If someone accuses you of “wearing blinders” it’s usually a negative comment that refers to your inability (or refusal) to face reality or admit the truth about something.
While it’s true that denial can be a bad thing if you use it to avoid growth or hide your head in the sand, getting into the habit of selective denial can also benefit you immensely as you strive to make positive changes in your life. The trick is to learn how to use mental blinders to keep out the stuff that would hold you back or detract from what you’re trying to do.
Negative thoughts, doubts about your abilities, false conclusions about what failures mean to you, and even negative comments from others in your life can all detract from your ability to focus and keep moving forward.
The more you dwell on stuff like this, and the more you allow it to infiltrate your consciousness, the more pervasive it tends to grow. Before long, you’re all clogged up and unable to remember what you were working toward or why it’s important to you.
While it’s impossible to completely block negative stuff from your life, it’s not impossible to select carefully what you choose to focus on most of the time.
That’s not to say you have to live in denial or adopt a Pollyanna attitude, but at least be a little more selective in what you choose to allow into your head.
Put on blinders when you know you’re heading into a negative environment – or better yet avoid negative environments if you can. Learn how to take control over the information you absorb and the thoughts that run through your mind, and you will be able to ignore the stuff that would cause damage and destruction.
That frees your focus so you can turn your attention to the stuff that will create opportunities, empowerment and advancement. Not only will this help you reach your goals more quickly, it will help you to feel more positive as you do so!