Blind Spots: Insight for Self-Awareness
Imagine this. You’re driving. Traffic’s not too bad. You check your rear view and side view mirrors, put on your turn signal, and start changing lanes.
All of a sudden- “Honk! Honk!”
You’re heart starts pounding and a voice in your head is hollering, “Oh @#$! Where in the world did they come from?”
Has that ever happened to you? Did you get mad at the other person or yourself? Most people get mad at the other driver, right?
Didn’t she see your turn signal? He needs to learn how to drive, doesn’t he?
I know… there’s an idiot conspiracy going on. They all plot on you and only come out when YOU are driving, right? HA!
Well, regardless of what you may think, more than likely what happened was that the person was in your blind spot. Did you know that it works the same way in mental and emotional mastery?
Freud called this “the hidden 6/7ths of the mind” and according to recent research, up to 95% of your thinking is non-conscious. Think about that. This means that at any given moment you are unaware of up to 95% of what is driving your actions, emotions, and motivation.
When you’re unaware of this much information about yourself, not to mention everyone else that you come in contact with, it’s only natural that a lot of your characteristics and behaviors could end up in your blind spots.
When someone points out one your short comings- Honk! Honk! It can feel as if you’ve been blindsided. You may be looking at him or her thinking, “Where did that comment come from? He doesn’t know what he’s talking about”.
Or Honk! Honk! Life throws a challenge at you and you’re not sure why you’re responding in the manner that you are. Where did that destructive thinking come from?
Maybe you’re trying to “change lanes” when it comes to your behavior and all of a sudden- Honk! Honk! You might find yourself wondering, “Why is it so hard for me to change?”
“What’s keeping me from doing the right thing?”
“What’s wrong with me?”
Nothing. You simply need to adjust your mirrors and pay a little bit more attention to the road. Here’s how.
Continued on next page.
Mini Site Map
Al "The Inspiration" Duncan :: The Millennial Mentor™ :: Soft Skills Expert
Motivational Speaker :: Youth Speaker :: College Speaker
Free! Duncan Nuggets™
for Your Noggin
"Worth more than gold!"
Soft Skills. Young People. Success.
Email updates about Al's new articles and commentary.
Warning: Known to make you think.
Enter your email below
