Is this really an Opening? I don’t know near enough about it to decide whether to enter.

Not Much Is Clear

Openings can be sneaky. We can be going along and suddenly we are looking at an Opening that is significantly obscured. Rather than wait till we can see more of the Opening, we are put in a position to decide right away whether to enter it. It may be time-sensitive: an opportunity that must be decided on quickly. Or it may be very alluring; however, most of what it entails will not be clear until after it is entered.

Some Openings ask us for a leap of faith – to go with whatever they are presenting without all the information we want or need. The Opening won’t be available long enough for us to do the information gathering or preparation we want to do. We are asked for a decision as things stand right now. We must decide whether we enter the Opening or walk away.

These Openings may be specially designed for our growth.  They ask us to make a choice amid uncertainty – to do the best we can with what we know already. They ask for us to take a risk – we don’t know for sure what the Opening offers. They ask us to trust our intuition – to go with what we feel or what our heart says, rather than relying solely on our mind.

Discerning

What can we do when faced with an Opening like this? First, we must recognize that it is an Opening. An Opening is an invitation to go somewhere new.  An Opening may come in the form of an insight, a dramatic change, a person we meet, an expansion or contraction in our life or a new opportunity. It can be related to mind, body, emotions or spirit.

We must discern whether to take a leap of faith or reject doing so,  even though we don’t have the time or information we need to decide. The Opening could be an important one in our journey. One that brings us more joy, growth or opportunity. We must take what we have and leap or not. Our decision is final, at least for the present moment.

Discernment is judgement and insight. It is a quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure. It involves clarity – our ability to see clearly even when there are unknowns involved. Our ability to discern greatly affects the impacts of the choices we make. Poor judgement can lead to disaster. Poor choices set us in a direction that does not serve us and will have to be corrected.

Deciding

Here are some things we can consider when deciding whether to enter an Opening that requires a leap of faith:

• What do we know and not know about the Opening?
• What do we think the Opening is offering us?
• What are the risks involved in entering or rejecting the Opening?
• What is unknown about the Opening? What percentage of the Opening is unknown? Is it greatly or only partly obscured?
• Is there anything we can do to find out more about the Opening in the time we have?
• What is our best estimate of what the Opening will bring us?
• What will we have to release or leave behind in order to enter the Opening?
• Is there anyone who can help us make our choice? (Someone who has said yes or no to a similar Opening, has knowledge or skills that we need or can give us emotional support as we decide)?