sweeter nuts of pecan cultivars are frequently known as 'papershells,' because their nuts are easier to crack and shell. Pecan trees are similar in appearance; size and flavor of the nut as well as the thickness of the shell are used to distinguish one variety of pecan from another.
          Like sorting one pecan variety from the next, discernment requires looking beyond the superficial to perceive what is not always obvious. Humans have a tendency to put fixed labels on people or things based on our initial reaction to them. Our mind wants us to grab what is pleasant, get rid of the unpleasant, and ignore what we don't care about. We generalize from these reactions to other things and people that seem similar. But if we're going to be discerning, we need to take a closer look and put away our permanent markers. Everything in life is dynamic, fluctuating and changing. We might easily overlook marvels and insights because of the rigid labels we've attached. The alternative - discernment - draws on compassion and wisdom, allowing us to perceive each moment with unbiased clarity. 

For more information on discernment, see this post.

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