HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE BLIND SPOTS?

Our cars are designed so we can enjoy maximum levels of visibility.

We can see what’s in front of us, what’s behind us, and what’s to the sides.

Backup cameras provide us with even greater clarity.

But while we have all of this visibility - where do a lot of accidents come from?

THE BLIND SPOTS

The blind spots may be small in comparison to what we can see, but they can cause exponentially more destruction.

While the mirrors, windows, and backup cameras are there to help us with visibility in a car it brings us the question of:

What resources do we have to protect us from the blind spots in our lives?

Our Arrogance.

Our Self-Centeredness.

Our Self-Righteousness.

Our Lack of Empathy and Compassion.

These are merely a few of the many mental blind spots we have in our game.

Being able to spot our personal blind spots takes a great amount of self-awareness, yet self-awareness doesn't just grow on its own.

Our friends are a HUGE resource; if we give them permission to help us.

A true friend will help you find the blind spots in your life.

A true friend will provide perspective so you can see things from a different viewpoint.

A true friend will challenge you to think deeper about what we think we know.

There is a common theory that states you are the "mean (or average) of your 5 closest friends.”

Meaning that if you look at the 5 closest people in life and placed all their attributes in a circle you would fall somewhere in the middle.

If you have 3 honest friends and 2 dishonest friends… you are likely somewhere in the middle.

If you have 1 motivated friend and 4 friends that sit around and complain all day, where do you think that leaves you?

What’s the harsh reality about picking your “5 closest people?”

Your words don’t pick them, your actions do.

If you have 5 amazing friends but you don't talk to them on a regular basis or you aren't living life with them, they aren't in your top 5.

Your best friend from high school that you only talk to once a month is probably not in your top 5.

You know who is though…that random guy at the gym you talk to every morning. If you talk long enough and frequently enough, that dude might have more influence over you then you actually think.

He might be in your top 5.

What can you do if you don’t have a strong circle around you?

We have to be deliberate about who we allow to participate in our lives and be aware of who are in our top 5.

A great friend will hold you to a higher standard.

Aristotle, the great ancient philosopher, believed that friends came in three waves:

1. Utility (coworkers, teammates, people with mutual usefulness),

2. Pleasure (people that are just fun to be around), and

3. Virtue (friends who enrich your life).

Let us take a moment to evaluate our current top 5 and make sure we are surround with the right people that will find the blind spots in our lives.

Also, we need to give them permission to do so.

Our friends can help protect us against arrogance, against self-righteousness, and against judgmental behaviors.

Weak friendships can also amplify those traits.

Ask yourself:

Who are you allowing in your life and how are they affecting you?

Which way are they pulling you?

Are they protecting you from your blind spots or are they standing in the way of you being better?

First, we evaluate and then second, we take action to correct any problems we have discovered.

UNCOVER YOUR BLIND SPOTS.

@PhillipAndrewLA