Late last year I found myself undergoing emergency unexpected eye surgery. Having been blessed with 20/20 vision for most of my life, I only started to wear readers a few years ago. However on this particular day I was concerned that there was something seriously wrong with my sight. A squeezed in visit to a specialist resulted in being diagnosed with a retinal detachment and having to cancel all training for the following 3 weeks. I was also not allowed to travel or leave the Johannesburg area for 6 weeks.

A retinal detachment is when the retina peels away from its underlying support tissue. Initial detachment may be localised however without rapid treatment the entire retina may detach leading to vision loss and even blindness. Recovery depends on the individual. Initially after the operation one is totally blind and then one slowly starts to regain one’s vision. This can be 100% although most often one never regains full sight.

So what is my point? We often become so immersed in ourselves and our situations we fail to see what is going on around us. We become so self focused and engulfed in our own stuff we fail to see opportunities. We become so bogged down with work we fail to have balance in our lives. It can become so easy to focus on what we don’t have, the difficult times, the people who have angered and hurt us and what we have lost. However by looking through different eyes we can gain a different perspective. The beauty of nature, the goodness in people, the joy of simplicity and the small things that make us smile and feed our hungry souls.

Even being blessed to be someone who generally is extremely positive, having experienced what I did regarding my eye surgery, I suddenly found myself having a different perspective on a number of things. Being ‘blind’ for that period was the scariest thing I have ever encountered and it made me realise how valuable life is and how much we take things for granted. There is something very humbling in stepping back and being grateful for the smallest of things.

As a result of the surgery I also realised the value of balance and I recently took a few days off. I spent many hours walking on the beach and feasting on some of the simplest activities like picking up shells, playing in the waves, socialising with the animals on the beach and walking for miles and miles. It was balm for the soul. However that time also made look at things from a different perspective. It allowed me have the space and time to take stock of things, to reenergise, to laugh and cry and to see things through different eyes.

So here are some questions you may want to ask yourself and in doing so I trust you find the answers:

		What is it that perhaps you are not seeing or choosing not to see?
		What do you need to do to see more clearly?
		What different perspective do you need to take?
		Where do you need to step back and look at something differently?
		Are you choosing to ignore something that needs addressing? If so, what, and what action do you need to take?
		Are you allowing opportunities to be missed because you are ’blind’ to them? If yes what do you need to do to embrace these opportunities?
		Are you ‘turning a blind eye’ to things around you because it’s the path of least resistance?

I am sure as you read through the above there are certain things you are questioning.
The key to moving forward is to have awareness and once that awareness is there it will lead to action.

I wish you well on your journey through different eyes.

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