Eyes Wide Open: Empowering Tips From a Blind Businessman

Eyes Wide Open: Overcoming Obstacles and Recognizing Opportunities in a World That Can’t See Clearly offers a new way of seeing in business. The book was written by a man who needed to learn to “see” in new ways — literally. The brain doesn’t just record what people observe. It actively serves as director, commentator and producer of what they see. Author Isaac Lidsky didn’t appreciate this lesson until he received a rare medical diagnosis that altered his entire life. He was going blind. As Lidsky struggled to understand and live with blindness, he developed a new vision for his life. This vision, something he calls “eyes wide open”, is about breaking free of the “blind spots” in your own life.

What is Eyes Wide Open About?

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight and no vision.”
– Helen Keller

As Lidsky shares in Eyes Wide Open, people take sight for granted. They naively assume that the world they see is an objective “fact”. They assume their boss’ request for a meeting means they’re getting fired or a coworker who ignores them was trying to be rude. They don’t accept that what they “see” is a feature of their brains, not just their eyes. Scientific experiments, however, demonstrate there is more to “sight” than the light that hits the retinas. It involves what people think they see. This subjective view of their vision is something few of them take the time to realize.

Eyes Wide Open shares how Lidsky learned this lesson. As a veteran child actor, Lidsky, landed a once-in-a-lifetime gig as “Weasel” on the TV show “Saved by the Bell: The New Class”. Life was good. He was in every teen magazine and was doing the TV promo rounds.  Then, Lidsky received the news that would alter his entire life. He had retinitis pigmentosa, a disease that leads to progressive blindness.

At first, Lidsky held on to simple hope in a cure or at least, a delay. Doctors didn’t know when his blindness would happen, so he ignored it. Then one day, he couldn’t hide anymore. Lidsky grappled with his new diagnosis for a while until he realized he had two choices. He could remain paralyzed by debilitating fear of his blindness or he could create a new vision for a new life.

Slowly, but surely, he decided to create a new vision for himself. When he chose a new vision, his life changed beyond what he could have imagined. This “vision” is what Lidsky wants readers to “see”. Your reality isn’t some objective “out there”. It starts within you. By changing your focus on what you “see”, you change what you believe. By changing what you believe, you create a whole new possibility for your life. You live with your eyes “wide open”

Lidsky, who played “Weasel” in “Saved By the Bell: The New Class” is a Harvard alum who graduated magna cum laude with a degree in math and computer science. Lidsky went on to become a law clerk for Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O’Connor and Ruth Ginsberg. He also started two companies, one which he sold for over $200 million. The other company, ODC Construction, was a struggling construction company later exceeding $70 million with his help. Lidsky also founded Hope for Vision, a non-profit for visually-impaired diseases.

What Was Best About Eyes Wide Open?

First of all, Lidsky’s entire book and life story are pure inspiration.

Second, Lidsky has a unique way of sharing his insights in an eclectic way. Unlike other self-help books which give straightforward biography with occasional insights, Lidsky prefers a different approach. In Eyes Wide Open, he presents a scene from his life and then dissects it and liberally peppers the book with these insights.  It’s like a TEDx, lecture hall event, and story time all wrapped into one. This makes Eyes Wide Open a fascinating read.

What Could Have Been Done Differently?

Eyes Wide Open isn’t focused on quick application. Readers will not find any bullet points, 10-step guides to success, or anything like it. Instead, readers will find a conversation with an inspirational man who practices the message he wants others to follow. Lidsky wants readers to think deeply about his words instead of  self-development “hacks”.

Why Read Eyes Wide Open?

Lidsky’s background spans many areas of expertise: entertainment, legal, business and now public speaking. The fact he was able to develop and refine his “eyes wide open” philosophy while working in all these careers suggests its adaptability. While he discusses the same topics as many self-help gurus might, Lidsky takes things from a different perspective.

Many self-help books focus on inspiring or motivating you to seize the day. Eyes Wide Open agrees with this philosophy. Lidsky might add that you need to address your perceptions first. If you don’t reflect and test your assumptions about life, you will remain in a self-fulfilling loop. That is great when things go well, but it hurts when things go wrong. If you or someone you know feels trapped in an uncomfortable circumstance, Eyes Wide Open can open your mind to transforming the way you view that obstacle.

This article, "Eyes Wide Open: Empowering Tips From a Blind Businessman" was first published on Small Business Trends