Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 31st

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 31st

Dr. Kenney’s Friday 5 Spot – January 31st 640 480 Matt Kenney

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.

An analogy I like.  For whatever reason, I had multiple conversations this week with people telling me that they’d tried something but that it “didn’t work out” or “wasn’t meant to be.”  Some involved being in relationships, being successful in a career/business, and losing weight/getting in shape.  Though they were all different people and separate issues, the point was that they’d all attempted something, not gotten the desired result, and then quit.  To me, this is like taking an at-bat in baseball, striking out, and then quitting the sport.

If there is a list of people that have experienced immediate and lasting success in anything, I promise you it’s short.  Most of us require many “at-bats” to create any semblance of achievement.  We need to take a shot, learn from it, and remain willing to repeat that process often.  There is unlikely to be a successful person or business that has not followed this simple formula.  If you attempt something and it doesn’t work out for you immediately, don’t quit.  Keep taking at-bats until you gain enough experience and knowledge to figure it out.

Something I believe.  Any opponent or enemy that we could have would be likely to judge their chances against us by how we handle adversity.  For example, if we implode at the slightest error, few will view us as all that difficult to beat.  Conversely, if we get stronger and more motivated when things get tough, our opponents will understand that it’ll be a battle dealing with us.  I believe wholeheartedly that life operates in the exact fashion.

People that crumble at even slight adversity, walk around with a “woe is me” attitude, and/or complain about all the terrible things that happen to them tend to get more misery.  It’s as though life picks on them and keeps putting forth more unpleasantness to contend with.  On the other hand, those that react to demanding times with a resilient attitude tend to get a different reaction.  It’s as though life tires of knocking them down only to have them stand up and fight back repeatedly.  Soon, it ceases trying to defeat them and simply moves on.  I’m not certain exactly why, but I feel life will react toward you based on how you deal with the adversities you face.  Face down any hardship, enemy or opponent with strength, courage, and resiliency.

Something I believe.  Many years ago, I remember speaking to a friend of mine who was successful in business.  He was also an accomplished bodybuilder and was dieting to get ready for an upcoming show at the time.  One of his employees brought him doughnuts and he was bummed he couldn’t eat them because of his strict nutrition.  He told me he wished he could just be normal and eat like everyone else.  My response was that my guess was that all those “normal” people would rather be in his shoes.  In other words, striving to be great was something to be proud of, being just like everyone else wasn’t.  This is an important concept to grasp.

To be successful, we usually need to leave things behind.  These include habits that are comfortable, acceptable, but often not productive.  For example, time-wasting, poor nutrition, lax standards, vices, and the like would all qualify.  As we put these in our rearview mirror, there can be a tendency to romanticize them and wish we could still partake in them.  Furthermore, there is often negative judgment from those in our circle when we stop following old patterns for new and more constructive ones.  Having been on both sides, I can tell you it’s far more gratifying to be a person exemplifying greatness than the person doing what everyone else sees as the norm.  Don’t be afraid to get rid of anything that doesn’t make you better in favor of things that can.

Something important.  We live in a society where we desire instant gratification whether it be same-day deliveries, access to information, or anything else.  Many of these things are incredibly helpful, convenient, and allow us to get more accomplished.  However, they eventually train our minds to believe that if something doesn’t happen instantly, it won’t at all.  This Is unfortunate because most success is built gradually over time.  Therefore, it is important to look for “lagging indicators” that things are going better rather than expect an immediate change.

For example, eating well and exercising today will not cause any immediate changes in how you look or feel.  However, you may notice more energy, clothes fitting better, and a pound or two of weight loss within a week.  These are signs that what you’re doing is working, but they are not instantaneous and will lag behind the positive steps you’re taking.  Likewise, changes within a business won’t alter the bottom line in a day but may show small signs of more customers or income.  Rather than beating ourselves up when things don’t immediately go our way, I think it’s vital to look for lagging indicators.  If you see small indicators that things are changing for the better, stay with them.  Those tiny improvements multiplied by months or years can dramatically change any body, mind, relationship, or business for the better.

Some quotes I Love.

“You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to.” – Sean, Good Will Hunting

“The truth is always quiet, it’s the lies that are loud.”

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