What’s your blindspot?
This is a topic that is very personal for me, for a variety of reasons.
Most of us are familiar with the concept of a ‘blindspot’. When driving, it’s that part of the road around you that you cannot see, in spite of all of the glancing you do in each of your mirrors. When it comes to our figurative blind spots, we tend to be much less aware of where and what those are.
I have both a literal and figurative blind spot. When I was seven years old, I lost the sight in my left eye by way of a rock from a slingshot. Honestly, I view this as ‘kind of a bummer’ but mostly a ‘no big deal’ thing. I’ve learned (the hard way) that because my field of vision is narrower than most, I need to not only check my mirrors before I change lanes, but actually scan the road by turning my head from side to side to be sure there are no cars for me to run in to. This has become a practice for me over time and one that has yielded excellent dividends. In every aspect of our life, we see evidence that
LEARNING = TIME + PRACTICE + RIGOR
We all have blindspots. We can’t avoid them but we can become aware that they exist. This is the best first step toward acknowledging that the way you ‘see’ things is the way YOU ‘see’ things and if you desire to expand the possibilities for action in your life that move you toward what you want, you may wish to invite those you engage with to help you shift your view in order to expand your horizon. Ontologic coaching has as one of its fundamental principles the O-A-R model
Observer –> Action –> Results
We all have our own unique way of observing the world and every interaction we have with it. This is shaped by our culture, experiences, and beliefs. The observer that we are at any given moment, determines the range of possibilities for action that we see as available to us. Each action will determine the results we get. If we’re not satisfied with the result, instead of examining the action, shifting the observer that we are may allow us to better get what we desire.
Blindness – what others see about me but I don’t see about me. When we are aware of our blindness, we “know that we don’t know”. This is often called ignorance in a kind of lovable way – because it is the first step in learning, regardless of the subject matter. It is the ‘threshold’ of learning.
When we are unaware of our blindness, a barrier to learning exists for us. Whenever we hear ourselves say “It can’t be that way” or “That’s just the way things are”, we may simply be living in a state of resistance to new or other possibilities.
Curious about the photo at the top?
This is the front of my car. It shows the results of having to use the Braille method of parking when you only have one ‘good’ eye! (Depth perception can be a bit of an issue) The upside of this is that I know I have this as ‘my way of seeing things’ when I park, and MOST of the time, I make good decisions as to when to stop pulling forward. Obviously, not all of the time. But it’s minimal damage that doesn’t bother me and the car keeps on running in spite of it!
