We had just moved into our first home, and I was very pissed off.

 

The previous owner had apparently hidden some damage in the basement.

 

He had installed a drop down ceiling to cover the damage, and as I began taking it down, I was getting more and more angry.

 

Next thing I knew I couldn’t see.

 

Apparently, I didn't feel or notice all the things that were getting in my eyes because I was so worked up.

 

The next morning, when I woke up, I was terrified. I still couldn’t open my eyes.

 

It had been about 24 hours without my sight.

 

I slowly made my way downstairs, wondering, what am I going to do?

 

At the time, I had just begun learning about the power of our thoughts and how much our thinking can influence the way we experience our lives.

 

And then a question came to me:

 

What was I thinking right before I got hurt?

 

I thought back.

 

I realized I had been thinking about how much I hated the previous owner for what he had done.

 

And I thought that this whole thing is such a pain in the butt. It was so unnecessary.

 

Then another thought came to me.

 

What if I did the opposite?

 

What if, instead of continuing to think about everything I was angry about, I deliberately thought about what I appreciated?

 

So, I started thinking about the things I appreciated about the man and the house.

 

He had installed a sprinkler system.

He had put in a new furnace.

There were new windows.

He had redone the kitchen.

The house had a beautiful backyard and plenty of space.

And overall, it really was an excellent home that he had taken pretty good care of.

 

I kept going.

 

I kept looking for things to appreciate.

 

And little by little, I noticed that my frustration began to change.

 

I felt more grateful.

I felt more peaceful.

 

And then something happened that I still can’t fully explain.

 

My eyes opened.

 

At the moment I was feeling grateful, I was able to open my eyes again.

 

Now, I can’t tell you exactly why that happened.

 

I can’t prove that changing my thoughts caused it.

 

But I can tell you that it happened.

 

And that experience changed the way I looked at my thoughts forever.

 

It made me much more aware of where I was putting my attention.

 

Because what we focus on matters.

 

And there is something else I’ve come to understand over the years:

 

Our minds and bodies are deeply connected.

 

Stress can affect us physically. Anger, fear, resentment, worry and chronic tension can all take a toll on our bodies.

 

I watched my dad experience this in his own life. He was a good man, but he could become extremely angry, and he eventually had serious problems with his heart.

 

I’m not saying we should feel guilty that our thoughts can affect us.

 

But I do believe we should be aware of what we are carrying around inside of us.

 

So, take care of your body.

 

But take care of your mind and your heart, too.

 

Be careful what you think.

 

Better yet deliberately put thoughts into your mind about what you would love to have in your life.

 

Think those thoughts.

 

Return to them.

 

Be grateful for what you already have.

 

And see what happens.

 

Does that mean you’ll never face anything difficult?

 

Of course not.

 

Life will still bring challenges, disappointments, loss and things we didn’t ask for.

 

But perhaps we can learn to meet those challenges from a different place.

 

A place of gratitude rather than resentment.

 

A place of possibility rather than fear.

 

A place where we are not giving all of our energy to what we don’t want.

 

Because we only have so much attention to give.

 

Where are you putting yours?

 

As Mike Dooley says:

“Thoughts become things. Choose the good ones.”

 

That’s something I’ve tried to remember ever since that day in my basement.

 

And maybe that’s what really happened when my eyes opened.

 

Maybe I didn’t just open my eyes.

 

Maybe I learned how to see differently and you can too.

 

If you’d like to join me for my Goals Class, where we’ll explore ideas like these and put them into practice, I only offer this class twice a year.

 

Goals Class
October 10, 2026
Via video conference
9:00 AM–12:00 PM
$60

If you’d like to be part of it, just hit reply.

 

You will leave with your goals for right now and get a jump on the new year in 2027!

 

By the way, we only have 104 days until the new year!

 

Keep working on yourself and start thinking about how you're going to be even more awesome in 2027!

 

Wishing you all good things!

Bert