Checking Your Blind Spots: Failure, Disappointment, and Sacrifice
I had the pleasure of being the keynote speaker at ‘The Vision Conference’ for womenpreneurs. I talked about how we have to show up for the eye exam, fill our prescriptions, and wear the glasses in order to enjoy more clarity in our vision.
Showing up
‘Showing up for the eye exam’, figuratively, means checking for our ‘blind spots’ as they relate to ‘failure’, ‘sacrifice’, and ‘disappointment’. Fear of failure is paralyzing. It holds us back from taking risks and reaching our goals. But in order to get big rewards, we have to take big risks. We also have to make sacrifices, which means giving up something valued for something else that’s important. And then we have to be sure we’re not avoiding disappointment at all costs [that will come, as a result of taking big risks, and masquerade itself as failure] because that means we’re settling for a mediocre life of underachieving.
Fixing the blind spots
Once your blind spots are identified, then you must ‘fill your prescription’ to fix them. The name of the ‘medication’ is VISION and the breakdown is:
[V] Vulnerable: Opening yourself up to others allows you to be seen, trust, get help and learn valuable information that you need...give yourself permission to be vulnerable.
[I] Interact: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Strive for progress, not perfection. Things will never be PERFECT. Find yourself. And be that person.
[S] Support: Remember that everyone may not be able to join you on your journey...different seasons require different circles.
[I] Intentional: BEING intentional begins with listing your values. The stronger the value, the more motivated you are toward the goal.
[O] Own: Own your stuff. Be willing to admit your weaknesses, insecurities, and take constructive criticism without holding a grudge. Get help from a professional if you need a better understanding of your triggers.
[N] Nurture: Be your biggest fan. Never compare your journey to someone else’s. We all have our own path, and comparison is the thief of JOY.
Putting it into action
Showing up for the eye exam and filling the prescription are USELESS in correcting our vision unless we actually ‘wear the glasses’. ‘Wearing the glasses’ is being a lifelong learner, and putting our knowledge into action consistently by using the tools that we pick up along the way.
We always seem to come full circle to the word intentional - doing something on purpose, deliberately.
