Just Released - Foreward to Charlie's Book, "Tripping Into the Light"

Coming Soon: Tripping Into the Light 

By, Charlie Collins

Foreword by Jack Canfield

All over the world people are striving to lead more fulfilled lives. Whether it’s getting the big promotion and the payday that goes with it, becoming a better parent, husband or wife, buying the dream house, or writing a best selling novel, everybody wants to live their dream. And yet it’s no secret that we live in a society where resignation, hopelessness and endless drudgery are the norm for far too many people.

So what is preventing so many people from living the lives they dream of? While there are many inner and outer barriers that need to be overcome to create the life of your dreams, perhaps the biggest challenge for the vast majority of people is their low self-esteem. In fact, recent research indicates that two out of three Americans have low self-esteem. Simply stated, most people just don’t feel good about who they are and constantly churn in a world of negative self-talk. The beliefs that we should be taller, smarter, prettier, more athletic, and should have more money, lead to our concluding that we are not enough and our resenting the one person we should love unconditionally—our self.

As Charlie Collins so vividly articulates, these ideas are often born early and insidiously follow us into our adult lives. And, as Tripping Into The Light illustrates so poignantly, it isn’t until we let go of these negative beliefs what we’ve been holding on to that we have the capacity to change and grow. Only then do we set ourselves up to uncover our true selves and reach our highest potential.

In Tripping into the Light Charlie Collins shares his personal journey out of the darkness of low self-esteem and self-hatred into the light of self-acceptance and self-transformation. While there are many individual pathways to success, there are two common denominators that must always be present—action and perseverance. You must continually take action, over and over again, and you must never, ever give up. Faced with seemingly insurmountable odds you’ll see Charlie demonstrate these two principles with incredible strength and courage. His story gives all of us hope that it is never too late and never too dark to create the life of our dreams. It also reminds us that when we are ready, the universe awaits to assist us in the attainment of our birthright of happiness. It also shows us that by simply changing the way we think we can change our life for the better.

Often it is through the stories of others that we are able to find strength to carry on in our own lives. Charlie’s story is such a story. Tripping Into The Light is a portrait of the human spirit at its best. It is a book-long chicken soup for the soul story that will inspire you to have the courage to identify and face your own demons and persevere until you overcome them.

Jack Canfield
Co-author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series and The Success Principles

Stay tuned for more information about the release of the book!

The 4 levels of learning

Unconscious Incompetence, Who Me?

Yes me and for more than I want to remember. But the good news is I did not know either.

Few people are adept or successful at anything... at first.  And that includes yours truly in a big way.  In fact, everybody has to go through four levels of learning every single time they attempt something new:

1)    Unconscious Incompetence - you don't know how bad you are at a task or you do not even know a skill is available to solve the problem.
2)    Conscious Incompetence - you realize how bad you are at that task
3)    Conscious Competence - you can do that task with real focus
4)    Unconscious Competence - you can do that task without even thinking

Think about learning how to drive a car, or in my case a motorcycle.
The car thing came easy for me, my Dad taught me at a very young age how to drive his big red Wheel Horse tractor.
At a young age I started on a mini bike, then I moved into a small dirt bike with gears, a clutch, a front brake and a foot pedal brake for the rear tire. Soon I figured out what I did not know, then I took it real slow and thought about each thing I had to do. Like shifting gears, I had to pull the clutch in and then let it out slowly and accelerate. Or how about slowing down? I had to apply the rear brake and then the front, wait I’m stopped. Quick! Remember to put your feet down so I don't fall over... too late.
But after sometime I figured it all out and was off riding and no longer needed to think about what I had to do in order to fly through the woods.

But think about it, driving and eating, texting, talking on the phone or to someone in the car, putting on makeup, playing with the radio. The next thing you know you are at work and if someone asked you how the drive was the moment you get out of the car. You might say “Umm, fine thank you”, without realizing you have no idea. This is called Unconscious Competence.

Now let’s switch to the life of someone who is visually impaired: I’m a person with an eye disease and I’ve been told I need to learn how to read and write a new way? What? I have been doing it this way for 50, 60, maybe even 70 years. I’ve been doing this at level 4 (Unconscious competence) for most of my life. And now I have to start all over?
Yes and it’s easy with a little practice, don’t stress!
But the scary part is, many do not even know there is a new way to live life with a vision impairment, until someone, usually other than their eye Doctor tells them. Thankfully there are a few Doctor's out there that are telling their patients there is hope after we diagnose you with an eye disease. How do I know this? We get the referrals at our store.

Most people blame others for stopping their progress. The most damaging statement we hear in the store is "I can't read anymore, I have Macular Degeneration".  In truth, however, there's only one person who can put on the parking brake to your success:

And That’s YOU!

The late, great Zig Ziglar put it this way:  "Others can stop you temporarily. You are the only one who can do it permanently."
For years, that was me, blaming others and my Macular Degeneration. “I can't, I can't, I can't”, I would say, which eventually turned me into a victim.

Thankfully I have gone through the 4 levels of learning for hundreds of things now in my life. First, it needed to start with my eye disease, actually accepting my eye disease, making a decision, and then taking action.

The definition of competence is:

-The ability to do something well, measured against a standard.

Special ability is acquired through experiences or training with a lot of competence and confidence.  Today I use all sorts of aids to read and write (for instance even typing this article), or other things like; seeing in the distance, surfing the web, or just plain old enjoying life's experiences.
And I know you can too!


Charlie Collins

Founder and CEO                                                                                    

Vision Dynamics, LLC.                                                       

www.VisionDynamics.com                                                                                                                       203.271.1944





      

Telescope Implant for Macular Degeneration

Connecticut Telescope Implant for Macular Degeneration

The first telescope implant is now becoming available in Connecticut as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for patients suffering from advanced Macular Degeneration. Charlie Collins, founder of Vision Dynamics is partnering with Dr. Randolph Kinkade, an optometrist and founding member of the International Academy of Low Vision Specialists, is part of the newly forming CentraSight Treatment Program in Connecticut.

Implant Miniature Telescope

The Implanted Miniature Telescope (IMT) is an FDA-approved medical device for enhancing vision and improving quality of life. As a legally blind man with Macular Degeneration, these advancements really excite me!

An implant telescope balanced on a finger

The IMT is not a cure for macular degeneration. It will not return vision to 20/20, but it will improve quality of life. It will improve the quality of life by 3 times. How?  It magnifies your world bringing objects, people, and printed materials 3 times closer!


The telescope allows smaller detailed objects to be more visible. Telescopes minify the blind spot (scotoma) created in macular degeneration. It does this by reducing the size of the blind spot relative to the new magnified image.


A face as seen by an individual with macular degeneration.

Dr. Kinkade assesses patients with a special external simulation telescope to help determine if they are candidates for the implanted device, which can be assessed right here at Vision Dynamics

Patient viewing through an External Telescopic Simulator (ETS). 

The implanted telescopic eye is used for central vision. In conjunction with regular eye glasses, this eye will have improved distance and near vision. Recognizing faces and watching television should become easier. Reading and playing cards may be possible.



The implanted telescope does restrict the peripheral vision in the eye. The other eye helps compensate for the loss in side vision. New scanning eye movements become necessary.



Even if a patient is not a candidate for the implantable telescope they very well may be a candidate for miniature telescopes mounted into a pair of glasses. Spectacle Minature Telescopes (SMTs) have been shown to improve vision and improve quality of life for patients with all stages of macular degeneration.

Muriel Smith enjoying reading on her video magnifier

Dr. Randolph Kinkade with William Baiocchi wearing a pair of

Bioptic Spectacle Miniature Telescopes for macular degeneration.

Patients must meet certain age, vision, corneal health and anterior chamber depth measurements to be eligible for the implant. Patients cannot drive with the implant.



Call Vision Dynamics at (203)-271-1944 to see if you or someone you know may be a candidate for the Implanted Miniature or Spectacle Miniature Telescope. We have offices throughout Connecticut as well.

Inplantable Telescope in the Eye

Implantable telescope