For the past week, I’ve been walking around with one lens in my glasses (not even by accident!).
I’m not going to lie, I’ve felt pretty self-conscious, but I’m between eye surgeries, and I have it on good authority that this is the best way to get through this period where one eye is trying to find its new way, and the other is patiently waiting for its own transformation (which will happen this week).
Throughout the week, I’ve been constantly reminded that, amongst the excitement, there’s disorientation, life-long habits, automatic responses I didn’t even know I had, and a humbling reminder that the healing process is not a switch you can flip.
Some moments, my vision is crisp and startlingly sharp. Then I get up close, and everything looks blurry, disorienting and nauseating. Several times I’ve gone to step somewhere and the ground has felt wobbly under me – like my body and my eyes hadn’t quite agreed on the new reality yet. And my poor brain. It’s doing its absolute best, working overtime to make sense of it all that it’s quite exhausted.
Sound like a familiar scenario?!
I’ve been thinking about how all this perfectly mirrors so many of our human experiences.
As individuals, teams, and organisations, we often make big changes and experience that same period of flux. When the big picture starts to come together beautifully, you can see where you’re headed, the vision is clear, but up close, in the day-to-day, everything feels unsteady, confusing and yes, even a bit nauseating.
When you’re in the thick of something, it’s almost impossible to see it clearly. You’re too close. The details blur. And the ground shifts. It can be tempting to panic, push harder or judge yourself for not having it figured out yet.
Sometimes, the most courageous thing you can do through a period of change is go gently. Trust the process – even when it’s uncomfortable. Sit with the experience. Remember not everything needs to be clear right now.
Sometimes it’s ok to be in the one-lens phase!
I’d love to know if this resonates with you (or if you’ve ever had a surgery where you’ve had to remove one lens of your glasses!).
Bel x
Every Sunday afternoon, Bel sends the Ignite community a personal note of encouragement – reflection, inspiration, stories, and sharing. It’s our way of helping you prepare for the week ahead. Add your details here to receive Here’s The Thing in your inbox.