Why is Brock blindfolded?
In this video from Facing The Giants, the coach asks Brock, “You already written Friday night down as a loss, Brock?”
Brock shrugs. “Well, not if I know we could beat’em.”So, why does Coach Taylor blindfold him in the next Death Crawl drill? Brock agrees that he can make it to the thirty yard line with Jeremy on his back. Brock’s mind is made up. If the coach demands his best, Brock will stop at the thirty, and be satisfied that he gave his best.
Brock will only do what he knows he can do. Knowing this, and knowing that Brock is the role model for the entire team, the coach blindfolds him. And Brock fights, struggles, pants and sweats himself all the way into the end zone.
Are you limited by what you “know?” Maybe you consider yourself to be a slow learner, or destined for failure. Maybe you believe all doctors are ruthless, or all people of a certain race are liars. Whatever you “know,” your mind will continually seek more evidence to prove that it is right. You might meet three hundred honest people of that certain race, but your mind will latch onto the one you caught in a lie and insist, “See? They are like that.” If you believe yourself to be a slow-learner, your focus when you study will be on your inadequacies as a student instead of the material at hand. When test time comes, you’ll have the low grade to prove your mind right.
How can you overcome these self-imposed limitations?
- Do it anyway. Brock “knew” that he could only go to the 30 yard line with Jeremy on his back. But, with Coach Taylor’s help, his focus is directed away from that knowledge and into forward momentum.
- Question your assumptions. If you “know” something, but other people seem to “know” something else, spend some time looking into what they know. For example, if you “know” doctors are ruthless, but your friend insists that doctors not only saved his life, but did it with stunning compassion, open your mind to your friend’s experience.
- Question your proof. If you “know” a certain political candidate is corrupt and you receive emails from your in-laws telling stories of the candidate’s corrupt behavior, it’s tempting to accept the emails as truth. The story is probably true, after all – it would be just like him/her! Seek to know the truth rather than to be proven right.
- Surround yourself with people who are willing to challenge your assumptions. You “know” your marriage will fail because no one in your family has managed to preserve a marriage for longer than five years. People who truly care about you will be willing to point out ways that your mind is guiding you into behaviors that will make that assumption come true.
“Look up, Brock,” Coach Taylor says. “You’re in the end zone.” Brock looks up . . . and gets it.
The principle still holds true: Brock’s mind will continue to try and prove that its beliefs are correct. What has changed is Brock’s belief. His mind now knows that he can do more, so much more than he would have imagined. Once his belief was changed, his behaviors followed. He became an inspired leader, and role model, guiding his teammates to win a championship they never thought they’d play in.
Challenge your beliefs. Stretch them. Take risks, and force your mind to accept that you are more than you have ever been before today. Set your eyes on your triumphant future, when you can say to yourself, as Coach Taylor said to his exultant team:
“For the rest of your lives, you will remember today. I want you to remember that you held nothing back. You did not lose heart. You did not stop fighting. You did not quit!”
