Blindfolds: Story and Reflection

For better or worse (mostly better), I'm partly the result of having an older sister.

When we were kids, she had brilliant ideas for games. One of her favorites? A blindfolded taste test.

She claimed it was all in good fun—but let’s be honest, it was her sneaky way of trying to cure my “ridiculous” eating aversions.

You see, I couldn’t stand mayo or mustard. To this day, I’m not sure why my distaste for those two condiments created such a family scandal, but it did. She didn’t let it go.

The taste test always involved some bite-sized mystery creation on bread—safe options like butter, peanut butter, or jelly were always the starters. But, of course, her evil genius would always slip in a dollop of mayo or mustard into one of the tastings (even though she promised not to). Every. Single. Time. (Yes, I fell for it more than once! 🤷♀️ I'm a trusting soul.)

Her goal likely wasn’t just to expand my palate but also to see my priceless reaction. Spoiler alert: it didn’t work. Mayo and mustard are still firmly on my “nope” list. (And to this day my family continues to say, "You still don't eat mayo?" Ha.)

The point here is most of us, even from a young age, have a strong desire to assert our autonomy, to determine our likes and dislikes. And, someone trying to convince us to do something or like something is often met with resentment, skepticism or resistance.

That's one reason coaching is so powerful. Coaches meet you where you are and ask where you want to get to. They help you reach your own conclusions and plans. They don't try to convince you of what is right. They also don't judge your insights and designed trials. Coaching empowers.

Autonomy, competence, and relatedness are key pieces of psychological fitness. And coaching works on all 3 prongs.

Reflection: In what situations could you step back and take a coaching approach to support someone's choice - allow them to go against the grain, prove the status quo wrong, or maybe learn from the trial? What do you have to believe to do so? What must you let go of?

I, eventually, after a half-dozen times or so, learned to set a boundary - I do not take blindfolded taste tests! 🤣

Don't get me started about the flashbacks that occurred when a friend's soft-opening of his Jamaican restaurant was branded "we only tell you what it is after you taste it." 😬. (Still a trusting soul.... and ox-tail was surprisingly good 🤷)