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’m proud of. In 2013, I had my first Thanksgiving as a single dad. I had little money, so I got a pre-made meal for my two sons and I, and we celebrated in my small apartment. It was vastly different than the wonderful holidays I’d experienced previously, and it made me sad. I vowed that going forward I would make Thanksgiving a huge deal, so I learned to cook and soon began having everyone over to my house each year thereafter.
This year, my oldest sons were supposed to be with their mom but asked if they could be with me. They told me that they love my food, I go all out, and I always bring a lot of energy to the day which makes it a ton of fun for them. That truly touched my heart and made me happy. I’ve also been reminded lately of so many happy memories that took place at Thanksgiving meals I’ve hosted over the past decade. These include precious times with my wife and children, family members, and especially my brother-in-law who is no longer with us. As simple as it is, I am enormously proud that since that sad Thanksgiving Day years ago I’ve been able to bring people together and create such amazing memories.
Something that I loved. My middle son has decided to return to playing football so on Saturday, his older brother and I took him to the field to start putting him through the paces. Before I could even think about what I would ask him to do for his workout, my oldest son had taken over and started instructing him. He even told me, “I’m going to make this brutally hard to see how badly he really wants it. Plus, it’ll make anything else he does seem easy in comparison. This will start getting him ready.”
This whole exchange was hilarious to me because listening to my oldest son speak and train his brother sounded like listening to myself. In fact, my oldest worked out his brother for two hours and though I didn’t need to say much of anything, I kept hearing things from both that reflected much of what I’ve tried earnestly to teach them. It made me proud to see teachings I tried to instill in them as children being valued and treated with such importance as teenagers. Though they may not have liked some of my lessons or methods in the moment, they have continued to utilize them with remarkable success.
Something I did recently. Like everyone, I encounter my share of stress and challenging situations. Though I would say my ability to deal with this is better than most, I still succumb to worry occasionally. When I am amid such times, I try to remind myself that months from now, what concerned me is likely to be a distant memory. I thought about this at one point this week and decided to look back and assess this theory.
As I scanned my mental rolodex for what had bothered me over the past 4-6 months I remembered things in my business, personal life, health, as a father, husband, and more. Of all the things I recalled, not even one is still of any concern to me in the present. This was an excellent reminder that though we will encounter tough situations or moments, they should be addressed but not dwelled upon. Anything and everything you may go through can be overcome with proper time, energy, and focus. Reflecting on some of your worries this year and the progress you’ve made should serve as a reminder that all troubles eventually pass.
A lesson I’ve learned. I remember my mentor in chiropractic telling me once “if you are a good chiropractor, people will forget about you in two weeks, but if you’re great, it’s a month.” The point was to do your best every day and with each interaction because anyone can be replaced. This is as true in life as it is in business.
My belief is that complacency, laziness, and a lack of desire to be one’s best can be fatal flaws. Exhibiting these behaviors often causes those around us to lose faith and confidence in us and slowly we begin to be replaced in some fashion. Rather than fall into this trap, it is imperative to do what we can to maximize our potential. This is true physically, mentally, financially, as parents, in marriage, and in the relationships that we hold dearest. Be the type of person that no one would ever think of replacing by remaining committed to making steady progress in all you do and all you are.
Some quotes I Love.
“Running up a hill is a bitch until you adapt to the hill. Then it’s not. The hill is the same, but you are different and as a result, so is your experience. Easy or hard is about you, not the hill. Don’t wait for your hill to change.” – Craig Harper
“Strive not to a success, but rather to be of value.” – Albert Einstein
“Condition and guts take over where knowledge and skill end.” – Ed Parker
“Damn right I like the life I live, because I went from negative to positive and it’s all good.” – The Notorious B.I.G, Juicy