Doom and Gloom

 

It still amazes me that, for the most part, the only thing the news reports is what is wrong in the world. They love to focus on the shortcomings of our society such as economic downturns, violence, political corruption and more.  If you get a chance to ask someone behind the scenes, they will tell you that negativity is what sells, that these are the stories the public wants to hear.

Wow, I am certainly glad I don’t hang around those people all day! Years ago I made a conscious decision to stop watching the news, reading the paper, or paying attention to anyone whose job it is to tell us how bad things are. Occasionally, for fun, I'll tune in to see what is new. Absolutely nothing.

In my opinion, the saddest part is that so many people buy into the constant negativity. As we know from the store, people spend so much of their time nowadays with the 24 hour news channels on in the background, with its negativity constantly invading their subconscious. Sure, in my 47 years on this Earth, times have  been shown to go up and down. But last time I checked, people are blessed with the freewill to choose their attitude and happiness, and if they are not happy with something in their lives, they can choose to do something about it.

Over the past four months I have been traveling quite a bit. I have been to California, Ohio, Atlanta, Baltimore and Florida just to name a few. I do not get the sense of "Doom and Gloom" from the visually impaired community that I am meeting. In fact, it is quite the opposite. I am finding a great diversity of people from different backgrounds, connecting with other people suffering from vision impairment. Despite differences in geography or economic status, they are all looking for solution to better serve themselves, their patients, their clients, their students etc.

As the season changes and more pleasant days are upon us, be inspired to take charge and get back into the driver seat of life. "They" -  whoever "they" are - can't do it for you. "It" - whatever "it" is - will not fix itself. Take a look outside now that spring is here and observe how nature all around us takes charge and does what is does best, no matter what the news has to say…

Sowing Our Own Seeds

Spring is finally upon us! Soon we will hear the familiar chirping of the returning birds and those bulbs we planted before the frost will start to peek through, giving us the sign of regeneration and new life. While you begin to tend to your yard and garden this month, repairing it from the winter damage, don't forget to prepare yourself for spring as well!

It's time to do a little self-gardening. It's time to plant your own seeds of change so that you can grow a beautiful healthy mind and soul. The steps on the packet are pretty simple:

1. Plant your seed - a thought, a decision, a goal or a dream. What seed do you want to sow? How big do you hope it will grow?
2. Feed your garden with plenty of water and healthy plant food. This is crucial for proper physical and emotional development of your seedling.
3. Pull the weeds - anything that can suffocate, overgrow or hinder the development of your seed. Negative thoughts, supportive people and unhealthy environments will all stunt the seed's growth.
4. Give your seed plenty of sunlight - get outside and surround yourself with love, light and laughter.

Follow these steps daily, and I can almost guarantee your seed will mature and bloom more beautifully than you ever expected! Humans are very much like the gardens we tend to. We can plant a seed within ourselves, but if we don't take daily nurturing action to promote healthy growth, we will never reap the rewards. By taking daily action, your goal, dream or vision will materialize into fruitful success. Here at Vision Dynamics, we try to be gardeners of personal growth whenever possible. We see people come into the store every day who have been given incorrect or limited information about their eye condition. While glasses may be unable to help anymore, there is so much more available. We can help plant the seed of change and hope, but it still needs to be nurtured and tended to in order to develop.

If you have the willingness, there is always a way. So what will you plant this month?

Can't vs Won't: The Choice is Yours

Every day at our store, we interact with individuals who are in the process of coming to terms mentally and physically with their low vision condition. Many of them are understandably frustrated by what they feel they can no longer do. The most common problems we hear are, "I can't read anymore," "I can't cook anymore," "I can't do things as independently as I used to."

But then something exciting happens - they learn they actually CAN. When they open their minds  and consider some of the amazing solutions available, they realize that with some change, modification and assistance, they can regain parts of their old selves again. And, best of all, create new parts of self. Unfortunately we also see another scenario quite often  - customers who learn about amazing solutions, realize the possibilities available to them but still don't take action.

As many of you know, I have been legally blind since childhood. As founder of Vision Dynamics and a public speaker, I have had the opportunity to meet and talk with so many people with low vision, spanning decades in age. I've noticed a common theme amongst the ones who do not want to proactively adjust their lives and who find themselves constantly complaining about their condition - that is mindset. They are plagued with the "I Can't" negative self-talk. I often ask them to consider whether they CAN'T or they WON'T and to truly think about the difference between the two terms.

If you have something in your life that you find yourself consistently complaining about - whether it's your vision, your job, a relationship, money, or anything else, it's time to tell yourself that "enough is enough." It is time to convert your thinking to the "I CAN" mindset. You can do something about it. You can make healthy decisions and beneficial choices, even if it requires adjusting to some change. And if people close to you are suffering from a case of the "I Can'ts," then encourage them take action to help them find solutions and embrace the changes that are for the positive. Change can be scary and uncomfortable, but the payoff can be sweet.

If there's one thing you CAN'T do this month, it's force your team to win the NCAA brackets. That's up to sheer luck. But if there's something you CAN do this month, it's to determine what the proverbial pot of gold is at the end of your rainbow and take the first steps toward reaping the rewards. May March bring you great happiness.

What's Your Excuse?

As the mercury drops in these cold, winter months, it seems like the only thing that heats up is our complaining. It starts out with, "February is too cold!" Have you been complaining of the cold?  Did you ever stop and really think about why people complain? Yes, it's cold. But do they think somehow we are going to warm it up for them? Will complaining about it somehow make it warmer?

What you focus on grows. By fixating on what you do not like, you usually get more of it.I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t want to hear the negative "poor me’s." Among the common complaints I have heard just recently are:My boss is a jerk.
I do not like my job.
Taxes are killing me.
I don't have enough time to work out or cook.
I never have time to eat a healthy meal.
Gas prices are too high.
My parents are a pain in the butt.
And the list goes on...

I was once a first class complainer. It all started with my Eye Disease. Eventually it snowballed and everything else became the problem - everything except me.

So next time you find yourself complaining, take a moment to see if you can provide your own solution. If you are cold, ask yourself  "Can I just put on some warmer clothes or turn on my fireplace? Can I run in place or do something to increase my heart rate and circulation?" The bottom line is you can always do something. Complainers would rather not because they like sitting on the problem. In my opinion, if you live in this great country and are alive and breathing to read this, then it's time to put your complaints in perspective.

Now throw on an extra sweater and get going! Just like the blind guy in the picture above who is out for a winter hike and feeling grateful for everything he DOES have.

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!