What is Discernment?

Discernment is the ability to comprehend what is obscure. The ability to identify between truth & deception, right & wrong. 

Why is Discernment Necessary to have?

Discernment allows us to clearly see what & who we should & should not into our lives for our greatest good. Our everday decisions are based on our discernment, these decisions can propel us forward into our souls fullfillment or deter us on our path. Sometimes the decisions we make can be life changing. Having discernment is not optional, especially in the modern world, it is vital. 

How to Cultivate Discernment:

Link to Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/g3aBDeqYVL0?si=YqOrPDB8u1xpE3Pf

• Cultivate a basline of physical & mental clarity through nutrition, health (physical/mental spiritual). There are practices & foods that can contribute to brain fog & there are practices & food that can actually strengthen our brains. Mantaining clarity, health, & hormonal balance will make us sensitive to anything that shifts or disrupts this state of being, thus, giving you insight that something is out of alignment.  See below links for further information: https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/5-tips-to-keep-your-brain-healthy
• https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/foods-linked-to-better-brainpower

 

• Develop Self Esteem, Self Love, & Self Respect. This will strengthen trust within your own decision making, it will help you be ok with not agreeing with others, develop self identity, & will filter out anything that is harmful to your being. You will become more intentional of what you do & do not accept in any capacity.

 

•  "You will know them by their fruits." This scripture from the bible advises to look at the results of peoples' words, beliefs, & actions. Be wary of sources that offer advice on results you would not want for yourself. It is different if they are providing advice that is based on gradual results they are seeing as they progress, but it is disingenous to advise on a subject they have little experience or success in. If they do not, they should at least be transparent about it. In the bible this is described as being "double-minded" "A double minded person is unstable in all his ways." When their words do not match their actions. 

 

• Understand that perceptions may be distored through trauma or personal experience. It is important to return to breathe & return to groundedness when flooded with emotion. Be objective, see things clearly for what they are, not through the lens ofnihillism or positive delusion. 

 

• Gauge the frequency of people, places, experiences, etc. Be attuned to how something or someone makes you feel. This is one of the aspects, that is not so tangible when it comes to discernment. As previously mentioned, if you mantain a balanced state of being, anything that is disruptive towards it will feel unsettiling, may induce anxiety, lack of safety. A good way to gauge this around people, is to see whether you are at ease being yourself around people or not, are they accepting of you when you are (positively) being yourself or are you chastised for it?

 

• Be mindful of cognitive dissonance. Reflect if something discomforts you simply because a truth is challenging you to look at something differently than what you've always perceived. The ego will protect the mind from feeling wrong through cognitave dissonance. Be ok with being wrong about something when you actually see that you were wrong. Don't fight the objective truth. 

 

• Listen but still discern advice from the people you love. Sometimes the people we love & whom love us will offer us guidance in something they see we lack perception in. It is important to at least listen & take the time to reflect on the insights they have to offer. Not to say we blindly go where we are told but to consider someones words. If at that time or later you realize what they had to say was valid & helpful, that is a great indicator of their genuine love towards you. Because they ultimately pushed through the discomfort of being honest with you, knowing it may compromise the relationship. 

 

• Gauge the emotions & energetic dispositions of others. Do they speak with resentment, hater, anger, nihilism, peace, love, hope, etc. Does their disposition match the energy you feel from them. There are times people can mantain a kind disposition but for whatever reason something about it just feels off, listen to that feeling & take note of it. If you feel you have to be cautious around someone, that is usually good sign to mantain distance from them. You should feel safe & at ease in someones presence that genuinly loves & cares for you. 

 

• Be wary of people/sources that can't admit they don't know something or are still learning about something for themselves. 

 

• Be ok with not fully understanding how something feels to you at the moment. Take time to reflect, research, & pray about things for clarity when something doesn't fully resonate with you.

 

• Pray to God for clarity & direction when you feel lost or clouded in your perception/judgement. Ask that the truth about anything be revealed to you. Pray for the gift of discernment. 

 

• Actually follow God's guidance. "You can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink."

 

• Operate in love, kindness, & honesty. This will have a high contrast against anything/anyone that does not emanate these qualities. It will make you a match to people places, experiences, etc. that hold these qualities. It may also attract people that don't operate within this frequency, but when you do not compromise your self respect & dignity, they will likely lose attraction when they don't have power over you. 

 

• Don't ignore your intuition. Think of a time you felt unsettled but ignored the feeling & something bad happened. Remember what the feeling felt like & don't ignore it the next time it arises. The answer on what to do in those situations may come naturally to you, or you may need to pray for direction on what to do. It is a feeling we receive that usually calls us to do something to avoid something. Either through saying no, stealthily removing ourselves from a place, situation, place, etc..

 

• Tell apart fear based thinking from your intuition. Your intution will feel enlightenining, calming, reassuring, empowering. Fear based thoughts & feelings will confuse, discourage, rush, worry, or condemn you. 

 

• Being around the wrong people, places, circumstances, etc. will place you in the crosshairs of the consequences of that energy-whether you operate within that energy or not. This is why it important to discern what you do & do now allow in your life. There is a saying "Tell me who you're with & I will tell you who you are". 
  

 

• Ask for clarification for further understanding. When something that was said to you leaves you questioning someones' intent or you simply don't fully understand what they were trying to say - simply ask for clarification. Their response should reveal more of what they actually mean, good or bad, be comfortable in engaging in conversation. Some people tend to make assumptions in situations that simply required a conversation to bridge understanding. 

 

• Believe them the first time. There is a quote from Maya Angelou that reads "when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time." Once you've found that someone has lied about something important, it's best to distance yourself, to avoid having to exhaust yourself trying to discern everything else they say or do moving forward. Trust that they have already shown you their hand. 

 

• Be wary of people who blend some truth into their lies so that you can believe all of what they say. This is a very intentional, manipulative, & calculated form of deception. Ultimately showing untrustworthiness. Using truth as leverage to "sell" lies. 

 

• Hold grace for yourself & others. Understand that sometimes you will make mistakes in your journey of cultivating discernment. Avoid long lasting or devastating mistakes at all costs if you can. Learn from your mistakes, take accountability, heal from it,  & keep moving forward. Extend grace to others as well when they have made mistakes, this is not to excuse poor behavior, but to recognize when someone has fully learned from a mistake & is genuinely willing to grow past it. 

 

• Stay grounded. There is so much that will try to sway you, stay true to the callings God places within your heart. 

 

• Know that Discernment is a muscle that strengthens with time & experience. 

 

I pray this guide was helpful to you, as these lessons were learned through experience, observation, analysis, & prayer.

Con Mucho Amor..

Margarita