A few weeks ago I received LASIK eye surgery.
I never needed contacts or glasses until I was in my early twenties and it was a change that, unfortunately, lead me to feel like I was inadequate from the lack of flexibility that needing an eye prescription creates.
I couldn’t just wake up and go do something. I couldn’t travel without a contingency plan including contact lenses, liquid, cases, and glasses for backup. And a backup for those glasses.
I hated wearing glasses.
I’m 26. Turning 27 soon. I haven’t had to deal with a lack of vision for long. A few years, tops.
I waited to get LASIK for too long, and I know this now; it was due to procrastination and I refused to take advantage of the benefits of living in modern times.
The surgery I had was not traditional Lasik, but a kind of LASIK called PRK, where lasers are shot directly into your eye as opposed to traditional LASIK, where a flap is cut into your eye and lasers are shot into the flap instead.
If you’re athletic, PRK is the surgery you need to take. Traditional Lasik, the kind with the flap, can tear off with impact. As an MMA enthusiast, regular LASIK wouldn’t work for me. It won’t work for you either, unless you’re un-athletic.
Recovering from eye surgery
The downside of PRK is the recovery time. I stayed in my room in total darkness for about four days, binging audiobooks, listening to my favorite books about the Samurai.
While recovering, I couldn’t check social media, go on my phone, or turn on a lamp. I was a vampire for a week.
The time away from technology while recovering from my surgery helped me come to grips with the understanding that, the world isn’t that bad at all.
Technology connects us to information we don’t need
I spend too much time on social media, particularly Twitter, where every news article or trending tweet shows the world falling apart or something shaming men as being demons plagued with #metoo scandals.
While recovering, I didn’t have access to distraction technology and I came to some delightful insights.
I realized the world isn’t bad at all.
2019 is the BEST time to be alive
Everything feels so terrible and negative because that’s what the majority of the apps we use tell us.
Facebook admitted to showing people content that makes them angry and sad because it generates more clicks.
While laying in bed, completely useless, I became grateful. I knew I would have perfect vision soon. Without glasses or contacts. It’s a miracle.
Today I see with perfect vision. The cost of LASIK was almost nothing. I put $1500 down and I’m paying the rest off without interest for a total of $4100.
The cost of LASIK is cheaper than using glasses or contact lenses in just a few years. LASIK lasts forever.
Technology is amazing and the future is beautiful
A few bad eggs with loud voices make it seem like the world is falling apart.
After I regained my vision I deleted all social media apps from my phone. It changed my life.
I can still look at social media but I’ll never do it on my phone. Instead of using my phone I use my desktop. That way, I’m not connected 24/7.
No one should be available that easily.
I’ve only gone without social media apps for a few weeks and it has already been life-changing.
I’m getting more work done, spending more time walking down my path, and I’m happier. I’m fucking happier.
Even though you can’t buy happiness, you can get it a better way; for a lower cost. stop paying attention to bad news that doesn’t affect you.
We focus on the terrible
Humanity is engineered to focus on negative events as opposed to positive events to help ensure survival.
If you are standing in an open field between an apple tree, and a lion, eating an apple will get you killed. Paying attention to the negative first helps you survive.
The negative news you get is 99% not-related to you. Your mood suffers so a corporation can get a click and pad their numbers for investors. Social media giants, hell, all media, focus on the worst stories of the world because they stand out more.
If you turn off your phone or walk away from it, you see things aren’t actually bad at all.
After my miraculous LASIK surgery, I have a more positive outlook on life and I make a concerted effort to control my information diet. I no longer pay attention to bad news. I avoid bad news like I avoid junk food.
Your information diet
My information diet operates the same as my food diet. I eat good and feel good. I input good information and feel good and positive about the world.
I stopped cramming my brain with junk information. I feel better. No surprises.
The future is beautiful but we focus on the negative. By removing the negative from your mind you will feel better too.
The Andreian Philosophy project is coming together. But, I need help.
I need strong men willing to contribute to the site. If you have a story to tell, or a blog to promote, write for us.
The goal of the Andreian Philosophy is a free, forever philosophy for men to follow based on the greatest minds of the past and present.
Don’t forget, the future is beautiful.
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