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.
An important distinction. The words “simple” and “easy” are often used interchangeably but are not the same. For example, when I ran my 100-mile race in February, it was simple. All I had to do was run and fuel my body as I went. I promise you though, it was not easy. In life, I believe that “easy” rarely brings benefits but “simple” always does.
When we seek out things that are easy, we are often going below our true standards. In this instance we are seeking things or actions that do not challenge us or help us grow. Conversely, seeking simplicity helps us to operate better. When things are simple, they allow us to concentrate on our effort, performance, and succeeding in the long term. It lets us forge a better path forward by de-cluttering things that may stand in our way. An easy life won’t provide benefit, but a simple life will.
Something I believe. None of us are perfect, we all have things that we could improve upon in terms of our habits, personality, and more. Recognizing this is an important initial step. Thereafter, there are two types of people you will encounter.
The first are people that understand they need to be better but rather than look inward to do so, they take it out on others. They berate, insult, mock, and complain about other people and things to avoid focusing on their shortcomings. Second, are those that take the hard step of identifying something they don’t like about their behavior or outlook and begin making the effort to alter it. This group understands that they are the solution to their problems and it’s on them to change. If you are unhappy or displeased with some aspect of your life, be the type of person that addresses it head-on rather than becoming bitter and toxic to those around you.
Something that being a chiropractor has taught me. I am in my 18th year of practice and have been blessed to treat tens of thousands of people utilizing my evaluations, decision-making, and adjustments. Most of the time, this leads to impressive results and my patients are thrilled. Other times, I utilize these exact methods and people don’t get the results they (or I) desired for them. It always bothers me when I am unable to help someone, but it has taught me a valuable lesson.
All I can control is the effort I give and the treatment I provide. Sometimes the results are amazing and life-changing and others, lackluster or non-existent. How the body does or does not heal, is unfortunately not up to me. Therefore, I maintain my focus on providing my best effort because that portion is under my control. If I do that, I know I have done all I can to help the patient. Everything in life works in this same fashion. We cannot dictate the outcomes we get, but we can control the processes and effort we make to get there. If you do your absolute best, most of the time you will see the results you want. In the instances that you don’t, at least you know that you did all you could.
A great reminder. I saw a patient recently that I had not seen in years. She’d been in pain and has some health issues she has begun to address. Despite having these concerns, she was extremely excited to be dealing with them to get on a path to better health. Even though the road to those solutions will be long, her excitement was contagious and provided a great reminder for me.
Your greatest achievements in life are going to be difficult. They will take more time, effort, and sacrifice than you would ever realize. Since it’s going to be such a tough journey, you may as well just find a reason to smile and enjoy it. If you can do that, it will allow you to get started making progress. That will then motivate you to continue the journey, and so on until you eventually attain your goal. If you knew how hard the objective would be to achieve, you’d never start. Thus, you may as well just get excited, get underway, and enjoy the process.
Some quotes I love.
“Nobody is coming to save you. Get up. Be your own hero.”
“Don’t let the entire staircase overwhelm you. Just focus on that first step.”
“But the thing is, even if I could go back, I wouldn’t belong there anymore.”
“There is nothing noble about being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being superior to your former self.” – Ernest Hemingway
“Never underestimate a man who picks self-improvement after being disrespected by people he loved. He’ll conquer everything.”