180 Degree Vision—Please Try!

My tendency when receiving a punch to the gut is to look down at the fist that is coming towards me.  Holy Moley!   Yet my aikido instructor asks us to practice receiving our adversary’s punch by expanding our gaze to include the outer periphery of our vision.  In doing so I notice my hand knows exactly how to receive the punch.  I tap into my inner knowing and trust.  My future action blends with the energy of the punch to create a fluid movement that takes my adversary gently to the ground.
I learn the value of looking up and out, of expanding my vision to capture as much of the whole space as I can.  What I find is my inner strength and the resources included in the space around me.  I see immediately where my next move will be to bring both my adversary and I to a soft landing.
Please try!
Get comfortable, take a full breath, relax your shoulders and jaw and ask yourself the following questions.  Listen gently (without judgment) to the answers:
As a leader where are you focused on the punch?
What might be available to you by looking up, out and around?