I can’t tell you how many embarrassing and frustrating moments I’ve had over the last 10 days.

I’ve been wearing contact lenses since I was 13. For the last 27 years, I’ve worn them from morning till night; 16 hours a day, sometimes longer. Now, as I’m aging, my eyes aren’t naturally producing tears at the same rate, and I’m starting to suffer from severe dry eye. I’m using eye drops, a brunder mask, and eyelid cream. I’m wearing my lenses WAY less hours each day; sometimes only 5-10. But, I’ve had numerous moments where my eyes don’t want to cooperate.

At first, I was IN DENIAL and also RESISTANT to these changes. For years, my father told me “Be careful. Around 40, I simply couldn’t wear contact lenses anymore. The same thing might happen to you”.

That won’t happen to me, I thought.
Now, it’s happening to me.

I’ve had a big long list of questions. How will I run without contact lenses? How will I see when it’s sunny if I have to wear glasses? How will I shave in the shower (since my glasses fog up). How will I ski since I have to wear ski googles?

What I’ve realized is this: for EVERY question, there’s ALWAYS an answer. We may not LIKE the answers. But there are always answers.

Yesterday, I had a flare up and wasn’t able to keep my lenses on for the whole day. I went to the gym and worked out for an hour- in my glasses. I took a bubble bath and shaved- in the tub. I saw a friend, and wore my glasses to do that. I’ve realized I may have to get prescription sunglasses.

Simply put, life is GOING to be DIFFERENT.

How many of us have a hard time reacting and responding to CHANGE? Probably many of us. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard employees say, at work, “We didn’t used to do it this way. The old way was better”. In many cases, it’s probably NOT that the “OLD WAY” is BETTER- but just that the old way feels more COMFORTABLE, and so we gravitate towards it.

Not being able to adapt to changes in policy, procedure, vision, and strategy often makes us LESS valuable employees or POOR performers. Change is everywhere, and being able to adapt is such a valuable and necessary skill as we go through life.

#adaptability #adapttochange #adaptation #change #changeyourmindset #changeyourmindset