Welcome, Curious People!

Personal “Black Boxes”

This week, I want to reflect on something I believe we should all take a moment to consider — the significance and potential insights of our personal “Black Box.”

We’re all familiar with the “Black Box” used in aircraft. It’s designed to be virtually indestructible, built to withstand the harshest conditions because it stores critical flight data. This data is essential in understanding both successful operations and system failures. Most often, we hear about Black Boxes in the aftermath of a crash or catastrophic event — when investigators turn to it for answers.

Each of us carries a personal “Black Box”. Unlike airplanes, though, we rarely take the time to retrieve and review our own internal data. When we encounter personal or professional failures — “system crashes” in our relationships, habits, decisions, or organizations — we often fail to recognize, analyze, or accept the insights contained within our experiences.

Instead, we sometimes dismiss what our Black Box is showing us. We rationalize, deflect, or look for external explanations rather than facing the uncomfortable truths or patterns we might be repeating.

Taking time to examine your personal Black Box isn’t easy — but it’s one of the most powerful tools for self-awareness, growth, and resilience.

Here are some examples of how Black Box information may show up in our daily lives and our journeys. Perhaps some of these will directly relate situations that have happen to you personally, or they will help to recognize similar situations that you can look for Black Box information and data

1. Emotional Patterns After Conflict

A person repeatedly feels defensive or shut down after feedback but never reflects on why. Their Black Box might reveal early experiences with criticism, but they’ve never reviewed the “flight data.”

2. Career Burnout

Someone burns out every 2–3 years in a new job, blaming poor management or company culture. The Black Box might show a pattern of overcommitting or an inability to set boundaries — but it goes unexamined.

3. Leadership Blind Spots

A team leader consistently experiences high turnover. They believe it’s due to “millennials not wanting to work,” but their Black Box would show data on poor delegation, lack of recognition, or micromanagement.

4. Repeated Relationship Failures

A person always finds themselves in the same kind of dysfunctional romantic relationship. Their internal Black Box may contain ignored signals, attachment wounds, or learned behavior — but it’s easier to blame the other person.

5. Self-Sabotage

An athlete or performer who underperforms in high-pressure moments may chalk it up to bad luck — but the Black Box might hold data about fear of success, impostor syndrome, or lack of preparation.

The most effective leaders — and the most fulfilled individuals — are the ones who learn to decode their own Black Boxes. They don’t wait for disaster to analyze what went wrong. Instead, they build habits of reflection, curiosity, and accountability, using past data to shape future decisions. Whether you’re leading a team, navigating relationships, or growing personally, the information is there — buried in your experiences, patterns, and responses. The question is: Will you choose to listen to your Black Box before the next crash — or only after?

 Thank you for stopping by and being CURIOUS this week. Being curious is WHERE GROWTH HAPPENS!\