– Judith O’Callaghan –

Power of Discernment

A concept that was taught to us by elders was to consciously pause, evaluate and discern the advise received.

The elders believed in practicing this value  when there is an abundance of popular advice.

One of the stories behind this concept dates back to 650 BC (approx). The story goes like this:

Two kings from the neighboring kingdom met on a regular/ scheduled meetings. Their kingdoms have experienced peace for a long period of time and there was no known active conflict in the region.


During the meetings, one of the advisors encouraged his king who was hosting the gathering to wage war against a ‘common’ enemy and take back a city which they believed was rightfully theirs. The host was pleased with the advice, this meant more popularity and success. 

This scenario meant that the two kingdoms need to join forces and wage war against another kingdom. The other king, the guest was not very comfortable with the advice as war would mean sacrifice, losses and not real gain.

The other king (Guest) was prompted to seek the advice of the prophets. The prophets served as oracles and at times official advisors. The group of prophets (advisors) accessible at hand were called upon.  They predicted victory.

The guest King felt that his heart was not peaceful and hence wanted an alternate perspective.  After much research by the officials of the court, they identified a prophet who was well known for his character. 

The prophet had a reputation of being truthful to his purpose and conviction. This prophet became the lone voice who provided the ‘unpopular’ advice. He advised the kings to re-consider the war strategy and warned them of the impending danger. 

Both the kings chose to ignore his advice and went ahead with the battle. The bizarre events that happened next amaze us. The king (host) got killed in the battle. The other king (guest) had a narrow escape. The prophets foretelling came true.

The story has many applications in our life and work:

💜Access to multiple perspectives and advisors strengthen the position. Popular opinions may not necessarily provide the right response.

💜The right thing may not be the easy thing to do. Many a times the right may be the hard thing that achieves the outcome . A mindful pause to pivot may be hard, but necessary in to achieve the outcome needed

💜Trusting the heart is a value to inculcate. Heart is the source of all good things. Sensing, Feeling and persevering  sensing, are natural gifts that protect, nurture and preserve.

We can all relate to this story in our work:

There is plenty of popular advice available. There are many who would discuss the right solution, methodology, timing and many others.

While there is power in knowing the popular advice and the trend, it pays to be advised from independent, honest advisors who have your interest in mind.

In addition to saving plenty of money and heart ache, it provides different perspectives which would enable to uncover multiple opportunities that are hidden in plain sight.

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