55. The Gift Of Discernment & The Inward Turn
In this episode of Aware & Aggravated, Leo Skepi examines discernment, which he describes as a sixth sense that exists in everyone from birth. He explains how this intuitive capability extends beyond physical senses and logical thinking, serving as an internal compass for life decisions and self-protection.
Through personal anecdotes about apartment hunting and car buying, Skepi illustrates how discernment has guided his own choices. The episode explores the relationship between discernment and self-awareness, discussing how people can differentiate between emotional reactions and genuine intuition. Skepi details the role of introspection in developing stronger discernment and explains how physical sensations can signal when to trust these gut feelings.
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1-Page Summary
Nature and Origins of the Gift of Discernment
Leo Skepi explores discernment as an innate spiritual intuition that everyone possesses from birth. He describes it as a sixth sense that goes beyond physical and logical perception, one that becomes stronger through life experiences and challenges. According to Skepi, this divine gift serves as an essential guide for navigating life and protecting oneself from potential exploitation.
Examples of how Discernment Guided Life Decisions
Skepi shares two significant personal experiences where trusting his discernment led to better outcomes. In Miami, his intuitive unease about a landlord's tactics prompted him to decline an apartment, despite its appeal. This decision led to finding better housing with flexible terms. Similarly, when purchasing a truck, his discernment helped him avoid a deceptive dealership and find a better deal elsewhere, complete with a meaningful personal connection.
Importance of Inner Work and Trusting Discernment
Skepi emphasizes that developing strong discernment requires deep introspection and self-awareness. He explains the importance of distinguishing between emotional reactions and genuine intuition, often identifiable through physical sensations like chest tightness or energy levels. For Skepi, prioritizing this inner guidance over logical reasoning or societal expectations has consistently led to more fulfilling outcomes. He advocates for an "absolute inward turn" to better understand one's emotions, triggers, and subconscious patterns, viewing this as essential for strengthening discernment and living in alignment with one's soul.
1-Page Summary
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- Discernment as an innate ability is not universally accepted; some argue that it is a skill developed through experience and education.
- The concept of discernment as a "sixth sense" may be challenged by those who favor empirical evidence and rationality over spiritual or intuitive explanations.
- The idea that life experiences and challenges universally strengthen discernment could be countered by pointing out that some individuals may become more closed off or less perceptive due to negative experiences.
- The notion of discernment as a divine guide may not resonate with those who do not hold spiritual beliefs or who have different religious perspectives.
- Skepi's personal anecdotes cannot be generalized as evidence that trusting discernment will always lead to better outcomes; others may have experiences where discernment led to poor decisions.
- The reliance on physical sensations to indicate genuine intuition could be criticized for being subjective and potentially misleading, as such sensations can be caused by various factors unrelated to intuition.
- Prioritizing inner guidance over logical reasoning could be seen as imprudent in certain situations where empirical data and rational analysis are crucial.
- The recommendation for an "absolute inward turn" might be criticized for potentially leading to excessive introspection and neglect of external feedback or advice.
- The assertion that strengthening discernment helps individuals live in alignment with their soul assumes a specific spiritual or philosophical view of the self that not all individuals may share.
Actionables
- You can enhance your discernment by keeping a "gut-feeling" journal to track intuitive hits and misses. Start by jotting down moments when you feel a strong gut reaction, whether it's a sense of unease or excitement, without judging the feeling. Later, reflect on the outcomes of those situations to see if your intuition was accurate. This practice will help you differentiate between emotional reactions and genuine intuition over time.
- Develop a personal "discernment ritual" to consult your inner guidance before making decisions. This could involve sitting quietly for a few minutes, focusing on your breath, and asking yourself questions about the decision at hand. Pay attention to any physical sensations or emotional responses that arise. Use these insights to guide your decision-making process, rather than relying solely on logical reasoning.
- Create a "discernment circle" with trusted friends or family members where you can share and discuss your intuitive experiences. In these gatherings, each person can bring up a situation where they need to make a decision and explore their intuitive feelings about it. The group can provide feedback, not to sway the decision, but to help the individual recognize patterns in their intuitive responses and strengthen their inner guidance system.
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Nature and Origins of the Gift of Discernment
Leo Skepi delves into the concept of discernment, describing it as an inherent spiritual intuition that can be developed through life's encounters.
Discernment Is an Innate Spiritual Gift, Honed Through Experiences
Discernment: Intuitive Sixth-Sense Perception Beyond the Physical and Logical
Skepi characterizes discernment as an intuitive knowing, akin to a sixth sense or a divine connection, suggesting that everyone is born with this ability. He amplifies this notion by highlighting his own experiences of rapidly perceiving subtleties, sensing discrepancies, and recognizing unspoken truths. It is described as a lifelong sensation, often overlooked in the early years of life.
Life's Challenges Enhance Discernment and Awareness
Furthermore, Skepi suggests that discernment is an intrinsic component of one's essence that is integral to self-worth and the primal instinct to protect oneself from potential exploitation. He notes that individuals who have weathered numerous adversities in lif ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Nature and Origins of the Gift of Discernment
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- Discernment as a spiritual gift is a subjective interpretation and may not be universally accepted; some may argue that what is described as discernment could also be explained through psychological processes such as intuition developed through learning and experience.
- The idea that everyone is born with the ability of discernment could be contested by pointing out that individuals vary greatly in their intuitive capabilities, which could be due to a combination of genetic factors, upbringing, and education rather than an innate spiritual gift.
- The notion that discernment is beyond physical and logical perception might be challenged by those who believe that all forms of perception are rooted in the brain's physical and logical functions.
- The claim that life's challenges invariably enhance discernment may not hold true for everyone; some individuals might find that adversity has the opposite effect, leading to a decrease in their ability to perceive and judge situations clearly.
- The concept of discernment as a divine gift implies a spiritual or religious belief that may not align with secular or atheistic perspectives, which would ...
Actionables
- You can enhance your intuitive discernment by keeping a daily intuition journal where you note down instances where you felt a strong gut feeling or instinct about a situation or person. Reflect on these entries weekly to see how often your intuition was accurate and what the outcomes were. This practice will help you trust and understand your intuitive signals better.
- Develop your discernment through mindful observation by setting aside time each day to observe your surroundings without judgment. Focus on people's interactions, body language, and the environment, and write down any insights or 'aha' moments you experience. This exercise aims to heighten your awareness of subtle cues and patterns that you might usually overlook.
- Strengthen your discernment in decision-making by creating a 'discernme ...
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Examples of how Discernment Guided Life Decisions
Leo Skepi's experiences highlight how trusting intuition and discernment can guide crucial life decisions, often leading to more favorable outcomes than more conventional, logic-based approaches.
Discernment Avoids Dishonest Miami Landlord, Finds Better Living
Speaker Uneasy About Landlord's Tactics, Trusts Gut Over Appealing Apartment
While apartment hunting in Miami, Skepi faced unease and tightness in the chest when touring various apartments with a landlord. Despite the logical appeal of the apartments, his intuitive response was to avoid these living situations. His instincts overrode the anxiety of urgently finding housing and the concern for his realtor's time.
Skipping the Problematic Apartment Opened Better Living Options
The realtor's call revealing the landlord's lie — fabricating a story about a brother's divorce to evoke sympathy and retract an accepted offer — confirmed Skepi's discomfort. He decided against the apartment, prioritizing trust and safety over settling for an appealing but potentially problematic apartment. Skepi emphasized trusting his feelings rather than hastily controlling the situation due to anxiety or desperation.
By declining this apartment, Skepi stayed open to better living options, and he later received an offer for an apartment with flexible lease terms from his friend Ms. Birkin. This decision ultimately allowed Skepi to avoid a year-long lease commitment, which aligned with his preference for flexibility and his responsibility to financially support others. Leaving Miami on his terms, driven by internal conviction rather than societal expectations, highlights Skepi's reliance on discernment.
Discernment Avoids Deceptive Dealership, Ensures Positive Car Purchase
First Dealership's Lies and Manipulation Set Off Speaker's Alarms
While at a car dealership, Skepi's alarm bells rang as he encountered dishonesty and manipulation. The staff falsely claimed that the shortest truck bed available was six feet and attempted to sell trucks with unwanted features or suggest unreliable modifications like adding aftermarket sunroofs, which Skepi stood firmly against.
Finding the Perfect Truck: Better Price and Meaningful Interaction
After realizing the staff at the first dealership were willing to fabricate stories ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Examples of how Discernment Guided Life Decisions
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- Skepi's reliance on intuition and discernment may not always be replicable or advisable for everyone, as it could lead to confirmation bias or misinterpretation of feelings.
- The narrative may suffer from survivorship bias, highlighting only the successful outcomes of intuition-based decisions without acknowledging times when such an approach may have failed.
- The emphasis on personal discernment might undervalue the importance of due diligence, research, and logical analysis in making informed decisions.
- Skepi's experiences are anecdotal and may not provide a comprehensive understanding of the effectiveness of intuition in decision-making for the general population.
- The story implies a dichotomy between intuition and logic, whereas in many successful decision-making processes, a combination of both is often employed.
- The positive outcomes described may be coincidental and not directly attributable to the use of discernment, as other factors could have influenced the situations.
- The text does not address the potential risks of relying solely on intuition, such as the possibility of missing out on good opportunities due to u ...
Actionables
- You can enhance your decision-making by keeping a "gut reaction" journal where you note down your intuitive responses to various situations and compare them with the outcomes. Start by writing down any strong feelings or physical sensations you experience when making decisions, whether it's a sense of unease or excitement. After some time, review your journal entries to see how often your intuition led you to a positive result. This practice will help you recognize patterns in your intuitive thinking and trust your gut feelings more over time.
- Develop your discernment by engaging in role-playing exercises with a friend where you simulate high-pressure decision-making scenarios. Take turns presenting each other with scenarios that require quick decisions, such as choosing between two job offers or deciding whether to make a large purchase. After making your decision, discuss what intuitive cues you relied on and why. This will help you become more aware of how you use intuition in decision-making and improve your ability to discern under pressure.
- Create a personal "trust checklist" to use when evaluating new opportunities or pote ...
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Importance of Inner Work and Trusting Discernment
Leo Skepi emphasizes the significance of introspection in understanding one's emotions, triggers, and subconscious patterns for self-awareness and discernment.
Developing Discernment Requires Introspection to Understand Emotions, Triggers, and Subconscious Patterns
Understanding oneself, particularly one’s emotions and subconscious mind, is central to Skepi's message. He suggests that examining emotions and subconscious patterns, including shadow work, can improve one’s ability to discern. This self-awareness requires observing one's feelings, sensations, and responses without judgment.
Distinguishing Emotions From Intuition Is Crucial
Skepi discusses the challenge of separating emotions from intuition when seeking to trust one's discernment. He notes it's crucial to not follow mere emotions, upset feelings, or triggers. Skepi believes that by observing physical sensations, such as chest tightness or energy levels, one can better identify their intuitive guidance. For example, while apartment hunting, he paid attention to his chest relaxing or constricting as physical indicators to guide his decisions.
Speaker Stresses Understanding Feelings, Sensations, and Thoughts for Accurate Discernment
Skepi stresses the necessity of an "absolute inward turn" to hone discernment. By acknowledging and understanding a range of feelings, sensations, and thoughts, one can stay in alignment with their soul. This leads to a clearer perception of emotions and better discernment. Skepi underscores the importance of self-honesty about one's emotions and the need to explore why these emotions resonate. He experienced a profound emotional shift after confronting a narrative from his past, which led to a peaceful and more aligned state of being.
Trusting Discernment Over Logic or Societal Expectations Is Essential for a Divinely-Guided Life
For Skepi, self-trust is essential to living a divinely guided life, even when that means trusting discernment over logic or societal expectations.
Prioritizing Soul Guidance Over Others' Opinions and Expectations
Skepi emphasize ...
Here’s what you’ll find in our full summary
Importance of Inner Work and Trusting Discernment
Additional Materials
Counterarguments
- Skepi's emphasis on introspection and inner work may not account for the importance of external feedback and the role of community and relationships in personal growth.
- The distinction between emotions and intuition is not always clear-cut, and some psychological theories suggest that emotions can be a form of intuition, providing valuable information about our environment and needs.
- Skepi's approach may not be suitable for everyone, as some individuals may find that a balance of introspection and external input leads to better decision-making.
- Trusting discernment over logic could lead to decisions that are not well thought out or that disregard important factual information, which could have negative consequences.
- Skepi's advice to prioritize soul guidance over societal expectations may not consider the potential benefits of social norms, such as cooperation and stability.
- The concept of an "absolute inward turn" might be seen as self-centered or neglectful of one's responsibilities and duties to others.
- Skepi's approach may not be practical in all situations, especially in professional or emergency scenarios where logical and quick decision-making is crucial.
- The ide ...
Actionables
- You can create a "Discernment Diary" where you record your emotional experiences and the decisions they influenced. By doing this daily, you'll start to notice patterns in how your emotions affect your choices, helping you to separate instinct from impulse. For example, if you felt anxious before a meeting and decided to cancel, note this down and reflect later on whether the anxiety was a genuine intuition about the meeting's potential negative outcome or just a temporary emotion.
- Develop a "Body-Mind Map" by drawing a simple outline of your body and marking areas where you commonly experience physical sensations associated with emotions or intuition. Use this map to track sensations over time and see if certain areas consistently signal intuition versus fleeting emotions. For instance, if you always get a gut feeling when something is right, and it turns out well, you'll start to trust that sensation as a guide.
- Engage in a weekly "Intuition Simulation" exercise where you simulate decision-making scenarios and practice following your intuition instead of logic or ...
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