Discovering the Blindfold

Imagine walking around your home with a blindfold on. It might be clumsy, but by recognizing your limitations you would move more slowly and adjust accordingly.

Now imagine walking around with a blindfold on, but not realizing it was on your head.  You’d keep tripping and falling, but not know why!  

Sometimes we hold onto perspectives or beliefs that have a similar effect.  We think we can see clearly, but in fact there’s a material impairment. 

Suppose you’re about to walk into a meeting and you’re debating whether to raise a suggestion you have.  Imagine if you have perspectives like these running through your head:

• “This is never going to work”
• “Everybody will think this is stupid”
• “Nobody cares what I think” 
• “I’m not charismatic enough to persuade people anyway”

Chances are, few if any of those statements are true. But believing they are true means you are more likely to talk yourself out of raising your topic.

However, if you pause long enough to recognize that you have this belief, and name it, that might be enough to recognize of course that isn’t true so you can return to the bold contributor you really are.