There are many examples online where you can be looking at something and not see what’s happening right in front of your eyes. The most famous, possibly is the black gorilla and basketball count test. Probably my favourite is the Colour Changing Card trick.
And then there are some superb optical illusions. For example, stare at the blue dot in the centre of this rotating image, and see how long it takes for the yellow dots to “disappear” (they don’t, by the way, you just seeing them):
My point is simple, and possibly even a touch fun: what are you missing? what are you not seeing, even though you’re actually looking at it?
What we measure determines what we see, but it also determines what we miss. And (as Ted Coine noted just today on Leadership blog), if it can be measured it can be manipulated.
What are you doing to ensure that you’re seeing clearly? Are you sure? What else could you look at, just to shift your focus for a bit? What would happen if you stopped looking at what you fixate on every day/week/month – even just looking away for a moment? How do you know if you don’t try?
By raising the gaze, literally, one makes a change in thinking. By looking up a little higher on the horizon than your normal habit, you will change what you see and how you think.
Very nice Pamela. I like that!