The Firelight of Discernment

Are you seeking discernment and clarity? As I talk with many leaders in coaching, this is a central theme. With COVID and its ripple effects, this has only increased the amount of people seeking discernment in a variety of areas. Just today a leader was sharing with me the need for clarity with navigating expectations from her board and staff, balancing changes, improving her communication, and nurturing an overworked staff, including herself. And most of all wanting to know how to be her authentic self in leadership in all of it. She is not alone in what many leaders are needing.

Hearing her and many other leaders talk about their current experiences reminds me of fire. Sometimes fire can be a “burning bush” experience that is a miracle of insight. Other times fire is a crisis that feels like a building is burning down around us. Let’s look at how fire can be a metaphor for lighting our way with discernment.

Burning Bush and Burning Heart

The term burning bush is a common reference to a Biblical story, in which a well-known Israelite, named Moses, saw a miracle of a burning bush that was not burnt. Through this he encounters God and receives clarity for his next direction in life. Often as leaders, we wish we could have such clear burning bush incidents to direct our decisions. However, I think there can be some burning bush experiences around us if we just pay attention. Too often we get distracted by the crises and feel overwhelmed by fire fighting. But what if we also stepped back to take time to notice the burning bushes within us that can light the way? I call this noticing the inkling of intuition that may feel like a resonance, burning within us, or a gut response.

I was talking to a Nonprofit leader who had a big project ahead. One night he was at his child’s sporting event and saw someone who in his gut he knew could be a helpful volunteer with this project. Voices of doubt came up that reaffirmed his own feelings of being overwhelmed and therefore not to bother another person. However, he overcame those thoughts, followed the intuition, and talked to the person. The person was so excited to help that they got involved the next day. Are you only seeing firefighting needs that are clouding your perspective? Are you listening to the light within yourself?

Fire to Burn Off and Light the Way

In the Biblical story with Moses, his response to seeing the burning bush was key. When he saw it, he became curious and so decided to go near to check it out. He could have not paid attention and just thought it was a random wildfire. Or maybe he could be focused on where he was going, had a lot to do, and didn’t want to take the time to be bothered. But instead, he followed his curiosity.

What keeps you from paying attention and being curious? For me, it can be my false selves and false assumptions. For example, I can have a false self of expecting a perfect reputation. This can be connected to a false assumption that if I don’t meet every need, I am letting people down. This can lead to anxiety from false pressures that I am only really putting on myself. It is interesting that when I recognize and let go of that false self, accept the reality of my time limits and schedule, then peace flows. It is not uncommon for me to hear leaders speak about their imposter syndrome which creates a false self and false assumption that I must know everything. When they accept their limits of knowledge, it doesn’t lead to their doom. Instead, it unleashes them to trust a team that multiplies their knowledge.

We are in intense times, but has it gotten you into continual firefighting mode? Are you missing out on being curious to see the possible burning bushes externally and internally? Are you burning off the false selves and assumptions that are making you feel that you must be superhuman? Are you missing out on the beauty of being human with all its limitations and seeing the possibilities beyond yourself? How do you need to let yourself see the fire that lights the way?