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Ep. 142 - Seeing Life Clearly: Wisdom from Dr. Brad Lane

The Main Thing Podcast

Release Date: 03/05/2026

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More Episodes

Welcome back to The Main Thing Podcast — your wisdom podcast where we explore insights, stories, and ideas that help us get a little bit better at life. 

In this episode, host Skip Lineberg sits down with optometrist, author, and community leader Dr. Brad Lane for a thoughtful conversation about mindset, perception, and the power of intentional focus.

Brad shares how a simple journaling practice reshaped his daily life, how gratitude and reflection can transform our outlook, and why the human brain often finds exactly what it is looking for. Drawing from both neuroscience and real-life experience, Brad explains the role of the reticular activating system—a powerful mental filter that influences what we notice, believe, and ultimately become.

Podcast Resources & Links

  • Get Brad’s book “The Professional’s Daily Balance Journal” on Amazon
  • Grab a copy of Brad’s book “Appalachian Son” [links coming soon]
  • Learn more about Appalachian Eye Care
  • Connect with Brad on LinkedIn

Through stories from his upbringing as the son of a West Virginia coal miner, his journey into optometry, and his work serving communities across the region, Brad offers listeners practical wisdom about how to train the mind, shape perspective, and live with purpose and clarity.

This conversation is both reflective and practical—filled with insights you can begin applying immediately. Press play and discover why seeing life clearly begins with choosing what you focus on.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

  • Why journaling can help clear mental clutter and set daily intentions
  • How gratitude and reflection shape the direction of your day
  • The neuroscience behind the reticular activating system and how it impacts your mindset
  • Why negative self-talk can sabotage progress—and how to replace it

A Bit More About Our Wise Guest

Dr. Brad Lane is a business and community leader and the co-owner and operator of Appalachian Eye Care, a growing regional optometry practice serving communities in Princeton and Beckley, West Virginia, as well as Giles County, Virginia.

A native of Mullens, West Virginia and the proud son of a coal miner, Brad earned undergraduate degrees from Concord University and his Doctor of Optometry from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He later completed both an MBA and a Master of Education.

Dr. Lane is an active advocate for the optometry profession and has served in leadership roles with several professional organizations and councils. He is also a published author whose upcoming second book, Appalachian Son, is scheduled for release in early 2026.

Beyond his professional work, Brad is deeply committed to community service. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of the Concord University Board of Governors and supports multiple scholarships and charitable initiatives throughout the region.

Brad Lane joins us for this conversation from Princeton, West Virginia.

 

Credits

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