A woman who has had several eye operations has been seeing pretty well out of her one good eye, aided by thick eyeglasses, since she was 5 years old. She says she will be forever grateful to that doctor who saved her sight. She does not feel limited with one blind eye and strong glasses — she feels lucky.
This woman said she worries sometimes that her vision will get worse. She’ll be thrilled if it stays the same. When I presented the idea that it could improve, she had a hard time accepting this. She’s hanging on tightly to the status quo — the only change she could imagine is a decline.
Vision varies, getting more blurry if we’re tired, getting clearer if we’re energetic and optimistic. If you keep your body and attitude healthy, learn how to look in a curious relaxed manner, and reduce your dependence on strong eyeglasses, your eyesight can indeed get better. Yet to many people this isn’t even possible. The idea is too different from what they’ve always believed, so they can’t let it in.
In my 30s I was diagnosed with a serious disease that is often seen as a death sentence. I did not see it this way, instead viewing it as a challenge I could overcome, and I have no symptoms of the disease today. The body knows how to heal if we give it the right support.
Once this health problem was firmly in my past, I talked with someone who had just been diagnosed with the same thing. She was in a panic. I suggested she focus fiercely on self-care, and to “push your limits, gently, or else they’ll close in on you”. I’d give the same advice in a lot of other situations, including when someone has eyesight problems.
When you see someone at the peak of health and fitness, a great example of the capabilities of the human body, how do you react? Do you start criticizing yourself as not measuring up? Or do you decide to go to the gym tomorrow, and finally get serious about eating in a more healthy way? Whatever the status of your eyesight, or your health, you can improve if you take positive steps to do so.
If you’re unhappy with some part of your life, whether it be your vision or your career or your relationship, please don’t settle. You deserve a happy vibrant full existence. Imagine it, feel what it would be like, then start taking steps to make it happen. As I told the woman I mentioned earlier, “Reach for the stars, and at least you’ll get a rooftop!”. We both laughed at this, and she got the point. Not going backwards isn’t true progress — you can do SO much better!
I wore strong glasses, then contact lenses, from age 5 into my 40s. While making many mistakes, eventually l learned how to improve the way I use my eyes and to see in a more relaxed, healthy manner. It is my pleasure to coach others to do the same. Visit me at https://NancyLNeff.com.