Photo by Wil Stewart on Unsplash
When was the last time that you went through a tunnel? Do you recall the feeling of the dark, narrow space where all you could really see or focus on was the tunnel? Do you recall the feeling you felt when you were going through a very long tunnel and you finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel?
A tunnel can actually be a metaphor for a difficulty or a challenge that comes along on the road of life. Sometimes, the difficulty can obstruct our vision so that we develop tunnel vision.
Tunnel vision can plague us in ordinary life even when we are not physically going through a tunnel. If we allow ourselves to become centrally focused on a negative situation for a long enough period of time, then we’ll find ourselves completely consumed and limited by it.
The tunnel is simply a tool; A means to an end. It’s a facilitator to take you from one point to another. If seen correctly, it can actually help prepare us for what’s on the other side of the tunnel. But when you have tunnel vision to the extent where all you can see or focus on is the tunnel, what do you do?
How Do You Break the Cycle of Tunnel Vision?
Remember the Big Picture. When you’re going through a tunnel it seems like that’s all there is because it is all you can see. You don’t know how long you will be in the tunnel and even if you’re still pressing onwards it can be easy to forget to see the big picture. Enlarge your vision to see the big picture. Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t see but remain hopeful knowing that there’s still more to be seen.
Stay Focused. Tunnel vision has a tendency to distract us and rob us of actually staying focused. As a result, we must train ourselves to become more intentional about staying focused in the midst of a tunnel knowing that it will soon open up into new territory. When we refocus we shift our attention from the negative to the positive.
Beyond the Tunnel. We must look with eyes of faith beyond the tunnel. It’s not that we don’t see the tunnel or deny its existence but rather we see beyond it. We can’t allow ourselves to rely on what we see in the natural. We must be willing to stretch our faith to see beyond the tunnel.
None of us is immune from difficulty in life but we do have the power to choose how it will affect us. Resist the urge to develop tunnel vision in the midst of difficulty. Although the obstacle will still exist, it will no longer have power over you when viewed through the correct lens.