Quakers and Questions – Heart and Answers

It turns out that the Quakers have a unique process that is designed to unearth the answers that are buried deep within your heart. Their Clearness Committees consist of a group of people whose sole job is to pose questions of the person who is in the "hot seat". They believe that there is a tendency to obscure integrity with well-meaning advice.

You don't have to be a Quaker to enjoy the process of self-discovery, though.

Stress can cloud your decision-making abilities, rendering you impotent to make even the most simplest of decisions. Uncertainty, hesitation and fear can settle in like a dense fog, halting your progress and keeping you stuck.

The process of finding answers to some of your more puzzling problems actually lies within the heart. Your heart is sending signals to your brain, which then determines which chemicals are needed for the job. Do you need to fight or flee? Or can you just get on with enjoying your life, doing what you need to do - preferably with an open heart and mind?

When you become aware of the thoughts and feelings you soak in, you are one step closer to undressing your stress. You have the ability to redirect those thoughts and feelings, to limit them, to know that you don't have to own them, to remember that they're not static. They change, as do you.

So, what does this have to do with finding answers? When you act from your heart, those signals that go to your brain, activate your prefrontal cortex (PFC) which is:

"The part of the brain that integrates complex information into making decisions." Manage Your Stress by Joseph S. Shrand, MD with Leigh M. Devine, MS

Clear signals equals clear answers. Learn to operate from your heart - the power source that drives your brain function.

Ask me how you can learn to address your stress and step out of the fog of indecision and into the clear light of knowing that feeling of what the right choice is for you at the present time.

2 Replies to “Quakers and Questions – Heart and Answers”

  1. Hi Marianna, What is the process that you use to increase your awareness of your thoughts and feelings? Mindfulness or meditation is one way of gaining more awareness… although I do not find it a foolproof method. Sometimes it may still take me some time to figure them out… It sounds like perhaps you are suggesting something similar – via various relaxation exercises… Is that correct?

    1. Dorlee,
      I have a toolbox full of techniques I use, at various times. So, the answer is “Yes!” 🙂

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