Max Plenke writes in this article how we could soon be having SuperHuman Vision.  The bionic eye can help the person see better than the average human: they can see clearly upto 30 feet. After the simple 10 minute operation to insert the bionic eye is done the person need never wear glasses or contact lenses. The bionic eye replaces the natural lens in the eye.  This is not a far off pipe dream: the bionic eye could become a reality within 2 years!

This is great news indeed! With a clearer vision everyone can do better and more in life. Further, with our penchant to make things faster, better and cheaper we can also include night-vision capabilities in the bionic eye. Soon we will be walking around with high definition microscopic vision, much like Superman! Things are looking much better already (pun intended)!

Let’s also look at the flip side. Nature has given us a visual capability by which we can see exactly what we need to see. When our eyes become weak due to some reason, we become less effective in all areas in our life. But when we have better eyesight than we need to, we start seeing things which could be disturbing!

The human body is the natural habitat for millions of other living entities. A close up of the organisms that live on the human skin itself makes the human body highly unattractive to behold; some may even  find it repulsive!

Now, imagine looking at our spouses with our ‘SuperHuman’ visual capabilities and seeing the microbes and bacteria on their skin! We would start abhorring the person and would not like to go anywhere near them. Even looking down at our own hands could make us cringe with disgust! We would be seeing microbes all around us: on the furniture, on our laptop and cell phone screens. Within no time we will be developing full blown microphobia!

It is a dark night. You suddenly wake up thirsty. You have to go to the refrigerator to get that glass of water. You do not feel the need to switch on the light as you are equipped with night vision capabilities. As you enter the kitchen, you can see the green shapes of the kitchen cupboards and the sink and the refrigerator. And the as you make your way to the fridge you notice the hundreds of insects and roaches under the sink, behind the fridge and furniture. If you have entomophobia you may decide to spend the night in the relative safety of your bedroom, thirsty!

Nature is perfect. When there is a problem in our bodies we try to rectify it. Surgery is a method which we have mastered to a great extent. We have used prosthetic limbs and now with bionics we are extending the capabilities of the body. But now we are going a step further: we are trying to improve upon nature! That is dangerous and our experience of tinkering with nature has not been always a happy one! There is a fine balance in nature and when, in our efforts to be one up, we upset that balance, we create newer problems for ourselves!

So while the optometrists would soon be out looking for jobs they would do well to take courses in psychiatry!

Image: QualityStockPhotos.com

3 investments for turning dreams into reality
One morning I woke up with a great idea! I knew it could make me millions. All I had to do was to make it reality. I was excited.  I started thinking more and more about it. It permeated my thoughts and pushed its way into everything I was doing. However, as the day progressed I  found my enthusiasm wearing off. By evening I had forgotten I had that great idea that would change the world!
I trust this is a common experience with many of us. We are dreamers looking for the strategy to turn it into reality. Here is a simple tool to do just that. All you have to do is to make 3 investments into your idea. 
The First Investment: Thought-
The first investment is in the form of thought.  When we invest thought in an idea it starts getting shape.
Ajay wants to become an entrepreneur. He has an idea which is unique and viable. He starts visualizing the effort. It requires thinking in 3 levels: 

1. the paradigm (general), 
2. the principles (particular) and 
3. the practices (detail). 

Initially he thinks about it in a general way. The idea becomes an intention. The principles give it shape. Finally it becomes more concrete as a set of practices (tasks) to be carried out. Ajay makes a project plan.
The Second Investment: Emotions:
The next step is to invest emotions. This investment creates Motivation. When we invest emotions the idea becomes 'our' idea. We identify with it. It resonates with our feelings, our principles/ethics and our personality. Our emotions create the motion (e-motion), the momentum that is required to bring ideas into reality. We need to take ownership, get on a roll, start moving. When Momentum is added, we have Drive.
Ajay has already a set of tasks (a project plan) ready. Now, he becomes excited by the way in which his idea is going to add value to society. He is motivated. He starts pushing himself to get going. He adds the tasks to his calendar and starts working on them one task at a time, all the time remembering the intention to add value.
The Third Investment: Focus
Many of us with Drive do not know how to channelize that energy. Consequently, we spread ourselves thin in all directions. The moment we narrow our attention and bring the Drive to bear on our goal, we are in the business of execution. That is when things start materializing. We actually bring that intention to life!
Ajay is careful to ensure that he is not distracted from the task at hand. By narrowing his attention he is able to achieve his goal for the day. Day by day he moves closer to his goal of contributing in a big way to creating value for society.
Idea + Thought + Emotion + Focus = Manifestation



The figure alongside depicts the investment of thought (broad idea to specific), emotion (specific principles based upon our personality and feelings- narrowing towards the goal) and finally executing with sharp focus (the pin point vertex).  It also shows the (top-down) sequence in which the intention manifests into reality in the most efficient manner. If we do not follow the sequence, we lose time in going back and forth. This sequence also corresponds to the Plan-Do-Check-Act process.  

We could also argue that we may first be excited about a certain idea and then really start thinking about it in detail. So how would the above sequence be true? My own experience mentioned above provides the answer. The initial excitement quickly dies down as soon as we start thinking of the specifics. This is the major reason our dreams remain just dreams. Rationalization kills emotion! It is after the thinking that we really need to get excited and build momentum. Only then the idea can become a reality.

How do we turn our dreams into reality? Just invest 3 things in them in this order: Thought, Emotion, and Focus!