as it is too easy to simply dismiss a business idea without listening. We tend to think “Oh, I know all about that or that’s one of those things!” If we can turn off our filters for a few moments and simply pay attention we may find that we are overlooking good opportunities because our filters are set too tight.

The book of proverbs says “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his

Taking Off Your Rose Colored Glasses can be profitable

How our filters cause us to miss out on good opportunities

Here is Florida where I live it is a necessity to wear sunglasses outside much of the time. The sun here is very bright and without good sunglasses two things happen and neither is good: You cannot see due to the bright light and you can develop cataracts.

In our businesses and lives we also have colored glasses on. These are our filters that we have developed to keep out the things we are not interested in and things that could harm us.

How did we get these filters? They were formed by our routines as we grew up. We found things in life that we liked and that were were either comfortable or uncomfortable to us. As these things occurred we automatically set up filters to say good or bad. This is how we seem to ignore some of the clutter of advertising going on around us everywhere.

If you are looking for a new car, suddenly you would start paying more attention to the car ads on T.V., radio and print. Normally you would usually filter these ads out as you are not looking for a new car. If you are single you would be attuned to other single people. Conversely, once you are happily married you will tend to filter out that someone is single as you are no longer looking.

For a businessperson sometimes our filters work against us as they cause us not to have an open mind when new ideas are presented. We must learn to keep an open mind and not simply filter out new ideas without listening.

Being open minded is an area I am working on as it is too easy to simply dismiss a business idea without listening. We tend to think “Oh, I know all about that or that’s one of those things!” If we can turn off our filters for a few moments and simply pay attention we may find that we are overlooking good opportunities because our filters are set too tight.

The book of proverbs says “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his s

>In our businesses and lives we also have colored glasses on. These are our filters that we have developed to keep out the things we are not interested in and things that could harm us.

How did we get these filters? They were formed by our routines as we grew up. We found things in life that we liked and that were were either comfortable or uncomfortable to us. As these things occurred we automatically set up filters to say good or bad. This is how we seem to ignore some of the clutter of advertising going on around us everywhere.

If you are looking for a new car, suddenly you would start paying more attention to the car ads on T.V., radio and print. Normally you would usually filter these ads out as you are not looking for a new car. If you are single you would be attuned to other single people. Conversely, once you are happily married you will tend to filter out that someone is single as you are no longer looking.

For a businessperson sometimes our filters work against us as they cause us not to have an open mind when new ideas are presented. We must learn to keep an open mind and not simply filter out new ideas without listening.

Being open minded is an area I am working on as it is too easy to simply dismiss a business idea without listening. We tend to think “Oh, I know all about that or that’s one of those things!” If we can turn off our filters for a few moments and simply pay attention we may find that we are overlooking good opportunities because our filters are set too tight.

The book of proverbs says “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his

ally set up filters to say good or bad. This is how we seem to ignore some of the clutter of advertising going on around us everywhere.

If you are looking for a new car, suddenly you would start paying more attention to the car ads on T.V., radio and print. Normally you would usually filter these ads out as you are not looking for a new car. If you are single you would be attuned to other single people. Conversely, once you are happily married you will tend to filter out that someone is single as you are no longer looking.

For a businessperson sometimes our filters work against us as they cause us not to have an open mind when new ideas are presented. We must learn to keep an open mind and not simply filter out new ideas without listening.

Being open minded is an area I am working on as it is too easy to simply dismiss a business idea without listening. We tend to think “Oh, I know all about that or that’s one of those things!” If we can turn off our filters for a few moments and simply pay attention we may find that we are overlooking good opportunities because our filters are set too tight.

The book of proverbs says “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his

eople. Conversely, once you are happily married you will tend to filter out that someone is single as you are no longer looking.

For a businessperson sometimes our filters work against us as they cause us not to have an open mind when new ideas are presented. We must learn to keep an open mind and not simply filter out new ideas without listening.

Being open minded is an area I am working on as it is too easy to simply dismiss a business idea without listening. We tend to think “Oh, I know all about that or that’s one of those things!” If we can turn off our filters for a few moments and simply pay attention we may find that we are overlooking good opportunities because our filters are set too tight.

The book of proverbs says “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his

as it is too easy to simply dismiss a business idea without listening. We tend to think “Oh, I know all about that or that’s one of those things!” If we can turn off our filters for a few moments and simply pay attention we may find that we are overlooking good opportunities because our filters are set too tight.

The book of proverbs says “He who answers before listening—that is his folly and his shame.” What this means is simply we need to be more open to listening before we make a judgment about any matter.

What made me write this article? Recently, I took the time to go back and look again at a business my friend recommended. The first time he brought it up I said “Oh, I know all about that!” Well, I did not. That was because I had not taken the time to get all the information and carefully consider it. How often we miss out on opportunities simply because we think (due to our filters) that we know all about something or we think we are too busy to take the time and carefully and fully check something out.