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 love. My assistant coach in spring football had never coached until this season. He has great energy and enthusiasm, does an excellent job, and talks constantly about how much fun he’s having. Not only does this help me, but it inspires me as well. In fact, I have experienced this in coaching, chiropractic, athletics, as a father, etc. and understand how valuable it is.
I cherish any opportunity I get to teach, advise, or help someone new to something that I have experience in. This has a way of reminding me of my own beginnings, techniques or methods that helped me, mistakes to avoid, and lessons I learned along the way. Sharing this information energizes me, makes me more creative, increases my focus, and allows me an opportunity to learn new things from someone else. The “master/mentor” relationship has been a blessing to me from both sides of the coin, and I am always thankful for it.
A great reminder. This week my wife and I were at a church event with friends who are mostly in their twenties. They talked and prayed about challenges they were facing, then my wife and I did the same. It surprised them that two extremely happy and upbeat people like us didn’t have perfect lives and had worries. Like everyone, we deal with issues involving family, business, finances, and more all the time. This brings up a point worth discussing.
Being happy does not mean you don’t struggle. Far from it in fact. Until my late thirties, I used to implode whenever I had to face a rough patch of any kind. It would affect my mood and the fallout of negativity and stress would carry over into other aspects of my life. Now, I face more frequent and significant concerns but always remain strong because I cannot allow whatever troubles I encounter to become the defining factor of my life. Instead, I focus on remaining grateful for what is most sacred and important to me, and it keeps me grounded. This allows me to maintain my happiness even in the worst of times without falling apart, becoming bitter, or negative.
A lesson I ‘ve gained from chiropractic. I’ve been a chiropractor for 19 years and have seen tens of thousands of patients for adjustments numbering in the millions. More times than I could ever recall, I’ve been blessed to hear amazing compliments of thanks, praise, and admiration for the care I provide/provided. And yet, I have also heard thousands of times from people who are not my patients that I and my profession are quacks, not real doctors, or that some neighbor or doctor with zero experience in chiropractic says it’s worthless. Trust me, I have encountered it all and can say that as a chiropractor you are likely to be thought of as either a hero or a zero depending on the person.
The applicable life lesson here is that you will always have those that admire and appreciate you while others will only love to hate you. It’s your choice who you believe in, but trust me, it matters. In my case, since I work so hard, give my best, and have helped so many people; why shouldn’t I listen to the encouraging voices? There is always room to improve, and we must trust our own voice above anyone else, but we should listen to the people that think the highest of us because that’s who we really are.
Something I say often. Have you ever had a friend that says they want to meet the right man or woman but never asks anyone on a date? How about someone that wants a fantastic job but does nothing to search or apply for one? We all know people that check the scale religiously to see if they’ve lost weight even though they haven’t started to eat better or exercise. All of these are common examples of having a desire but not backing it up with any meaningful action. Whenever I encounter someone such as this and they ask my advice, I say “Fish don’t jump in the boat; you have to cast a line out there.” In other words, if you want something, start taking action to make it a reality because it won’t happen unless you do.
Any fisherman will tell you that catching fish entails finding the right water source where they reside, casting out a line, being patient, and moving to new areas when the fish aren’t biting. Everything in life is similar. One single action is not likely to make all your dreams come true, but it’s a start. It also creates an energy that leads you to the next move, step, attempt, or adjustment. Once that begins happening, something that had zero chance of occurring now becomes possible. Nothing will magically happen as you sit on the couch. Therefore, start taking steps to make things come about because fish never jump in the boat.
Some quotes I Love.
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” – John C. Maxwell
“If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.” – George S. Patton
“You don’t need to be ready. You need to be courageous.”
“Life gives the hardest battles to the strongest soldiers.”