What is laser vision correction surgery? This is where a qualified surgeon will attempt to correct the vision that the individual has by altering the shape of the eye, specifically the cornea. In doing this, he can help the individual by improving their ability to see.

The surgery is phenomenal at helping individuals who have certain eye conditions to see well. Many times, the need for glasses or contact lenses is gone after having the surgery. But, is this surgery the right choice for you specifically?

In order to know if it is right for you, there are several things to take into consideration. Laser vision correction surgery is a major surgical procedure and should be taken seriously.

What’s Wrong With Me?

For many that are nearsighted or farsighted, their eyes simply cannot see at those distances clearly. The color of something may be fuzzy or hard to make out. The words on a sign are impossible to read. These things are all reasons that people need to wear corrective vision elements such as glasses or contact lenses.

The reason that your eye doesn’t see like it should is that the eye’s cornea is misshapen. This is the very front part of your eye. Some blame this on being hereditary others on outside factors, but the fact is that by reshaping the cornea to where it should be doctors are able to help the patient to see clearly.

Finding Lasik Help

In lasik or laser eye surgery, patients will go through a serious of processes. First, they will be examined by the doctor to determine several things. He is looking to insure that the eye is healthy.

Secondly, it is looking to see if the surgery is in fact something that can benefit you. But, before you consent to this procedure, there are several things you should do.

· Look for an eye specialist that fits your needs. You need an experienced surgeon because records have shown that success is in the hands of individuals who have preformed this type of surgery before. Not only do you need experience, you also need to know of quality results performed by the particular doctor. Ask for references here.

· If you are looking for someone in Colorado, for example, you should contact the local optometrist’s organization to seek out references for a doctor to help you.

· Make sure that you feel comfortable with the doctor as well. Are they easy to talk with and do you understand what they plan to do to you?

· Work out a payment schedule and insure that you know what is going to happen, how it will happen and what is going to happen if that should go wrong. Work out the details now.

· Lastly, insure that you know that your doctor is licensed to perform the surgery. Seeing a certificate is not enough. Call the local doctor’s association and insure that he is.

· Laser vision correction surgery keeps improving in its quality and results all the time.
Ultimately, the decision to move ahead with this surgery is up to you. You will find that there are many benefits to doing it but there are several risks involved as well.

Success is more than economic gains, titles, and degrees. Planning for success is about mapping out all the aspects of your life. Similar to a map, you need to define the following details: origin, destination, vehicle, backpack, landmarks, and route.

Origin: Who you are

A map has a starting point. Your origin is who you are right now. Most people when asked to introduce themselves would say, “Hi, I’m Jean and I am a 17-year old, senior highschool student.” It does not tell you about who Jean is; it only tells you her present preoccupation. To gain insights about yourself, you need to look closely at your beliefs, values, and principles aside from your economic, professional, cultural, and civil status. Moreover, you can also reflect on your experiences to give you insights on your good and not-so-good traits, skills, knowledge, strengths, and weaknesses. Upon introspection, Jean realized that she was highly motivated, generous, service-oriented, but impatient. Her inclination was in the biological-medical field. Furthermore, she believed that life must serve a purpose, and that wars were destructive to human dignity.

Destination: A vision of who you want to be

“Who do want to be?” this is your vision. Now it is important that you know yourself so that you would have a clearer idea of who you want to be; and the things you want to change whether they are attitudes, habits, or points of view. If you hardly know yourself, then your vision and targets for the future would also be unclear. Your destination should cover all the aspects of your being: the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual. Continuing Jean’s story, after she defined her beliefs, values, and principles in life, she decided that she wanted to have a life dedicated in serving her fellowmen.

Vehicle: Your Mission

A vehicle is the means by which you can reach your destination. It can be analogized to your mission or vocation in life. To a great extent, your mission would depend on what you know about yourself. Bases on Jean’s self-assessment, she decided that she was suited to become a doctor, and that she wanted to become one. Her chosen vocation was a medical doctor. Describing her vision-mission fully: it was to live a life dedicated to serving her fellowmen as a doctor in conflict-areas.

Travel Bag: Your knowledge, skills, and attitude

Food, drinks, medicines, and other travelling necessities are contained in a bag. Applying this concept to your life map, you also bring with you certain knowledge, skills, and attitudes. These determine your competence and help you in attaining your vision. Given such, there is a need for you to assess what knowledge, skills, and attitudes you have at present and what you need to gain along the way. This two-fold assessment will give you insights on your landmarks or measures of success. Jean realized that she needed to gain professional knowledge and skills on medicine so that she could become a doctor. She knew that she was a bit impatient with people so she realized that this was something she wanted to change.

Landmarks and Route: S.M.A.R.T. objectives

Landmarks confirm if you are on the right track while the route determines the travel time. Thus, in planning out your life, you also need to have landmarks and a route. These landmarks are your measures of success. These measures must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. Thus you cannot set two major landmarks such as earning a master’s degree and a doctorate degree within a period of three years, since the minimum number of years to complete a master’s degree is two years. Going back to Jean as an example, she identified the following landmarks in her life map: completing a bachelor’s degree in biology by the age of 21; completing medicine by the age of 27; earning her specialization in infectious diseases by the age of 30; getting deployed in local public hospitals of their town by the age of 32; and serving as doctor in war-torn areas by the age of 35.

Anticipate Turns, Detours, and Potholes

The purpose of your life map is to minimize hasty and spur-of-the-moment decisions that can make you lose your way. But oftentimes our plans are modified along the way due to some inconveniences, delays, and other situations beyond our control. Like in any path, there are turns, detours, and potholes thus; we must anticipate them and adjust accordingly.

As Margaret Thatcher once said “America was built on a philosophy and Europe was built on history.”

The philosophy that was used to build America is defined in the Constitution.

Our founding fathers declared we are entitled to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” and they created the infrastructure (legal systems, congress, and executive branch for example) to allow us to engage and measure our progress.

The Constitution is the document that the Supreme Court uses to provide clarity on issues when necessary. The Supreme Court judges try to understand what our founding fathers wanted to express and their court decisions are based on and tested against the vision created by our founding fathers.

This great country has lasted for more than 200 years using this system. Is it perfect, no; but it works.

If our country was built on a philosophy, shouldn’t a business be built on a philosophy? The business vision should follow from and define the business philosophy. Could you imagine a company that makes decisions that are grounded in a guiding philosophy? Many of the successful one do.

The United States has grown and prospered because the fabric of our country is imbued with the basic understanding that we are individually responsible for our actions and our situation. We can create redress through the courts when necessary but the foundation of the Constitution is taking ownership, action, and responsibility.

If this concept works so well and for so long in our government, can you imagine how a business can be built using this proven principle. Why don’t businesses create a document that is the corner stone of the business? They can use this document for fundamental decision making. When written correctly this document would be flexible enough to change as the business changes. It would explain the fundamental philosophy behind the business and the purpose for the business. It would serve to define and attract the type of employees that would flourish.

A business then could articulate its “Bill of Rights.” This “Bill of Rights” would be used for decision making. It might read something like this:

1. This business is in business to make money and be profitable.

2. This business is a social entity that creates jobs and feeds families and provides a valuable service to the community.

3. Profits from this business should not be limited except by the value of the product and services as perceived and dictated by the market. This assumes no price gouging or unfair practices.

4. The essence of any business is its people. As individuals, each person is responsible for providing value for the opportunity to work here.

5. This business will treat each individual employee as an investment that provides value to this business.

6. Each employee will be treated with respect and dignity and afforded the opportunity to create a position that allows them a satisfying and productive work life.

7. This business, being a part of a bigger community, has the obligation to be a valuable member of that community and make that community better through active community participation by its employees.

8. These articles can be amended as necessary by 2/3 majority of the management team and 50% majority of the employees.

9. Each person hired will be empowered to their job. This will be done by a management team that will assume the responsibility for implementing these “rights.”

10. We are in business to provide a fair and valuable service to our customers and clients. If our clients and customer do not treat us with the same respect and dignity, we have the right to fire them.

We have a privilege to work but no one owes us a job. If we do not take responsibility for keeping our skills current we must accept the responsibility of our actions.

At the same time a company has the obligation to help employees maintain marketable skills. Employees cannot contribute if they do not have the necessary skills. Management, if they are doing their job, will navigate the company through changing market conditions. Employees need to be aware of these changes and given an opportunity to prepare, contribute and participate in these changes.

Businesses are major part of most communities. They need to be actively involved in the community and help guide the community to be the best it can be. Usually what is best for the community is good for business. If the community plans to implement actions that will negatively impacts the business community, the community needs to take a step back and understand why they are biting the hand that feeds them. They must accept the responsibility for their actions just a business must accept this responsibility. I am all for change but it must be well thought out and well executed.

Being in business is about taking healthy, calculated risks by creative and intelligent people. Each business owner is entitled to experience both the pain and benefits of starting and running a business. I believe that we are designed, from the time we are born, to actively create and grow. Starting a business is just one aspect of personal and business growth.

There seems to be a problem with the amount of profit some companies are making; especially the oil companies. How come we do not hold the government to the same standards? Communities raise taxes when they want more money. Who questions the government when their spending is not consistent with their “employees” wishes? The oil companies invested millions of dollars in their oil producing infrastructure. These are fixed cost were justified based on past expenditures. If they are smart they will reinvestment the profit into new technologies that will help them make money in the future. If they don’t do this they may become like the steel industry in the United States; almost obsolete.

Build a vision for your company as if you are building the constitution of the United States. Invest your company with the same kind of clarity of purpose as the founders of our country articulated in constitution. Build your corporate vision to last not only for your life time but the lifetime of your children and their children; on through time.

Every successful organization I worked with was clear on the vision and mission and used this information to make decisions about what was right for the organization. Create your company to last with a strong foundation.