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. I like to share them in hopes that you might find value in them and have something resonate with you in your life.
Something I’ve learned. Throughout my lifetime, I have prided myself on expanding my knowledge of things that matter to me. My faith, nutrition, exercise, chiropractic, business, being a father, husband, and so many more are examples. The only drawback to this can be that as what you know expands, what you will allow decreases. In other words, you are unwilling to make choices you once made from ignorance because you now know better. Many would argue that this is less fun and too strict of a way to live. I do not.
My feeling is that the things that are most significant in your life deserve the highest standards. Will this require more preparation, better processes, dedication, and a willingness to self-assess ourselves? Absolutely, and it will be far more challenging than simply doing whatever feels good or is easy. However, once you begin living in this manner, you will have no desire to ever go back. You will take pride in striving to constantly evolve into something greater than you were previously. Acquiring greater knowledge and making changes to your behavior accordingly is something you will never regret.
A recent reminder. I have a friend that was recently let go from an organization. My friend is highly energetic, passionate, and dedicated whereas the organization is disorganized and complacent. It was unexpected and embarrassing for my friend to be let go but I explained to them it should not be. The whole situation was a reminder to me of something I have encountered often in my lifetime.
When higher and lower performing people mix, one of two things occurs. First, the lower performers may see a new example of how to behave and elevate their standards. It’s as if they find a new gear in which to operate and it can be amazing. This is always the preferred option and I’ve seen it in business, sports teams, and more. The other option is that the low performers become afraid and resentful of their more energetic and hungry counterparts. They refuse to elevate standards and instead become focused on ridding their environment of those that make them feel less successful and/or lazy. They work harder to keep the status quo than they do to learn anything new or helpful from those willing to teach them. I have been on both sides of this coin in my lifetime. However, now I am never afraid to try and elevate those around me and never too prideful to accept advice and guidance from others either.
Something I believe. Following through involves doing what you said, in the time in which you said, and in the way you said you would. When applied properly, this is one of the quickest ways to grow trust. Conversely, it can easily erode trust when not done correctly.
When you consistently come through with action and effort, you give off a feeling of stability to those around you. Trust is earned and people feel safe relying upon you in business, as a teammate, and/or in relationships. However, when follow through is sporadic or even non-existent, people have a far different reaction. They will lose faith in you, feel you don’t care, and grow tired of excuses because things were not done as promised. This can tear apart relationships, families, teams, and businesses alike. For these reasons, I feel it crucial to prioritize actions more than anything else. The best speeches in the world are less valuable than simply being the type of person that does what is required repeatedly.
Something I loved. I read my oldest son’s college essay this week about his experience pacing me in one of my 100-mile races. He was 13 years old at the time and he ran 33-miles with me during the night after only completing two training runs of eight miles each over the previous few weeks. At the time, I was so caught up in my own physical pain and completing the race that I didn’t have enough energy to constantly ask about his experience being by my side. His essay provided much that I didn’t know about his experience, however.
What stood out to me in his words was how he refused to quit (even when I told him he should stop after 20-miles) and used the simplest forms of motivation to keep himself going. Specifically, he talked about getting through 5 to 10 mile stretches simply so he could get to an aid station and eat Skittles or the special fruit slices he had in his pack. He took a tiny thing and made it into a giant reward if he could keep moving forward. I’ve utilized that often in races and life and it made me so happy and emotional to read about it from him. Finally, he discussed how running more miles than he ever imagined possible “reset his normal” by making difficult things he faced thereafter seem easier than they would have previously. That is such a valuable lesson and one I was thrilled he received. Running those 33 miles with my son that night was one of the most memorable experiences of my life, but reading his thoughts on it made it even more special.
Some quotes I Love.
“It’s not what happens, it’s how you handle it.”
“Laziness kills ambition. Anger kills wisdom. Fear kills dreams. Ego kills growth. Jealousy kills peace. Doubt kills confidence. Now read that right to left.”