Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot
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 in some way. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
Three interesting statistics I saw. In our country, heart disease kills 17.9 million, obesity kills 2.8 million and diabetes kills 1.5 million people annually. These conditions are all linked to poor diet and exercise and are preventable. As a chiropractor, I will also tell you that as a person’s weight goes up, the health of their spine declines, and the symptoms associated with that increase.
The important thing to remember is that if you or someone you care for are obese, it is not a question of whether it will affect your health. The question is how soon and how badly? So, what can you do? Get started! You do not need a personal chef or perfect home gym. Start moving more right away. Be honest with yourself about what you’re putting into your body and find a few healthier solutions for some of your habits. Better nutrition and regular exercise benefit every human being and will help avoid some of the long-term consequences I mentioned above.
Something I’ve learned in my races. The races I run are usually held on a weekend and offer several distances. For example, there might be a 100-mile race as well as a 50-miler and a 50k (31 miles). Runners are sometimes given the option ahead of time to drop down during the race if they feel they want to run less than planned. In other words, someone that signed up to run 50 miles can decide to end at 31 instead. What I have found fascinating is that when this is given as an option, people often take it. When it’s not, they just keep going and complete what they set out to do.
Our minds are an amazing thing. They make us capable of far more than we can imagine but also work hard to always protect us. Often, these two aspects are at war with one another, and your mind usually defaults to try and get you to take the easiest, safest options. The problem is, this limits your growth in business, athletics, personally, health-wise, and more.
What I have found effective, is not giving myself a choice. For example, I work out every morning regardless of how I feel or if I’m motivated. I write this 5 Spot every week whether it comes easily or it doesn’t because I’m committed to having them published. In other words, it’s best to make things non-negotiable for yourself. When you eliminate options that allow you to seek comfort over results, your productivity and success will be far greater.
Something I teach my children. A lesson I drill into my children is that being obedient is not noble. Some of the greatest atrocities and poorest decisions the world has ever seen have occurred when people just went along. Conversely, some of the most amazing accomplishments have come by people that refused to go along and did or created something different instead.
I like to teach my kids that everything can and should be questioned. There are no sacred cows and, it’s up to them to become informed and then make decisions based upon their morals, principles, and research. Being accepted for following the crowd is not something I want them to covet or value, I want them to be free thinkers and have the guts to do what they feel is right whether it’s commonplace or not.
A saying I do not like. “Must be nice” is a phrase often muttered about people that have become successful in something. The implication being that they’ve somehow been blessed in a way that you haven’t or are luckier than everyone else. This might be said when someone pulls up in a nice car, has a magnificent home, high paying job, whatever. I always hate hearing this.
The reason is for every success is a ton of challenging work and sacrifice. They don’t give out wonderful things and situations to people that do nothing. Most of the things we aspire to, must be earned and do not come easily. Waving it away with “must be nice” is a jealous response that demeans that kind of effort required to achieve remarkable things. When I see someone with nice things and/or succeeding, I am happy for them. I’m certain it took a lot to get there and it’s a nice reminder to myself to keep working as hard as I can, so that I can maximize my potential as well.
Some quotes I love.
“A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
“It is better to know a little of what is really good and worthwhile than a lot of what is mediocre and unnecessary.” – Leo Tolstoy
“Everything you learned late in life, teach your kids early.”
“Building muscle is hard, so most are physically weak. Starting a business is hard, so most work jobs they hate. Saving money is hard, so most are always broke. Being hungry is hard, so most are overweight. Reading books is hard, so most are glued to screens. Do the hard things.”
Want more?
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