Is that how you see it?

I recently attended a business conference for a company with which I have been affiliated for just over a year. During the conference I was called onto the stage with several other folks to be recognized for the success we had created and enjoyed during the course of the year. The founder of the company in making a few comments about the group on stage said he would like to hear some inspiring thoughts from a few of us for the benefit of all in attendance.

Those who know me know I am not one to shy away from a microphone when given the opportunity to speak. I have to say however I was caught off guard when Eddie handed me the microphone and asked me to share something that might be of benefit.

When I had the microphone in hand I honestly had nothing in mind that I wanted to share, especially since so much had been shared by so many over the course of this day and a half event. So there I stood in silence for what was probably no more that 5 or 10 seconds but what at the time seemed liked an eternity hoping my mind would settle on something "profound" to say.

All of a sudden my mind came to rest on a topic that had come into my awareness a week or so earlier but that I had not yet taken time to fully develop or understand. Without giving it much thought I began to speak about a condition I believe we all suffer from or have suffered from at some point in time, "fearsightedness."

We are all familiar with nearsightedness, a condition of the eye that causes the image that one sees when looking at a distant object to be out of focus, but in focus when looking at a close object. It is commonly corrected by corrective lenses or glasses.

Fearsightedness is a condition of the mind that causes one to view life as being difficult, challenging, fearful and full of obstacles whether they actually exist or not. No matter where they look all that is seen is that which stems from the fear of what they believe might happen if they make a certain decision or take specific actions.

In truth the choice they make of not making that decision or not taking that specific action results in exactly what they are fearful of, that the experience (outcome) they desire won't or can't happen. They decide not to do something out of fear that it won't work. They decide not to speak to someone out of fear that person won't like them or that they are somehow bothering them. They decide not to follow their passion out of fear of what others might say or think about them if they do.

In the most extreme cases of fearsightedness people experience life from the perspective of life being against them and that whatever life presents is an attempt to prevent them from experiencing the goodness that life has to offer regardless of evidence to the contrary. Because of this fear those suffering from fearsightedness are reluctant to take action even when doing so will bring to them the experiences they truly desire.

A fearsighted view centers around the fear of uncertainty of what life might present even though uncertainty contains the possibility of the goodness of life. Think about it, uncertainty is nothing more than not knowing a specific outcome. In and of itself uncertainty does not mean difficult, challenging or fearful. Just as easily the uncertainty into which we step could be the most wonderful experience we could possible have and yet because of fearsightedness we decide not to take that joyous leap of faith.

Fearsightedness also comes into play under very simple circumstances where one might not say what is on their mind or do what they really want to do out of fear for what someone else might say or think if they do, regardless of the importance to that individual for doing so. This suppression of fully expressing oneself in my opinion is the cause of most of the stress and angst we experience on an all too regular basis. We are denying ourselves (Self denial) the opportunity to experience and express our magnificence.

Now at this point you might be wondering what this has to do with my being on stage holding the microphone not knowing what it was I was going to share. Here's my point. If I had succumbed to "fearsightedness" while on stage I would not have spoken as I did. I would not have demonstrated to myself that I did have something of value to share and would not have gained more confidence and trust in myself to speak extemporaneously.

I don't know if what I shared had an impact on anyone in the audience. What I do know is that what I said had an impact on me, not so much in what was said but in the fact that I trusted myself and said it.

Fearsightedness is corrected by becoming clearsighted whereby we become aware, consciously aware, that there are always multiple choices and outcomes regardless of the circumstances under which we find ourselves. With clearsightedness we see life through eyes of possibility and potential not the fear and limit we see through eyes of fearsightedness.

By changing our perspective, the way we view life, from that of a victim to that of the benefactor we will experience the fuller, richer, more rewarding life we desire.

How different would your life be if you let go of the fear of what you believe others might think, say or do as a result of what you might say or do? I am not speaking of being openly disrespectful to others, I am speaking of you acting or speaking from the heart and expressing your true self which yearns to be expressed.

By correcting our fearsightedness through the corrective lens of possibility and potential we are free to more fully experience and express who we are while opening ourselves to the goodness that life has to offer.