Discernment: A summary of the qualities of a person seeking God's will in all things

The seven attitudes essential to picking up God’s signals are, in summary: openness, generosity, interior freedom, prayerful reflection on experience, having one’s priorities straight, and not confusing ends with means.  Developing these attitudes or qualities are preconditions or prerequisites to hearing God’s call in an authentic discernment of His will in daily life as well in discerning the state in life to which one is called.  To develop these qualities, it is important to shut off cell phones, iPods, Smart phones, computers, TVs—whatever the latest technology may be that occupies any free moment in one’s life—and seek a quiet place within oneself to listen to God.  Frantic activity—going here and there and everywhere, doing this and that and everything, being busy 24/7—also needs to stop if one is truly going to be able to be interiorly free and open and generous with God and thus take time to prayerfully reflect upon one’s experience, set one’s priorities straight and not confuse the ends with the means. I invite you to consider coming apart for a brief period.  Spiritual directors and/or retreat directors at a retreat center, a convent, a monastery, a spirituality center would certainly welcome you to the silence where God waits to have a heart to heart talk with you, to show you the depth of His love for you and to guide you in the ways that lead to deeper peace and true joy!