Would you like to have the most effective tool to help you make your next big decisions?  How much would you pay for that tool? What if I told you it was free...and hidden in plain sight! 

There's a reason big decisions are hard for us--we don't make them every day so we don't get to practice.  We don't know where to turn when we know we have to make the decision that requires a risk and change.  There's a time-tested tool to lead us to the right decision, to discern our path.    I experienced the power of this old Quaker tradition, called the Clearness Committee and so wanted to share it. 

There's no cost to a Clearness Committee but it is not free.  To use a Clearness Committee  means:  having courage,  being honest and being willing to be vulnerable.  That's the cost to reach the most solid decision you can make. 

The underlying principle of a Clearness Committee is that each of us is our own inner teacher and we have the truth and voice to lead us to our right choices to discern and choose. But to find the answer to our questions, we need to take time to create a safe space, be still and to listen.  How do we do that?

First, we have a clear decision to make-a problem we are solving or a choice to discern. 

Then we need a small group of trusted friends or colleagues.  This is the key piece, finding ones who:

• are active listeners

• care about us

• are not invested in the outcome we choose

• can speak honestly

• give a few hours of their time

Once you have them, find a quiet place to gather for 2 hours. 

Each Clearness Committee member must be able to follow the Guidelines:

• no judging

• no leading questions

• no advice

• no interrupting

The answer to the person's question can only come from within them. The committee members' questions allow the person to find her answer through the honest questions they ask.  The person who called the Clearness Committee must come to his or her decision by listening to their own inner truth in responding to the questions. 

The Clearness Committee gave me the truth I needed to take the scariest leap of my life--to quit my job of 19 years and to start designing products.  I'm convinced I wouldn't have made that leap without that committee and it's been the right decision.  For more information on the Clearness Committee visit the Courage and Renewal website.  Good luck and try the wisdom of this old Quaker tradition. 

http://www.couragerenewal.org/clearnesscommittee/