Get Regular Vision Checkups

Yesterday I took advantage of VSP's free eye exam and one pair of glasses. Without vision insurance, I pay for glasses when I can - which means I haven't gone back for a check up or new frames since 2005.

Getting this opportunity for complimentary treatment and frames meant a great deal.

It took time. Free comes at a cost. But since I have had some vision problems lately - computer strain and age take their toll - I knew it was to my advantage to set aside the 90 minutes needed.

But the immediate ROI was when each eye was corrected with the right lens. I had forgotten how good it feels to have strong lens in front of me. My eyes relaxed and my body did, in turn.

Corrective lens give us a state of completion.

Once the doctor determined my prescription on the machine in front of me, he flipped gadgets to reveal my old prescription and then to offer the new. Wow. Until we compare the old with the new, we loss sight of our limitations.

So is the case in our profession. We need regular vision checkups. We need insight and outside perspective from those around us. Just as I sat with the eyewear expert, deferring to her opinion on what frames fit me best, we professionals need defer to others for their unattached perspective.

Asking for others' views comes at a cost, as well. It takes vulnerability - willingness to trust others' judgement and willingness to ask for help. Once we do we get immediate relief.

How regularly do you get professional "vision" checkups? Do you seek feedback of your ideas? Do you brainstorm for the solutions of others? Do you verify the reality of your goals?

Is your check-up system based on what you're comfortable with, like it has been for me with my no-insurance system? If so, you may have lost sight of your limitations.

If so, I challenge you to do what it takes. It is worth the cost. Your vision limitations will be corrected. You will feel complete.

Introverts, Now Make Something Happen

I really love introverts. We go deeper and get more involved in the meaning of and importance of things than others do. Yet sometimes we forget to do something about it.

I've been there, too. I pour myself into a topic, sit for hours in front of my laptop doing the due diligence, make notes, get excited about my thoughts and ideas and then find my legs start jumping up and down. It's at that point that I know it's time to do something about what I've learned.

It's time to act.

The Hardest Part is What We Crave

Where I grew up in Findlay, Ohio is a pizza parlor that was the first in the area - Jac & Do's. Their thin crust pizza with ground beef and cheese is the best! You can roll the tiny square-cut pieces right into a roll and pop them in your mouth - so delicious! With a pitcher of beer, it's the destination place of almost the entire community!

Lately I've been craving pizza, so yesterday when I attended a luncheon to preview a presentation of a local contestant prepared for a national speaking contest and saw that pizza was served, I thought: Oh no. Can I control myself? In front of us were varieties of pizza, including some that resembled the type I used to enjoy back home in Findlay. Messy, ingrediants rolling off, the type you just wanted to make a mess with. What happened was what I had anticipated - I started off with control (2 strips and garlic bread) and then I gave in to it. After two bites I knew I wanted more. So I took another two. And enjoyed it!