Why We All Have Blind Spots (And What To Do About It)

Anthony Robbins shares an invaluable metaphor for blind spots we all have.

For instance, have you ever had someone tell you to grab the salt from the kitchen? You tell them you don’t know where it is and they say it is in the cupboard on the shelf. You repeat that you do not know where it is and again they tell you where to find it.

Somewhat frustrated you go into the kitchen and mumble, ‘I don’t know where the salt is, why can’t they come get it. How am I supposed to know where it is?’ You open the cupboard and rummage around and say to them, ‘I don’t know where it is!’ You look some more and yell, ‘I can’t find the salt!’

Finally they come into the kitchen and say, ‘It is right there,’ and then they pick it up off the shelf just in front of your face. Perhaps they even add, ‘If it were a snake it would have bitten you!’ Then they leave you standing there scratching your head about what just happened.

In psychology this is called a ‘scotoma’, the Greek word for darkness. We often call it a blind spot.

Now, did your brain ‘see’ the salt? Yes. So why didn’t you see it?

Because with full emotion coupled with belief you declared over and over again, ‘I can’t find the salt.’ Because you did this with congruence your brain deleted the salt from your vision.

That is the power of belief, language and emotion.

Now, what else may you have been deleting that is right in front of you? What could you begin to notice?

To start seeing your blind spots, first begin to change your language.

For instance, instead of saying, ‘Nothing ever works out for me’ begin to say, ‘All my dreams and goals are coming true.’

When you make an affirmation that includes words that are empowering and a matching physiology it tells your brain what to look for and what to ignore.

For example, when you buy a new car suddenly you notice it everywhere on the road. It was always there being driven by other people, but once you bought one your brain began to take note of that model.

The same is true for goals and dreams. Be purposeful about what you tell yourself. In short, affirm what you want more of and stop rehearsing what you don’t want and your brain and your life will begin to notice what you want to notice and change how you want it to change!