Discussing with a client today, he shared how he had been struck by a lightning. He had been asked a question and suddenly could see his next step. One that had always been in front of him, and one he had not been able to see.

Not seeing what is around us or what is possible is probably the most common type of blindness.

It can be fed by our worldviews, by our emotions inviting us to look away or by our lack of knowledge.

The next type of blindness is linked to our emotions. It is one where we distance ourselves from feeling.

This can for example be there to avoid uncomfortable emotions once we can see. In the case of my client, it was important for him to talk with me as he had felt confused by what he was seeing. He wasn’t sure as to how to deal with his excitement and fears. Sorting out the ideas together he started to be able to feel how the opportunity was affecting him. In part, our work consisted of organizing the thoughts and in parts, it consisted of creating a safe space allowing him to feel what he had avoided out of fear that it might not work.

His next step is the one to actually start to move and act. Now that he could see and feel, the question was how it would become possible for him to act.

There can be a blindness to act if that action leads to step into the unknown. Which is typical as the unknown also comes along with fears as it isn’t predictable. It also comes with the question if our action will have an impact or lead to rejection. If these ideas feel too complicated, it is easier to stay blind to the possible action.

In the work with my client, this sometimes shows through the meandering of the project we are working on. There are backs and forth until everything is prepared to allow for action.