Don't Look Down!

What is up with looking down? Nothing good has ever come from it. You may think looking down while walking will prevent tripping, which is certainly not always the case, and you only look up in time to get smacked in the face. If you’ve ever performed on stage you probably already know that looking down makes you look bad. Closed. Insecure. Lacking the confidence you once had as an up-looker (if in fact you ever were one).

As if this argument required further illustration, which is doesn’t, please scroll the page down and view the following video. Do not simply adjust your eye-level to the bottom of the page. Looking down is a slippery slope.



Yes, now you see the true consequences of looking down. Wile E. Coyote might have continued walking on air if he’d kept his eyes on the prize….or anywhere but down.

Why is this such a big deal? Take any majorly successful person: businessmen, professional athletes, Dumbledore, or Barack Obama. You know what got them where they are now? Well, it wasn’t looking down! Successful people are confident, look out to meet the world, and take on its challenges. You can tell a lot about a person by where they look. Don’t go telling the wrong story by looking down.



I really don’t know how much more explanation this point requires, but if you were wondering why people use phrases such as “chin up” and “what’s got you down?”…let’s just do a little comparison. Things you see while looking down: dirt, your shoes, a lucky penny (probably covered in Swine Flu), old gum, filth, grime, disease, etc. Things you see while looking up and out: the world, people, your future, opportunity, etc. Point made? I thought so.

Due to the curvature of the Earth, if you look straight ahead (line of sight parallel to the ground) on a generally level flatland, you’ll never have to see the ground again! Now if you live in a valley or near mountains, you may see ground, but it is off in the distance: future ground, if you will. Future ground is OK.