Good morning! I recently read that we all have 3-5 blind spots. Yikes! How does that make you feel? Of course, the problem with blind spots is that they are blind spots, we don’t see them.

LET’S TALK…

So what can help us open our eyes to those sightless shortcomings? Here are a few things we can do.

1. Accept your humanity. We are not perfect. Each of us have deficiencies and areas we need work. In other, words, accept and anticipate your blind spots. It’s okay. Relax. We are more likely see those deficits when we take our hands away from our eyes and look! Pretending they don’t exist doesn’t affect reality—we need to acknowledge them.
2. Listen to your critics. Stop being defensive. Often our critics tell us what our friends won’t. Rather than become defensive, listen. Be careful not to minimize feedback. We need to slow down and fully listen to someone coming with a concern. Listening not only builds trust, it gives us insight to others and ourselves. James 1:19 says we are to be “quick to listen and slow to speak.”

Be quick to listen [and] slow to speak.

3. Look at the things that bother you. Sometimes the very thing we criticize in others is the exact area the Holy Spirit wants to work on in our own life. Our shortcomings can look pretty ugly on someone else.
4. Be willing to change. It’s weird how we assume once we are adults or have completed our education we have somehow matured to the point of completion. When you see a blind spot, make it your goal to change. It requires humility and dependence on God to help us change but our leadership will be better for it.

BEFORE YOU GO…

What about my blind spots? Often our blind spots are found in the shadows of our strengths. For example, it comes easy for me to see problems that other people often miss. Conversely, my blind spot is that I’m too quick to criticize. Someone said any advice that is not asked for, comes across as criticism. So instead, I’m learning to look at the good things and be a better encourager.

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