If you know me, you know I find something to hunt every season; my current passion is Morel mushrooms. One of the great things about hunting Morels is that anyone can do it. It has become a family adventure, and one that my boys and I like to share with friends. This past weekend Morel conditions were supreme, so a friend and I took our kids up north to see if we could find some treasure.
We spent an afternoon and evening mushroom hunting. The kids were thrilled to be out, and the hunt was on! We found a good number of them and feasted on fresh Morels, salmon, and steak. The kids had a blast and overloaded on nature, and they loved it, right down to the crackling of the fire and the making of s’more’s. Filled with country love, they fell asleep like rocks at about 9:30pm. (A miracle unto itself…as parents, we should bottle fresh air and save it for bedtime!)
After the kiddies had fallen asleep, my buddy and I shared our stories of the day. Out of nowhere, my buddy hit me with a reality check: “Man, you should take a break from your phone more often. You did a good job, but each time you checked it, your son noticed it and acted out for your attention.” Although I know I’m as dependent on my phone as the next person, I didn’t see how it was an issue with my kid. It is, indeed, a total blind spot. That’s how blind spots are in life: you can’t see them! I was grateful for my friend’s insight and honesty: he gave me the opportunity to become conscious of this issue and do something about it.
It’s a great practice to look for the blind spots in others and be constructive about them, as they can devour relationships, culture, and the moment if we don’t deal with them. There’s a quote I love by Carl Jung: “What you resist will persist.” (Ain’t that the truth?)
Being open to feedback on the things you do not see about yourself and encouraging others to do the same is a powerful practice. You can leverage that feedback into success. I’m glad to say I left the phone alone as much as possible for the rest of the trip and kept it up when I got home. Starting now, I am going to be more conscious of the phone. I want to be “in life,” awake, aware, and present. After all, life is about being there in the hunt.
Many thanks to my man for pointing out the blind spot. I’m on it…
