When a spouse, family member or friend points out something that you said or did wrong that you were not aware of, or a habit that does not serve you well (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/emotional-fitness/201301/10-tools-change-hurtful-habits), how do you feel? Do you feel as though they are judging you or that they are helping you? Of course the answer to this question can vary greatly depending on circumstances and both persons involved… That being said, how do you typically react to and view these situations?
According to wikipedia.org (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_spot_%28vehicle%29), in a driving situation a driver “…may reduce the size of a blind spot or eliminate it completely by turning their head in the direction of the obstruction”. Do you have at least one person in your life who “turns your head” to point out your blind spots? And do they do so in a calm, non-judgemental and non-emotional way? If the answer is yes to both of these questions count yourself as very fortunate. These people do this with your best interests at heart and not their agenda. Sometimes they see more potential in you than you do in yourself. Other times it is recognizing patterns in your life that when broken will result in your life improving. Or it may be as simple as them pointing out something you said or did that they view as inappropriate which you did not realize until they indicated so…
If you do not have someone in your life who points out your blind spots, ask yourself how have I reacted in the past when these have been brought up? Was I reactive? Was I argumentative? Was I not open or willing to listen to what they were telling me? In my experience, the more work that I’ve done on myself, the more open I am to people pointing such occurrences out to me. In the past few weeks I’ve had a handful of times in which someone close to me has pointed out my blind spots. And I am so grateful that they did!
Chances are that if you have been diagnosed with bipolar disorder you have said and done many inappropriate, hurtful, embarrassing, or just plain stupid things in your past. Forgive yourself for your past. Move forward telling yourself that you will be open to receiving feedback (http://www.thekua.com/atwork/2009/04/a-guide-for-receiving-feedback/) from others when such situations occur.
We all need support from others when navigating our path in life. Even though it is sometimes hard to hear, I now view someone pointing out my blind spots as a blessing. It’s an opportunity for me to grow as a person and avoid the same situation in the future, or to stop a habit that is not serving me well. Whether the blind spots recognized have been minor or major, I have found that being open to receiving this feedback and taking action on correcting what was brought up has a big effect on me.
How do you feel when someone points out your blind spots?
Connect with Scott at www.scottinsideout.com and https://www.facebook.com/scottinsideout2
