If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite! ~ William Blake
How you see the world is impacted greatly by your thoughts and underlying beliefs. Our beliefs color the lenses we use to see the world. Our perception includes many different lenses, which include but are not limited to gender, education, family-of-origin, race, religion, culture, life experiences, etc.
Some of us struggle with seeing clearly with our eyesight because of either nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatisms. These types of impairments can also affect the way we see the world and those around us.
In the world of optometry, if you have problems with your vision, the most common issues are:
- Nearsighted: the inability to see things clearly that are far away
- Farsighted: the inability to see things clearly that are close
- Astigmatism: a blurred area within an otherwise clear image – basically a blind spot
If you are suffering from one of these issues, your optometrist will prescribe lenses so your vision can be corrected.
The same principles apply to your perception of the world and others. Perception is derived from its root word, “perceive,” which literally means “to take,” as in “to take in.” When we perceive something, we take it in through our lenses and then attempt to make sense of it as we filter it through our lenses (belief system).
Do You Have Poor Vision?
What happens when our vision is off? What happens when we fail to see things up close, or far away, or whether we are unaware of a blind spot that prevents us from seeing things as William Blake described—“infinite?”
What if we are interpreting the world and everything in it from a narrow slit in the window and everything in black and white?
Living an extraordinary life or being an extraordinary leader requires that we have the correct vision to see both near and far, without the blind spots keeping us from seeing the things we need to change for us to grow. If your vision is not clear, you may find yourself constantly bumping into things.
After a while that can be both painful and frustrating, especially if they are the same obstacles getting in our way again and again!
What follows is an explanation of the 3 types of vision issues and what you can do about it.
Nearsightedness
Folks who are nearsighted tend to get stuck in old patterns and old ways of thinking. They can only see things as they are and struggle to think outside the box. We refer to this as being short-sighted or an inability to see the forest from the trees. These people tend to think small and less futuristic. They may hold their cards close to the vest and might lean toward the risk-adverse side of things.
They can really struggle with the idea of being extraordinary because they are unable to push beyond their comfort zones and what they’ve always know or done. Their vision won’t allow them to. If this is where you are, you need to involve others you trust in on what you want. You have to have folks who will push you and hold you accountable. You need people who can pick you up and dust you off when you fail, give you a pat on the ass, and send you back in the game. Coaches can be excellent tools to help you here because they are usually people you do not know, and since they have no emotional skin in the game, they can be brutally honest.
Farsightedness
Folks who are farsighted tend to gloss over the details. They can overlook the “real” issues and may end up treating the symptoms instead of the dis-ease. They tend to think big and conceptually. This think-big mindset can keep them from having a concrete plan or paying attention to the details, so sometimes the details may fall through the cracks.
They may think out loud, so they can ramble on as they verbally work through an idea. They may not always be the best planner, as it is easy for them to get distracted from the mission. They may need to slow down and identify the real underlying issues (the devil) that can be found in the details.
It is important that they surround themselves with accountability partners who can bring them back down to earth. These big thinkers can get bored quickly with the more mundane tasks and will move on to the next new big idea before they finish what they have started. That is why again, it is so important to understand what type of accountability partner is best for you.
Astigmatisms
Everyone has some type of astigmatism when it comes to how we see the world. While being nearsighted or farsighted is more general in nature, an astigmatism can be very specific and very personal. One of the biggest blind spots that impacts our vison the greatest is our ego, which we discussed at length in Chapter 4. The second biggest astigmatism preventing most people from seeing clearly is a dualistic mindset where we see everything as black and white. I am not saying there are not times when we need to see things as black and white, for instance when wiring a home for electricity, but when it comes to people and complex issues, dualistic thinking can be very detrimental.
When we see the world through our own lenses and feel we must put the person, place, thing, or situation in the right or wrong, good or bad, or the safe or unsafe pile, we become critical, judgmental, and closed-minded. We are blind and cannot see the big picture. When we cannot or choose not to see the whole picture, we stay stuck, stay common, and never go ‘outside’ our ability to live an extraordinary life.
Anyone For Some Feedback?
With all things, it is critical to have people in your life who tell you what you need to hear, even when you don’t want to hear it, instead of simply being surrounded with folks who tell you what you want to hear.
A mentor of mine once said that if one person calls you a horse’s ass, blow it off. If two people tell you you’re a horse’s ass, you might want to pay attention. However, if three people tell you you’re a horse’s ass, buy a saddle!
Identify the five people you spend the most time with, but only if you trust them to be completely honest with you.
3 Extraordinary Questions
Below are 3 questions to ask them. Once you ask them the questions individually, write down what they tell you and then simply say “Thank You!”
- What works about me as a ____________ (partner, spouse, father, friend, etc.)?
- Is there anything that doesn’t work about me as a _______________?
- What is the one thing I could do that would have the single most positive impact on our relationship, business, family, friendship, etc.?
Just remember, if you are truly interested in positively impacting your work or life relationships you have to be willing to take the good stuff with the not-so-great stuff.
And that is how we grow….
Till next time!
*This blog was adapted from Joe’s book entitled, Extraordinary Result For Life, Discover Your Path to be UN-ordinary.” Available on Amazon , Apple, or Spotify
If you are interested in working with Joe in a 1-on-1 Coaching Relationship Please click here
