What You Need (But Don’t Want) To Hear

How To See Your Blind Spots And Take Charge Of Your Future

Thanks to doing a podcast for the last decade, I’ve had the great fortune of speaking with world-class experts in neuroscience, psychology, mindfulness, and spirituality. 

Do you know something important I’ve learned from spending over 500 hours talking with some of the wisest people on Earth?  

They have blind spots in their thinking. 

I’m also fortunate enough to have an incredible crew of friends and acquaintances who are #1 New York Times bestselling authors, actors who appear on your screen every night, musicians with platinum records, and entrepreneurs worth eight or nine figures. 

Do you know one of the things they have in common? 

Blind spots in their thinking. 

Do you know who else has blind spots in their thinking? 

You and I. 

No matter how successful, smart, or self-aware you are, you’re going to have blind spots in your thinking. Now, you might think that isn’t true. But everyone has them. It’s a part of human nature. And if you don’t think you have them, it’s because you can’t see them. 

We all suffer from cognitive biases. When our brains try to simplify and organize information, they make errors, then fill in the gaps with conclusions about reality that–you guessed it–serve our egos. 

Why is this important to consider? 

This function of our minds is one of the main reasons we can’t progress in our lives in areas we know are holding us back. These mental biases allow us to intellectually bypass the truth about ourselves and, more importantly, our actions. 

For example:

• We might believe we don’t have time to exercise without putting any effort into changing our habits and reordering our schedules. 

• We might want to start a side business but don’t because we think it’s “too complicated” without ever truly researching how to get started. 

• We might want to write a book but believe it’s too hard to get published without ever trying to reach out to a few literary agents. 

• We might deem our relationships as “stale” without ever trying to put in the creativity to create fresh excitement and connection.

• We might want to meditate but believe that we “can’t do it” without giving it a proper try with well-researched guidance.

These are a few random examples to illustrate how our blind spots keep us from thriving in a way that we know would massively improve our experience of life. So, how do we stop intellectually bypassing these foundational elements of our lives and start taking charge of the shape of our future? 

By remembering this simple insight:

Everything changes when you realize that life isn’t happening to you. It’s unfolding based on your choices.

When you know there is something you want to improve in your life, a problem you keep facing, or an ambition that is always out of reach, take a close look at your choices. 

Consider your actions, the story you’re telling yourself, and the results you see in front of you. Doing this is always illuminating because it closes the gap between your cognitive bias and reality, which makes you aware of your blind spots. Of course, certain things in life are outside of our control. Illnesses, tragedies, and similar force majeure have an impact on our lives that we can do nothing about. We simply have to do the best we can with the hand we are dealt.

However, if we practice seeing the outcomes in our lives based on the choices we make with greater clarity, we can stop living in the darkness of our blind spots, take charge of our lives, and bring more light into our future. 

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