WHAT IS YOUR VISION WORTH?…
When we look at the overall cost of daily living on average, the statistics can be somewhat alarming. Why is it that in a world where the price for everything seems to be going up, our wage remains the same? It makes it hard for us middle class folk to get ahead in this world, let alone those living at the poverty line who struggle to make ends meet on a monthly basis. This article today, although short, will depict how much we spend on our needs and wants on average in a month. But first, let me ask you this. How much is your vision worth? In a society that is consumer driven and convenience oriented we get caught up in the need or desire to have all the latest and greatest gadgets. What we fail to realize, is that the necessities of life are the things we should value most and to which we should invest our time and money. Somewhere along the line we have been conditioned to think that materialistic items will exude a perception of wealth and status, while ignoring the importance of our basic needs. These basic needs can be interpreted as a multitude of things. The need I wish to focus on in this particular article is that of health. So often people put their own health on the back burner to fulfill some want or desire they have in life. For some this means forgoing a pricey dental surgery so that they can buy a boat, for others it means not getting an eye exam and updating their glasses because they would rather go to the salon to get their hair coloured and styled. By ignoring your health and the things you need to improve your health you are doing yourself an injustice and may very well be making that health concern even worse. The example I would like to use to best get my point across is the purchasing of a pair of glasses. The cost of a pair of glasses will vary greatly based on your prescription, the design of the lens for that prescription, and the quality of the product you receive. The debate of whether or not updating a pair of glasses is really necessary is one that happens in our office every day. Likewise, when it comes to investing in that new pair of glasses, most of our patients are faced with the question, “can I afford this right now?” So how much does a pair of glasses really cost? Let’s break it down:
We are so quick to spend our hard earned dollar on the wants and desires that as a society have become accustomed to, that we dismiss the things we really do need and really should have to better our quality of life. By focusing your attention on the tables in Figures 1.1 and 1.2, it is apparent that perhaps yes, a purchase for glasses may very well be an investment as the total sum of the purchase is due at once. However, when broken down to cost per day, the proof is in the pudding. Taking care of one’s health should be at the top of the priority list. All other materialistic and superficial items come thereafter. So I ask again. What is your vision worth to you?
