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.
A good reminder. There are great commercials for Progressive Insurance you’ve likely seen with a guy trying to help people from becoming their parents. As they get into different situations, they cannot avoid doing exactly what their parents would have done and need help breaking those habits. This is meant to be funny, but it carries an important lesson.
As a chiropractor and health expert, I can tell you that people want to blame genetics for everything. While it obviously plays a role, what most people tend to inherit even more are habits. Parents that are highly stressed, overeating, and yelling often pass that on to their children. Those around a family that is physically active, health conscious, and relaxed tend to inherit those same traits. Regardless of what you grew up with, you always have the power to change it and make it the best path forward possible. You may be just like the commercial and need help breaking those habits, but it can be done.
Something I believe. Throughout my life, I’ve been critiqued in every way imaginable. Running the gambit from the horrible to the amazing provides a unique perspective. What I have come to believe is that the most useful feedback tends to occur on one end of the spectrum while that in the middle is different. For example, if people tell me I’m terrible, it gives me motivation to prove them wrong. Likewise, being given amazing feedback provides me with desire to continue that path. However, being referred to as “ok” or “pretty good” carries the most potential for poor results.
Being all right tends to give us enough comfort to stay where we are. We lose our drive, find contentment in being average, and lose the hunger to work towards special outcomes for ourselves and/or loved ones. It’s as if we receive enough comfort to feel fine with where we’re at and not enough desperation or motivation to do more. This is the most dangerous predicament to be in because many years can go by when we set our sights low and succeed. Don’t fall in love with the average, we are all capable of so much more with the correct mindset, processes, and drive.
Something I’ve learned from my races. Throughout the years, I’ve competed in some particularly grueling events. From 100-mile races to 24-hour obstacle course races, to everything in between, these experiences have taught me a great deal about mental and physical pain. What I have come to realize from my own direct experiences as well as observing so many around me indirectly is that the easiest way to make someone quit is to get them to believe their pain will continue forever. This is not only how it works in endurance events but also life itself.
You and I could both be at the exact same point in any challenging physical event and if I can get you to focus on your pain and the duration it is likely to last, you will find a reason to stop. Likewise, if you go through a particularly challenging time in life and feel it won’t get better, you will give up. This might mean sleeping too much, withdrawing from loved ones, adopting unhealthy habits, or plenty of other examples. The important thing to understand is that even the worst pain eventually ends. I’ve learned this in races, divorce, and even the loss of a best friend and a sister over the past few years. The best thing you can do is focus on even the slightest glimmer of hope to keep you going. By doing so, you can ignore your pain and find the wherewithal to keep trudging forward.
Something I’ve learned in business. During the holidays we’re reminded that it’s a time for family and friends. Therefore, I feel it’s crucial to be available for these people and events that matter. Being in solo practice, I used to stress about making sure I remained open enough to keep my patients happy. However, over time I began to realize that trading family time at the holidays for time in my office wasn’t the trade-off I desired. Years from now, I am likely to think back to fun dinners, events, and times with those I love and smile. Conversely, I am unlikely to think about how many adjustments I could have done on Christmas Eve. Sadly, each time I take time off for my family for any reason, I have patients that complain. Regardless, I never feel bad about making my loved ones and our time together a priority and am thrilled to do so.
Some quotes I Love.
“Strong men don’t complain, they adapt, adjust, and conquer.”
“I just like to smile, smiling’s my favorite” – Buddy the Elf, Elf