Clearing Your Vision

You have to give Shannon Kaiser credit—she was dedicated. She applied the know-how of her corporate advertising career and it kickstarted her business as a coach, author and speaker. It worked…until her health started to suffer. Adopting an all-in mentality had made her successful, but it wasn’t sustainable. Here’s how she describes the moment she recognized her blind spot:

The first three years of my business were the hardest, not because they were particularly hard—but because I made them hard with my expectations and attachments to how things should look. I was always trying to get to the next level: the bigger book deal, more followers and subscribers, more clients, and more sales, believing success was tied to these. I had something to prove…until I realized I didn’t.

Something shifted, a radical breakthrough that changed everything for me. Instead of looking outside of myself, I shifted inward. I thought, “If I want my business to work, I have to make sure I am working.” I put myself on a self-love practice, dedicating myself to healing and health.

As entrepreneurs, we are our business; we put our heart and soul into our work. So, if you don’t work, it’s safe to say your business won’t work as well as it could, either.

The people we’ve met in the May series, Crystal Clear, solved their blind spots using courage and honesty.  Those qualities have an interesting silver lining: self-confidence. Life worked once they understood they could face whatever was in front of them, even if that meant making hard choices. As their outlook shifted, everything fell into place. For example:

1. “Make It Stick” showed the power of making the choice you know you need to make, making it early, and making it stick. Making smart choices isn’t about a false sense of certainty. It’s about believing in your decision-making process so you can stand firm when doubts arise.
2. “Catch Yourself” told the story of a Sydney man whose denial about a bleeding ulcer almost cost him his life. Now he’s determined to catch himself before he becomes defensive. Blind spots take on a whole new meaning when we see and accept them as the most tender, vulnerable parts of ourselves.
3. Jaimie Seaton developed the courage to tell herself the truth about her post-divorce finances in “The Story You Tell the World.” Cultivating self-reliance has made a huge difference for Jaimie and her children. Through thick or thin, they’re in it together.
4. “The Only Question That Matters” described how blind spots instantly form when we’re frustrated or impatient. That is the moment to exercise poise and ask yourself, “How can I communicate so I am understood?”

Right now, you might feel the way Shannon Kaiser used to feel—striving, naïve, and wondering if you might be a failure. But your external life won’t work unless you boldly face those internal doubts. Commit to flicking them away like specks of dirt—they’re just small irritants getting in your line of sight. That’s how you get crystal clear.