Appreciate Your Vision: What you Appreciate... Appreciates

Appreciation is being grateful for what we have instead of depreciating its value because we don't have it.

Do you APPRECIATE your eyesight? Do you appreciate your ability to see, even if you have lost some vision? Do you generally appreciate life and find gratitude each day, or do you complain a lot and devalue your life experience?

The Power of Appreciation in Vision Health

There's a profound truth that applies to every aspect of our lives, including our vision health: what we appreciate, appreciates. This isn't just feel-good philosophy—it's a practical principle that can directly impact your ability to recover and preserve your vision.

When it comes to your eyesight, appreciation is reflected in the time and energy you put into a daily eye care regimen. Consider this possibility: the more you appreciate your eye health, the more you will do to recover and preserve it.

Understanding True Appreciation

Appreciation means having gratitude for what we currently possess—recognizing the value in our present circumstances rather than focusing solely on what we've lost or don't have. In the context of vision health, this means:

• Valuing your current visual capacity, even if it's diminished from what it once was
• Feeling grateful for your ability to see, regardless of limitations
• Holding your vision in high regard and treating it as the precious gift it is
• Giving thanks to whatever higher power you believe in for the sight you do possess

When we truly appreciate our vision, we naturally develop a mindset that leads to protective and nurturing actions.

The Appreciation-Action Connection

Here's how appreciation translates into vision improvement:

1. Appreciation Leads to Nurturing Behavior

When you genuinely appreciate something, you naturally want to take care of it. Just as you would carefully maintain a cherished possession, appreciating your vision motivates you to:

• Take supplements that support eye health
• Follow through with recommended treatments
• Perform daily eye exercises
• Prioritize overall health habits that benefit your vision
• Seek proper medical care and follow treatment protocols

2. Appreciation Creates Positive Focus

What we focus on tends to expand in our lives. When you focus on appreciating your vision:

• You notice improvements more readily
• You become more aware of your visual capabilities
• You develop a more positive relationship with your eyes
• You're motivated to continue vision-supporting activities

The Destructive Power of Depreciation

On the flip side, when we don't appreciate what we have and instead focus on complaints, negativity, and frustration about our vision, we create a destructive cycle:

The Stress Response Cycle

Constant negativity about your vision triggers what's called the fight-or-flight stress response:

• Fight Response: Your vision becomes a burden, a source of constant stress and frustration
• Flight Response: You want to avoid dealing with your vision issues, burying your head in the sand and pretending they don't exist

This chronic stress response actually accelerates vision degeneration and creates a negative feedback loop that devalues your relationship with your eyes.

Why Negativity Hurts Your Vision

When you're caught up in negativity, worry, and frustration about your vision:

• You're less likely to take consistent care of your eyes
• Chronic stress hormones can damage delicate eye tissues
• You miss opportunities for improvement because you're not looking for them
• You may abandon treatments prematurely due to discouragement

Practical Ways to Cultivate Vision Appreciation

If you're struggling to appreciate your vision or feel stuck in negativity, here are concrete steps you can take:

Daily Gratitude Practices

Morning Vision Gratitude: Start each day by acknowledging what you can see, even if it's limited. Thank your eyes for the vision they provide.

Evening Reflection: Before bed, recall moments from the day when your vision served you, no matter how simple.

Active Appreciation Through Care

Show appreciation for your vision through consistent, loving care:

Nutritional Support: Take supplements specifically chosen to support eye health—this demonstrates that you value your vision enough to invest in its preservation.

Professional Treatment: Engage with treatments like ophthalmic acupuncture or alternating current stimulation (ACS) as acts of appreciation for your visual system.

Daily Eye Exercises: Perform eye exercises not as a chore, but as a loving gift to your visual system.

Holistic Health: Maintain overall health through proper sleep, exercise, and stress management—recognizing that your whole-body health supports your vision.

The Glass Half Full Approach

Even if you've lost some vision, focus on what remains:

• Celebrate peripheral vision if central vision is compromised
• Appreciate light perception if detailed vision is limited
• Value color recognition if clarity is reduced
• Be grateful for any visual function that remains intact

The Power of Positive Focus

When you focus on appreciating your vision, you:

• Notice improvements more readily
• Become more aware of your visual capabilities
• Develop a more positive relationship with your eyes

This isn't about denying the reality of vision loss, it's about maintaining a relationship with your eyes based on gratitude rather than resentment.

Working with Different Eye Conditions

Whether you're dealing with:

• Macular degeneration
• Glaucoma
• Eye strokes
• Retinal issues
• Optic nerve problems
• Other acute, traumatic, or degenerative eye conditions

The principle remains the same: appreciating the vision you have will motivate you to do what it takes to improve and preserve it.

Creating Your Appreciation Practice

Here's how to develop a sustainable appreciation practice for your vision:

1. Mindset Shift

Replace thoughts like "My vision is getting worse" with "I'm grateful for the sight I have and committed to preserving it."

2. Daily Acknowledgment

Spend a few minutes each day consciously appreciating your visual experiences—the colors of a sunset, the face of a loved one, the text on this page.

3. Action-Based Appreciation

Let your care actions serve as expressions of appreciation. Every supplement you take, every exercise you do, every treatment you pursue becomes a love letter to your vision.

4. Community and Support

Surround yourself with people who support your positive approach to vision health and avoid those who reinforce negativity about your condition.

The Ripple Effect of Appreciation

When you truly appreciate your vision, the effects ripple outward:

• You become more consistent with treatment protocols
• You notice and celebrate small improvements
• You inspire others facing similar challenges
• You develop resilience in the face of setbacks
• You maintain hope and motivation for long-term preservation

Your Vision Deserves Your Appreciation

Remember: your ability to see, even if compromised, is still remarkable. The complex biological processes that allow any level of vision to occur are nothing short of miraculous.

By cultivating genuine appreciation for your vision—whatever level of sight you currently possess—you create the optimal mindset for recovery and preservation. This appreciation naturally leads to the consistent, caring actions that give your vision the best chance to thrive.

Do You Need Help with Your Path to Vision Recovery and Long-Term Preservation?

We are here to help. Your Vision is Our Mission!

Call our office today to find out if/how we might be able to help you or a loved one take the next step in appreciating and preserving your precious gift of sight.