New Way of Seeing

 My destination is no longer a place, but rather a new way of seeing.

This quote by Marcel Proust can lead all of us in a totally different direction in life if we let it. Austin is 28 years old and having a difficult time deciding which direction to take in life. So, he is now in the process of discovering how magnificent and awesome he really is. How? He is seeing his physician regularly. He is going to take speech and occupational therapy and will have behavioral counseling. He is going to have genetic testing done to find out what may be causing him to be slow to learn. Because his sight isn't the only thing that's obstructing his view of who he can be once he overcomes his fears of making mistakes, of not always making right choices, of not having the knowledge to do regular work, of not being able to learn quickly enough. 

We all make mistakes and make wrong choices, but Austin thinks this isn't an option. In reality, though, it's part of daily life, and it's how we learn and grow. And none of us go into any new job knowing how to do everything. But we can take the first step, which is show up and the next step, which is to be open to learning and not thinking we have to know everything about the job, and then being repetitive until we remember the steps to complete the job. And before we know it, we may be teaching people a few things because of the mistakes we  make along the way or our desire to improve anything about the job. Sometimes, a mistake may be the shorter route to completing the task that nobody had thought of before. I call this a "happy accident".

image courtesy of Beth Jnr via Unsplash

Austin's current physician is opening my eyes to the possibilities that his pediatrician declined to help me with when he was a child. Even the assistant at his current lawyer's office (who is helping him file for disability) thought this was going to be a waste of time. I hope the state will eventually see Austin's struggles as something they are willing to help him with. But my other goal is for Austin to see his possibilities and to have ambitions and to motivate others as he works through some of his struggles. 

He has so many things to offer others such as his ability to brighten anyone's day who sees him when we're out and about. People who don't know Austin adore him. They are instantly drawn to his genuine charm and kindness. He has a warm smile. He offers only kind words. He doesn't judge anyone. He is extremely quiet but will speak when spoken to. I truly love when he is willing to start a conversation with me. But usually I have to prompt him with a question. 

So, the end result is that Austin may not be able to learn more quickly, but he will be comfortable with that. He may still be slow in speech, but he may be more confident to speak more clearly and in a tone that people will be able to hear him. He may be able to balance himself better when standing or sitting. I don't know if he'll ever be able to drive or be able to work 40 hours a week. But I hope he will be able to work some during the week and make new friends. And learn more about himself than ever before.

Our prayer for you is that you find this kind of peace in your life as well. Because everyone is struggling with something.

Living with Epithelial Basement Membrane Dystrophy

An eye update from Austin's Mom:

As posted previously, Austin recently visited his ophthalmologist to discuss the persistent halos he's been experiencing. During his last appointment in October 2024, the doctor advised him to wear his glasses more consistently. Austin has been following that advice, wearing his glasses all day, every day, for the past eight months. Despite this, as of June 2025, he continues to see halos.

To re-iterate the last post, during the June 2025 visit, the doctor suggested that a new pair of glasses might help. She also mentioned that Austin has scars on both eyes. She previously noted a scar on his right eye resulting from a severe Recurring Corneal Tear he experienced last June 2024. I mentioned to her that I believed he had only one scar, but she said he had two scars last year. I'm unsure why there would be a scar on his left eye unless it was from a prior or recent corneal tear we are unaware of. Perhaps the dystrophy itself can cause the scarring without the trauma of a tear. I don't know.

image courtesy of Victoria Poveda via Upwork

Interestingly, the left eye, which has the worse halo, is the one with the the least trauma. However, the new glasses haven't made much difference in reducing the halos, which continue to significantly impact his vision.

Austin isn't expecting a cure for the halos. Based on the research for the recent blog post about halos, there is currently no cure. He simply wants to be heard and to have his experience documented, as this is a challenge that will affect him for the rest of his life.

The Epithelial Basement Membrane Dystrophy (EBMD) is a common cause of these halos. It’s possible that the scars resulting from the Recurring Corneal Erosion (RCE) he experienced last summer are also contributing to the issue; however, his ophthalmologist seems confident that these scars shouldn’t interfere with his vision. As someone who sees Austin daily, I disagree—something is definitely affecting his sight. My research has revealed that corneal scars as well as EBMD can impair vision by blocking or distorting light as it enters the eye.

Thankfully, several measures have helped prevent further RCE episodes. Austin takes 1000 mg of vitamin C daily, uses a humidifier filled with distilled water each night, applies a heated mask twice daily to promote tear production, uses two prescription preservative-free cycloSPORINE eyedrops daily, and applies two OTC Biotrue preservative-free lubricant drops daily (more frequently when his eyes feel dry). These routines have been effective in preventing new erosions.

However, because of the fragile nature of EBMD, even minor irritants—such as a foreign object, a gust of wind, or sweat—can cause enough irritation or drying to tear the cornea. Austin needs to be very cautious to protect his eyes. He must avoid sitting near fans, being outdoors on windy days, or letting sweat get into his eyes. Rubbing his eyes is also strictly off-limits, which makes keeping his eyes moist and free of foreign objects essential.

Dr. Monica mentioned that she has never seen anyone as young as Austin with this condition. Research indicates that most people experience their first symptoms after age 40, yet Austin was only 25 when his symptoms began and 27 when they worsened significantly.

So, although his eye chart test shows that Austin has decent visual acuity, his halos tell a different story. During a flare-up last year, he was essentially legally blind—unable to read the chart at all with his right eye. During those episodes, his vision was so impaired that he could only open his eyes partially, as any light was unbearable. His right eye was the focus of most of his eye care visits, but his left eye also experienced blurriness and mild discomfort, even though there was no corneal tear to that eye at that time.

Due to his condition, Austin can't drive, and everyday activities are tedious. He’s constantly trying to see "around" the halos, searching for a way to function despite the visual disturbances. So, we ask for your prayers as this continues to play out in his life.

More information about EBMD can be found at the following links:

Wikipedia 

EyeWiki

Corneal Dystrophy Foundation

Seeing Halos?

If you're seeing halos, you're not alone—I experience them too. Based on my research, halos accompanied by pain can indicate a more serious issue. Optometrists.org has a helpful article about this problem. Thankfully, I'm not experiencing any pain with my halos. But because they are bothersome, I’ve discussed this problem with my ophthalmologist: in October 2024, she advised me to wear my glasses more often. After following that advice and wearing my glasses daily, all day, I saw her again in June 2025. She then mentioned that these particular glasses might be contributing to the halo problem.

My prescription didn’t change much, but I decided to get new glasses anyway to see if that might help. I should receive them in a few days, and I’ll post an update here if I notice any changes.

image courtesy of CDC via Unsplash

What’s tricky is that I didn’t have halos when I first started wearing my current glasses, nor when I went without glasses for extended periods. The halos appeared a few months before I was diagnosed with dry eye, epithelial basement membrane dystrophy, and recurring corneal erosion. My ophthalmologist has, at least, ruled out any serious conditions that could be causing the halos. She also mentioned that my eyes are now retaining water due to the daily drops and treatments I’ve been using for the past 8 months—treatments I will continue using for the rest of my life to help prevent another corneal tear. Or at the very least reduce the number of corneal tears over my lifetime.

Besides the dry eye, which is not chronic at this point, I do have severe astigmatism that can cause halos. But I've had severe astigmatism since I was 18 months old.  Also, according to Optometrists.com, corneal shape and integrity could be a contributing factor based on my EBMD diagnosis. So, these are things I can ask about on my next visit with my ophthalmologist if the halos continue after I've worn my new pair of eyeglasses for a few months. 

If you have a another idea as to why I may be seeing halos (not chronic) and what may help, feel free to drop a message in the comments section.

Austin

Learning How to Use Printify and Canva

In order to have a print-on-demand (POD) business, you need to have resources. Canva and Printify are the resources I have chosen to use. And as with anything, there is a learning curve, and there are rules to follow. I'll have to say it is work just like anything else you do to earn money. But POD is very interesting work. 

With Canva, you can combine 2 or more designs to create a whole new design. It's against their policy to use a stand-alone design, so you have to use a combination of designs or add text to a design to create something totally new. 

Printify collaborates with Shutterstock to use their images for a small fee if you would like. You don't have to, but you can find those images in Printify's design mode. And you don't pay until you sell an item with a Shutterstock image on it. You can also use Printify's design selection and add text to any item. They charge for the t-shirt, Shutterstock image (if used), and shipping all at once. They then send the info to the printer who will print the design and ship the item for you. Your only involvement is designing and selling the item.

Each site requires certain steps, of course, to get through the process. But with practice, all the steps get easier over time. First, you need to know the size of the print area of the item you want to sell. Just select an item on Printify and the print area size will be provided to you. You can then either use stock images on Printify, Shutterstock via Printify, or Canva. Or use other design resources you prefer, making sure to design a size that fits inside the print area. All print designs should be high resolution (around 300 DPIs). You can also generate an image using AI on both sites as well. 

Finally, you need a place to sell your products. Printify is extremely Etsy friendly. But they also integrate with other platforms, such as Amazon, TikTok, and Shopify as well. However, that isn't to say you can't use other platforms not found at the integration link. You'll just need to, most likely, create custom orders instead of having the system automated as it is with Etsy and a few other sites. And of course, you can offer personalization, which will require a little more work anyway. So, POD isn't quite as passive as it sounds, but I'm very hopeful it will eventually become a good, steady income.

image courtesy of Mediamodifier via Unsplash

So, if you have ever wanted a POD business, but don't have time to learn how to make t-shirts, mugs, etc. yourself, and you don't have room to store the supplies even if you did learn how, I think having a print partner like Printify can be very rewarding over time. And overall, the start-up fee is about $200, because Printify does charge you as soon as you make sell. And new Etsy sellers have a pay-out delay for the first 3 months. I'm not sure about the other integrated platforms. I have also read that Etsy is charging a $15 one-time-fee to open an Etsy store now so that only serious sellers will register. With that said, though, just so you know, Canva, Printify, and Etsy allow you to upgrade for monthly fees. Many of the other platforms are strictly monthly fee-based.

There are lots of YouTube video tutorials to help with all the sites I mentioned in this blog post. Is this something you think is worth your time and focus? 

Happy printing!

Austin

100 Classic Birth Year T-shirts

We have spent the last month focused on designing t-shirts and uploading them to our Etsy shop. So, if you're looking for a birth year t-shirt, please visit SoAppalachianVintage, where we have 100 classic birth year styles available for all genders. Shirt sizes range from XS to 5XL. Birth years range from 1950 to 1999. All shirts are customizable, and you won't pay until we get your approval on your custom requests. You just need to send us an Etsy message and tell us what you want to change, remove, or add. Upon payment, work on your t-shirt will begin almost immediately. 

Please understand that we are unable to accept returns or give refunds. However, if you receive a faulty t-shirt, we can send you another shirt of the same size, color, and design as long as you're able to provide us with a picture of the default for us to show to our printing partner. It is my understanding, though, that it is very unlikely that you will receive a faulty t-shirt from the printing partners that we use. 

Fully personalized t-shirts will be listed for adults and children by the end of this week, so watch for those. You will pay the price you see listed for your size. And finally, as a Christian business, we will not design anything with profane, hate, or immoral text and/or graphics. 

Below are a few examples of the shirts currently available in our Etsy shop.

Classic 1950 star t-shirt

Classic 1960 tie-dye t-shirt

Classic 1980 cassette tape t-shirt

Classic 1990 game controller t-shirt

Thanks for reading my post today. I hope you like these and future t-shirts offered by our Etsy store. Thanks in advance for supporting our small business.

Flow State Reduces Anxiety

Rest the Frontal Lobe

Anxiety happens when the frontal lobe is constantly thinking or ruminating, causing worry, lack of concentration, rapid heartrate, and sleep difficulties among other symptoms that perhaps have us thinking about possible bad outcomes to situations. Sometimes, the anxiety goes away. Other times, anxiety makes daily living nearly unbearable. So, today's focus is literally about throwing out logic. 

According to Mira Sharma, logic limits our thinking. She says that subconscious thoughts come through a conduit of what is professionally known as Transient Hypofrontality. This is most commonly referred to, today, as Flow State. By throwing out logic, Ms. Sharma has been able to get several patents for her ideas that literally came to her out of nowhere. 

Thus, in this temporary engagement of subconscious thought, we provide a break for the front part of the brain by holding back some of the blood flow to the frontal lobe as claimed by Dr. Christina Wong. And when we throw out what the brain thinks is logical, allowing the information center in our frontal lobe to rest a bit, we can, in turn, relax a bit more and bring calmness into our daily routines.

Hypofrontality VS. Transient Hypofrontality

Transient Hypofrontality is not to be confused with permanent hypofrontality that is responsible for medical/neurological issues such as bipolar and schizophrenia. As shown in the image below, transient means temporary in which we are giving the frontal lobe of our brain a break by doing things that we pretty much do on autopilot. 

image courtesy of Ms. Sharma's video whose link I have provided above

Frontal Lobe on Autopilot

The YouTube channel, Common Knowledge, explains how Shower Thoughts are the autopilot activities that happen when we do something that we enjoy or something that we're good at such as showering or driving, moderately exercising, learning something new, meditating, or engaging in something more challenging. These types of activities switch off the frontal lobe during these times so it gets a break from decision-making, planning, organizing, reasoning, judgment, outcome prediction, and the other thinking it has to do most of the day. 

Frontal Lobe Rest Causes Positive Experiences

The activities above release dopamine, norepinephrine, anandamide, endorphins, and serotonin (the body's feel-good chemicals that can improve our mood). In turn, this releases us from our anxiety and perhaps can begin to help us realize that things aren't as bad as we had thought. 
According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, happiness comes from within, comes from activity. Happiness doesn't come from material things. Dr. C. claimed that there are 8 characteristics of flow state as shown below.

1. Complete concentration on the task;
2. Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
3. Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
4. The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
5. Effortlessness and ease;
6. There is a balance between challenge and skills;
7. Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination;
8. There is a feeling of control over the task.

Conclusion

So, when we put logic in the background by performing activities that turn off the frontal lobe for a while, the brain calms down and we feel that we have better control of our lives. Anxiety is curbed, and we're able to enjoy life more. It sounds simple, but the brain needs this so we can have a healthy outcome.

Thanks for visiting Focus Frenzy today.

How to Stop Panic Attacks

Panic Attacks

Have you ever been so panic-stricken, you couldn’t think of how you should handle a situation or you were unable to move. If so, you can imagine how overwhelming stress can cause anxiety and debilitating panic attacks that prevent some of us from even performing normal day-to-day activities. But there are countering activities we can do to calm down the sympathetic nervous system that is causing us to feel crippled in the moments we experience these attacks.

The Cause

First of all, we need to understand that these feelings are actually brought on by the release of specific hormones and neurotransmitters during a fight or flight situation. They are meant to protect us and not overwhelm us. But the overwhelm does happen, however, when we feel unable to run from or fight the situation. When we can do neither, the heart rate and oxygen continue to escalate, making us feel as if we’re having a heart attack or that we may pass out. The pain may be intense enough to send you to the emergency room. However, never drive yourself to the hospital if you have these feelings, because you actually may be having a heart attack or you may pass out while driving. For the safety of yourself and others, it is best to call 9-1-1 to take you to the ER. Don’t be embarrassed if you find out it is a panic attack. These feelings are very real and very serious. 

But if you know the signs all too well because of past experiences, you might try some of the advice I’m going to mention next. Please understand that this isn’t a substitute for your doctor’s advice. And you should always seek emergency treatment if you feel as though you’re in an emergency situation.

The Solutions

So, if you understand that you’re having a panic attack and not a heart attack or other life-threatening experience, you must first not allow the attack to have power over you. There are ways to control the situation. For example, you can try methods known as the 3-3-3 method to help you focus and stay grounded or the 5-5-5 method to calm down your breathing and reduce your heartrate to a normal level, while also alleviating and leveling off those fight-or-flight hormones and neurotransmitters during a stressful situation. 

First of all, the 3-3-3 method works well in the moment you are triggered, where it enables you to become present in the moment, and you can quietly do this without bringing attention to yourself if you’re unable to remove yourself from a crowd of people. The first thing you will do in this method is identify 3 items in the room. Next, what are 3 sounds you can identify? Finally, move 3 body parts. Maybe even repeat to yourself, “I am in control of the situation,” while performing the 3-3-3 method. 

As for the 5-5-5 method (also referred to as the breathing triangle), it may be better performed if you are alone or can excuse yourself from a room full of people momentarily. For this method, you will simply inhale for 5 seconds, hold your breath for another 5 seconds, and finally release it for 5 seconds. You may repeat this as many times as you need to in order to regain control of your breathing and to feel calmer. Since the 5-5-5 method is more noticeable to others around you when you are doing it, that’s why I recommend being alone. 

Cognitive behavioral therapy can also help with panic attacks, as can using the technique known as AWARE, which is simply a set of steps to remove yourself from the experience and to avoid being afraid of the stress. These techniques might be taught and explained better by a therapist who understands panic attacks.

Most of us will have a panic attack at some point in our lives, but if we can understand what is happening, we will be able to better control our emotions so the symptoms will disappear almost as quickly as they arrived.

Please also read this article about panic attacks and panic disorder written by the Cleveland Clinic. I think you will find it to be insightful and helpful as well. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s post. This is the first in a series of posts about how calming techniques in stressful situations. So, come back often to read the rest of the articles in this series as I post them once every week.