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.

Principles: Discernment

The following cards (#13-30) are additional spiritual principles and practices that can be essential in recovery.

Opossum “playing possum”

          Discernment is the ability to see clearly and objectively. What prevents us from perceiving our experiences and circumstances in this way?

• Wishful thinking – We want something desperately to be as we desire; we long for it and deny what is actually there.
• Opinionated thinking – Our biases, prejudices, and preferences can keep us from seeing a complete picture; we wear blinders that filter out what we don’t agree with.
• Emotional thinking – Intensely felt emotions can make us see in shades of one color only, effectively shutting off the logical, reasonable part of our brain. 

In the long run, it is for more dangerous to adhere to illusion than to face what the actual fact is. 
~ David Bohm

For more information on discernment, see this post.