Drafting my own Left Tackle

As you may know, in American Football, the quarterback has a weakness as he prepares to throw the ball down field. A right handed quarterback has a blind spot on his left side, as he pulls his right arm back to throw.

The opposing team tries to take advantage of the blind spot. The quarterback can easily lose the ball if they can sneak up on him. He is also more likely to be injured if he not ready to be tackled.

The player who protects his blind side is the Left Tackle.

Just like a quarterback has a blind side, I do, too. I don’t know what I don’t know. I frequently don’t know how to get to the results that I want in my life. I can see the goal line, but there’s a lot of action on the field, and my personal blind spots are a big factor.

This past year I took a huge step. I decided that I needed a team. First, I found a coach that was a great fit for me. I made up my mind to surrender — to be coachable. Coach assigned me an accountability partner. She has become my left tackle. She helps me see into my blind spots. She reviews my work, and points out things I didn’t know, or forgot to do.

My twelve step group members do the same thing for my emotional blind spots. When I go to meetings, then I start to see new ways to do things. That way, my old patterns don’t blindside me and cause emotional injuries.

Today it’s easy to remember that I don’t know what I don’t know. Anytime I feel blindsided, I can turn to my left tackle for help.