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 share these in the hope that you might find value in them and have something that resonates with you in your life.
Something important. As a chiropractor for over 19 years, I have met with tens of thousands of people in pain. One of the more common interactions I have is with people that have been suffering with discomfort for months, years, or even decades. When I ask what they’ve tried to alleviate these issues they say, “nothing.” They’ll tell people about their suffering and continue to live with it but do not take any initiative to help it in a timely manner. Many times, they only come in for an appointment at the behest of a spouse or friend who has become tired of their frequent complaining and lack of action.
This is an example of a widespread problem in our society. People want to go someplace but they don’t want to move. In other words, they desire an outcome but are unwilling to do anything to get there. Furthermore, I often find that the same people who make little or no effort to make change often have the strongest opinions about why things they’ve never tried won’t work. Whether pain relief, weight loss, promotions at work, better relationships, or anything else; nothing great will ever happen without effort. You may not find the right solution immediately but doing nothing is always the wrong answer both for you and those around you.
Something that helps me. Whenever I have a goal in mind, I do my best to utilize reverse engineering. Whether it may be earning more money in my business, getting my football team to be better at something, training for a race, or solving a problem; I work backwards rather than forwards.
For example, if I want to increase my income by a certain amount, I will begin by calculating how many new patients, office visits, etc. that may require. Then, I can design a series of action steps that attempt to lead to those things. The point is that engineering backward from the goal causes me to think about and implement action steps to set it in motion. When I don’t use this method, I spin my wheels, get frustrated, and end up hoping something good will occur rather than actively trying to make it happen. Regardless of what your goal may be, start at the end and work backwards to decide what steps you could/should start taking to eventually get there.
Something I loved. I saw a quote from Zig Ziglar this week, “You don’t drown by falling in water; you only drown if you stay there.” This resonated with me because I once saw a woman that needed to be rescued from drowning in four feet of water after being playfully pushed in. She just sank to the bottom and stayed there for over a minute, too afraid to do anything. Eventually, someone noticed something was wrong and dove in to save her despite the fact she could have simply stood up and saved herself. This premise has great application to daily life.
We all get punched in the mouth by life at times. We lose jobs, loved ones, confidence, and everything else. Unfortunately, when events like these occur, there can be a tendency to feel sorry for ourselves and stop fighting. We allow ourselves to stay in that bad place and drown. When challenging things happen, you will be worried and scared, that’s natural. However, even if it seems dire, it is still crucial that you begin fighting back and trying to recover. Instead of drowning, you must take steps to save yourself from the danger. If you are in a troubled time or difficult season, seek help, talk to a friend, go for a walk, exercise, or do whatever necessary so that you do not allow yourself to stay there too long.
Something I believe. I’ve had several instances recently where people have told me in detail how amazing they were in a certain area. One was how honest they were, another how well they treated women, and the final one how great of a leader they were. The problem was that in each instance, I had seen recent behavior that contradicted those exact claims. In other words, what I observed was the opposite of their claims. This brings about a concept that I think is important.
In general, the more you must tell me how great or wonderful someone/something is, the less I believe you. This always feels disingenuous and like a cover-up to me. When someone or something is outstanding, it will speak for itself and require no explanation. Great food, amazing experiences, quality relationships, and effective service are all examples Conversely, when things require a complicated narrative to demonstrate worth or convince you of something, that is usually a substitute for substance. Action will always be far more vital than words can ever be. If you want to show someone how great you are, don’t talk about it, just be about it.
Some quotes I Love.
“See any problem as yours to solve. Don’t wait for someone else to do it for you. Take ownership and look for a solution.” – Jocko Willink
“Remember, you can start late, start over, lose it all, fail again and again, yet still succeed.”
”Being resilient does not mean ‘unaffected by’.” – Brandi MacDonald