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.
Some important lessons. When I run, I often seek out hills (or mountains) to enhance my training. Hills are more difficult and put higher demands on the body in terms of oxygen requirements, muscles, and joints. There are three lessons I have gained from this training that I think apply to daily life because hills are just another name for challenges.
First, the fear or anxiety of climbing a hill defeats more people than the ascent itself. If we believe the challenge is too great, we psych ourselves out and fail before we begin. Second, it is crucial to attack the hill with whatever you have. Sometimes that will be speed, other times the slowest of shuffles. The point is, give it whatever you have in the moment. Finally, conquering the hill makes you instantly stronger and more resilient. Proving to yourself you can conquer a challenge makes you more powerful going forward.
A recent observation. “They say” is something I hear in conversations often. For example, “They say it’s good for you” or “They say you shouldn’t do this.” We’ve all heard this when talking to others, we’ve probably even said it ourselves.
What I have come to believe is that “They say” is usually another way of expressing that a person has no idea what they’re talking about and has not taken any time to try and find out. Most times, it ends up being a piece of a headline, some stereotypical viewpoint, or badly outdated way of thinking. Depending on the situation or topic, this can be significant. I tend to notice this most often in topics that concern health and important events transpiring around us. These should require us to do research to form opinions and strategies to help us deal with them but often we don’t. Nothing is more important than our health and livelihoods, so take the time to get informed and don’t trust what “they say.”
A question I ask myself daily. I have always enjoyed learning about miliary tactics, conflicts, and warrior cultures for a variety of reasons. Something that has always stood out to me is how some of the biggest battles are often fought for the smallest of territories. In instances such as these, the question always becomes whether ground is being gained or lost in the battle because every foot matters. I like to ask this same question of myself in all endeavors of my daily life.
We are in constant battle with our health, businesses, habits, relationship building, faith, and so much more. When we make more good decisions than bad, we take a small step forward. If we can do this daily, the small steps turn into major changes. If not, then we begin to lose momentum and our results suffer. In every aspect of your life, give thought to what specific actions will lead to small gains in ground and repeat those things as often as possible.
An important concept. As a chiropractor, my specialty is obviously assisting people with my adjustments. However, I am often asked why I don’t add in nutrition, supplements, various modalities, and other things to assist my patients. In no way am I against those other things, but I choose to keep my focus in one area. The analogy I use to explain this is that you can either be a diner or a fine dining restaurant.
A diner will offer you hundreds of choices for your meal. The variety is amazing, but the quality will suffer, and nothing will stand out. Conversely, a fine dining restaurant will have a limited menu so that everything can be of the highest quality and amazing. I don’t want to be the type of chiropractor that offers everything and then delivers lackluster care because the treatment is what people need most from me. Thus, my goal is to focus my attention only on delivering the best chiropractic care possible. If you have a gift or talent you want to shine, don’t dilute it with too many other things. Be the fine-dining establishment instead of the diner.
Some quotes I love.
“The thing about mental toughness is that it continually comes down to a choice. You can’t blame others for your reactions to setbacks and failures. When you choose to take responsibility for everything in your life, you reach a new level of mental strength.” – Sally McRae
“Warriors are not the ones who always win but they are the ones who always fight.”
“People will throw stones at you. Don’t throw them back, collect them and build an empire.”
“Self-control makes the man. A man without discipline is a boy full of reactions, rather than a man of good actions.” – Greek Proverb