Look to the Left, Look to the Right
By Jay Forte, Coach, Author, Educator
When we get ready to go out in the world, we shower, get ready and put our blinders on. We generally focus on what’s in front of us. As a result, there’s a lot that happens around us that we never seem to notice. And if you don’t notice it, you can’t consider it, use it or be changed by it. The result? A limited view of our world with a slew of missed opportunities.
To expand your view and increase your opportunities, train yourself to take off the blinders and look left, then look right. 
Look left, look right. What do you see that expands your world?
Notice the people, information and wisdom around you. I have always believed that we don’t need to create all of our own solutions in life. So many of the solutions that would be meaningful for us are already in front of us, if we would just take to time to expand our view.
Look left, look right. Who needs your help, kindness or support?
We can easily look past those who need our kind word, smile, assistance or support. Fixated on our own perspective, we sometimes forget we travel this road of life with many others. Collectively, we have the capacity to improve the lives of those around us… if we notice them.
Think how it feels when someone reaches out to you with help, kindness or support.
Look left, look right. What is one thing you could improve?
I was repeatedly reminded as a kid that everyone is here to stop and notice our world while asking, “What could I do to make things better?” When we notice in many directions, we find opportunities to bring what we do best to our world, to make changes and improvements for our benefit and for the benefit of others. Be on the lookout for ways to make things better.
Look left, look right. What is one thing you could learn?
We live in amazing times with almost unlimited access to information, skills, education and wisdom. Consider expanding what you know in areas that are not just in front of you. Learn about something that interests you or something you previously hadn’t heard of, and be willing to share what you know to activate others’ learning.
Looking left and right reminds us not to be so single-minded. Stop and notice all of the amazing things around you, then consider what opportunities the millions of people in our big, bold world create for you to learn, grow and make things better for all of us.
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