On Fridays I like to share experiences I’ve had during the week with patients and in my personal life that I’ve found significant. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
A great lesson from my mentor. I spent 6 years working with another Doctor of Chiropractic early in my career and he taught me many great lessons clinically, in business, finances, and more. He told me one time, “If you are a good chiropractor, people will forget about you in 2 weeks. However, if you are an AMAZING chiropractor, it’ll take them a month.” The point was that you are always replaceable and so to never get a big head.
I believe this to be an important lesson, and one I continue to follow. It is important to always remain grounded and not take ourselves too seriously. Furthermore, it is important to realize that people around us can move on, get distracted, or change their preferences quickly. As a result, we should always work hard, stay humble, and remember that peoples’ perception of us is never our responsibility.
A cool interaction. I watched a YouTube video over the weekend about a guy running a 100-mile race. He finished dead last and when he did finish, everyone except the race director and three of his friends were gone. Even the finish line itself had been taken down already. The video inspired me, and I left a nice comment below the video (I never do this) explaining why. The following morning, I awoke to a message back from the runner in the video telling me how much my comments meant and that it made him feel proud.
Often, we think to make a difference or help someone we must be famous or carry a certain status. However, we can teach, motivate, and assist those around us when we simply give our best. Our effort, perseverance, toughness, grit, and others can have a profound impact on those around us. The point is that people will see something in you, and somewhere in their mind they may begin to think that perhaps they have it too. Never be afraid to do your thing and do it to the very best of your ability. Not only will it help you, but it will help those around you as well in ways you never imagined.
A lesson I think of often. In August of 2020, my oldest son dropped three passes in a football scrimmage which was very unlike him. I could see at the end that he wanted to cry and that it was destroying his confidence. On the drive home, I pepped him back up and told him problems that seem huge now, will be small in comparison later. In fact, I told him before bed that evening that he’d probably experience something soon that would make a few dropped passes seem like nothing. Unfortunately, I was right and as it turned out; his uncle (my brother-in-law) died unexpectedly 8 hours later at the age of 32.
I have stresses like everyone else including running a business, providing for a large family, dealing with things when they break, and more. Sometimes there are moments when I feel overwhelmed. Anytime that happens, I remind myself of that advice I gave my son. It reminds me of what is important and how quickly things can change. Doing so helps me put things in perspective, re-focus and move forward with better energy and less stress.
A great question to ask ourselves. For those of us with children, we are obviously in a position of leadership. As a result, our kids develop behaviors, habits, tendencies, and beliefs according to our example (far more than just our words). A question I often ask myself is “Will this behavior look good on my grandchildren?”
That question is a way of asking myself if the actions I am displaying to my kids are something I am comfortable with them eventually passing on to their children. It is an excellent reminder that our actions can impact generations in either a positive or negative fashion. None of us are going to be perfect, but keeping this in mind helps to keep the importance of our example and actions in the perspective it deserves. If you would be proud to see your grandchild displaying your actions, continue them. If not, change them.
Some quotes I love.
“When a leader walks in the room the followers feel intimidated, the snakes feel threatened, but the leaders…they feel inspired.” – Deion Sanders
“Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.” – Zig Ziglar
“If you’re afraid of failing, you won’t get very far.” – Steve Jobs