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 recent experience. My wife and I consulted with a woman recently about her nutrition. She went into detail about how she had slow digestion, and her doctor insisted that everything she eat have high amounts of fiber. The way things were explained to us, she had some exceedingly rare and unique digestive issues and so we asked her to fill out a food log for us to evaluate. Upon reviewing the log, I saw no foods high in fiber but did see candy, fast food, and a lot of alcohol.
I do not mention this as a criticism of this person, because it’s not. She is a nice lady that just needed the right help. The point I’m making is that we often look for complicated answers to simple questions. In this case, this woman did not actually have a complex issue, she had simply been eating terrible foods that her body could not process efficiently.
To correct this, we recommended replacing some of the bad foods she was consuming with better, more nutritious options. Immediately, she began to improve (in multiple aspects). To correct any issue, the best way to begin is by addressing the simplest issues and then moving on to more complex ones only if necessary. Don’t over-think it!
A good reminder. On Easter Sunday, I was informed that someone had spray painted my office sign as well as those of some of my neighbors. This bummed me out but, in the end, was a good reminder to me of how best to manage problems when they arise.
First, don’t feel sorry for yourself, just accept that it happened and move on. Second, get to work on a solution. In this instance, I researched what might remove spray paint from that surface and went and bought what I needed. Once I’m on to step two, I already feel better because I’m pursuing something constructive and feel more in control.
Third, fix the issue. For simple matters like this, it can happen instantly, but more complex ones may take time. Regardless, get to work correcting them as soon as possible. Finally, understand that things will go wrong from time to time, often through no fault of your own. These issues may not be pleasant, but they tend to make you stronger in knowledge and/or resilience if managed properly.
Something important. Being coachable is one of the greatest assets a person can have in my opinion. This allows the ego to move to the side, so added information can be taken in and used to make improvements. Conversely, when someone is not coachable, they tend to remain in a pattern, one that is usually not beneficial to them.
When my wife and I help people in our fitness and nutrition business, I can tell instantly whether they are coachable. If they are, they will succeed and if they are not, they won’t. It’s that simple.
The signs that some will allow themselves to be coached, are a willingness to accept criticism, take recommendations, try alternatives, ask questions, and more. On the other hand, if someone cannot be coached, they will tell you they don’t like to listen to other people, are unwilling to change what they’re doing (even if it’s bringing horrible results), will blame others, and will often seek other opinions only to not follow those as well. Be coachable, it will make a tremendous difference in the results you can obtain in life.
Something to remember. One of our clients in our SAM Program was told by her doctor that because she was 40 years old, she would never be able to lose any weight. Anyone with any experience in this field would understand this is not true but it brings up two important points.
First, never allow one person to ruin a dream or goal for you. There are many haters out there and usually the most adamant ones are the least knowledgeable. Find people that can help you attain the goals you want. In this instance, this woman was easily able to lose weight with basic advice that we provided.
Second, age is only a number. Your body does not quit when it reaches a round number such as 30, 40, or 50. As a chiropractor, I constantly hear people blame their age when they’re in pain (even in their twenty’s!). I promise you; your body does not wait until you hit a certain number and then begin failing on you. What tends to happen is that someone reaches an age where they stop giving proper effort toward their health. We certainly have less leeway with our health as we age so lack of effort becomes noticeable quickly. Do not give up on yourself simply because you reached another birthday, keep battling!
Some quotes I love.
“You have to change your life if you’re not happy and wake up if things aren’t going the way you want.” – Keanu Reeves
“No matter how hard you work, someone else is working harder.” – Elon Musk
“Do what is easy and your life will be hard. Do what is hard and your life will become easy.” – Les Brown
“Thinking will not overcome fear, but action will.” – W. Clement Stone
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