Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 17th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 17th

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 17th 640 480 Matt Kenney

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 great reminder.  My middle son and I were spending time together watching football Sunday when he asked if I would take him to grab a sub.  I told him I’d be happy to if he went into my ice bath tank and submerged himself (when I’m your dad you get used to challenges like this).  Five minutes later, he was dunking himself in a tank so cold that we had to remove large pieces of 6-inch-thick ice to even make room to get in.  He was visibly shocked at how cold it was, and we both got a great laugh over it.  However, when we went to grab those subs, he kept talking about how amazing he now felt after how brutally cold it had been.  This is an important reminder.

The most challenging times and events in your life will be the ones that hurt the most.  However, they are precisely the ones that are likely to lead to the best feelings later.  If you can hang in long enough to face the pain of a divorce, work trouble, financial struggle, difficult season in life, etc. you will absolutely feel better and stronger thereafter.  We certainly never desire or root to have tough times in life.  In the end, however, they often end up being exactly the periods and events that make us into the best versions of ourselves.

Something I recommend.  When I used to run track, I was extremely successful in all the jumping and hurdle events.  When I was competing in any of those disciplines, I usually had a great shot to win.  However, if you wanted me to throw the shot put or try to win the two-mile race, it would have been embarrassing.  Therefore, I didn’t worry about anything other than in what I was involved.  As obvious as this is, we often do not follow this extremely basic principle in our lives.

We live in a time with our media, social media, etc. where it’s easy to see people at their best and feel insignificant ourselves.  It’s easy to feel like we’re falling short financially, physically, and in other ways simply because we see small snapshots from someone else’s highlight reel of life.  Instead of doing this, the best recipe is to compete against ourselves with what we’re capable of.  For example, you won’t have more money than Elon Musk, but you could try to make more than you did last year.  Trying to maximize what you derive from your own abilities, processes, and habits is far more constructive than comparing what you have or who you are to anyone else.

A question to ask yourself.  Oxygen is critical to our existence, yet we don’t think about it all that often.  However, if we stopped getting oxygen to our bodies, we’d notice very quickly.  A question I like to ask myself (and suggest you ask yourself) is, “What is the oxygen of my life?”  In other words, what is so vital to my existence that if it were to disappear, I would notice things going downhill quickly?

My “oxygen” is my faith, my physical and mental health, my wife and children’s well-being, and my relationships with my wife and children.  Therefore, all my actions must be such that I prioritize whatever leads to positive outcomes in those areas.  That could entail anything from making sure I exercise, to taking my wife on dates, to ensuring I run my business properly and provide financially for my family.  I find that once you’ve identified these crucial and essential people and areas in your life, it makes creating a plan of action much simpler.

A great lesson.  When I was a second-year chiropractic associate, I was working with my mentor in chiropractic.  As a teaching tool, he would have me record myself on certain visits as I interacted with my patients and explained things to them.  Later, we would listen to these together and he would critique me.  After one cringe-worthy play back, I remember him saying, “That was pretty awful, but you have a ton of enthusiasm, and that can take you a long way.”  His words embarrassed me, but throughout the years, I have come to find great wisdom in them.

People are drawn to enthusiasm because it demonstrates passion and creates a subtle desire for others to raise their energy level too.  True enthusiasm is difficult to fake, so it can also demonstrate authenticity, and though it is not a substitute for knowledge, it is a great starting point to have passion for whatever you’re involved in.  Personally, I never go into anything as the smartest, biggest, strongest, or fastest guy.  However, I’ve always been able to bring forth great energy because if I’m involved in something, I love giving it all I have.  This has served me well in coaching, ultra-running, business, and more.  If something matters to you, be enthusiastic about it, it can propel you to enormous success over time.

Some quotes I Love.

“Work smarter, not harder is terrible advice.  You only get to work smarter after years of working abnormally hard.” – Brandi MacDonald

“Just because you’re losing at halftime doesn’t mean it’s over.” – Gary Vaynerchuck

“Some people stop because it’s hard.  Some people start because it’s hard.”

“Just because a decision hurts, doesn’t mean it was the wrong one.”

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