VIP Coaching In The Dark

  • The Ridiculousness of Humanity: Labels, Language, and the Stories We Tell Ourselves

    ,

    Language is powerful. Words can comfort, clarify, confuse, categorize, criticize, and occasionally cause complete conversational chaos. Human beings are remarkably talented at attaching memories, assumptions, fears, expectations, and assorted emotional debris to otherwise ordinary words, then reacting to the entire pile as though the word itself showed up carrying luggage. Consider someone who asks a…

  • Part Two: The Clutter Monster

    ,

    Welcome back, brave adventurer! You’ve heard the tale of one hero’s battle with the Clutter Monster. Now it’s your turn to begin your own quest. Every successful expedition follows a plan, and this map is designed to guide you one manageable step at a time. There is no need to conquer the entire castle in…

  • Part 1: The Clutter Monster

    ,

    The Adventure Begins Every great quest begins with an ordinary problem that somehow grows into an intimidating monster. For many of us, that monster isn’t a dragon, it’s the overflowing closet, the crowded garage, or the spare room we keep meaning to organize “someday.” If you’ve ever opened a closet, sighed, and quietly closed the…

  • The Theory of Visual Energy Units

    ,

     Not long after I became legally blind in 2010, I was introduced to a woman who would become very influential in my life. Liz is deafblind, has similar body issues to my own and has been a long-time guide dog handler. She taught me much about living blind as well as making the decision whether…

  • Beyond 911: Helpful 3-Digit Phone Number

    Most of us know to call 911 in an emergency, but it’s far from the only 3-digit number that can make life easier. Several easy-to-remember phone numbers connect you with important services, from finding community resources and mental health support to reporting non-emergency city issues or locating buried utility lines before you dig. Keeping these numbers handy…

  • “Why are the pork chops so pink?”

    As the cook in the family, I try to make sure everyone gets fed and that there are leftovers for later. Most of my cooking happens by touch, smell, and timing these days, which works surprisingly well. It had been a busy day, and I had set aside six pork chops to cook in the…

  • Play Nice; You Live Here

    ,

     I have had the phrase, managing expectations, come to mind quite often recently, and in different situations with myself as well as with others. I’ve felt frustrated (sometimes unreasonably so) when something didn’t go the way I wanted it too, and I’ve seen people getting angry over situations that I felt their expectations were unreasonable.…

  • Best Apps for Staying Independent through Vision Changes

    ,

    Technology has become one of the most powerful tools for independence.  Especially for people who are blind or visually impaired.  At VIP Coaching in the Dark, we believe that confidence grows when people have access to the right tools and know how to use them in real‑life.  Situations Today’s smartphones offer a full toolbox of apps that support…

  • I Found the Trash Can With My Bumper

    , ,

    At first, it does not feel serious.Reading glasses just do not seem to work quite as well anymore. You secretly increase the font size on your phone, then tell yourself everyone does that now anyway. You start using the flashlight on your phone to read menus or grocery labels once in a while.  Street signs…

  • Lying Eyes Part Two

    In Part 1, you saw how your brain fills in gaps to keep the world feeling continuous. That same system does not stop at blind spots that just about everyone with average sight has. It has always worked this way. Your brain acts like an editor working behind the scenes. It takes incomplete information, smooths…