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.
A great reminder. I was at a food truck event over the weekend with my family and waited in line three times for food. As I waited, I ended up being behind separate groups of people as they conversed. Though I was not trying to eavesdrop, I could clearly hear the back and forth and without fail, every single word was negative. Everything from upcoming vacations, sports, family, weather, the lines, and even how the vendors pronounced their names was spoken about negatively. I’m not picking on these people, but it brings up a great point.
We live in a world of great strife right now. From politics to ridiculous issues, people are frequently riled up and looking to yell at someone. Thus, if we are not careful, our default language can become one of negativity and complaint. In other words, we become conditioned to find what we don’t like in everything rather than what we do. I’m not suggesting we walk around burying our feelings or that terrible things won’t occur at times, merely that we have the power to affect our own viewpoints. If you choose not to complain or speak negatively, I promise you that you will experience more happiness, fulfillment, and joy in life.
Something I believe. I had an opportunity to do business with someone recently and it went extremely well. He was an honest, straight shooter and he and I were able to negotiate a handshake deal that became final a week later. In every instance, he was true to his word (as was I) and followed through as expected. This was very refreshing and brings up an important concept.
Everything you do will have your name on it. For me, every adjustment, coaching interaction, 5 Spot I write, etc., has mine. Depending on the amount of effort, care, and love that I put into those areas, I will either be proud or disappointed to have my name on it. Even if the result isn’t perfect, if I’ve done my best, I can still be pleased. If you want your name to be thought of positively, make sure you are putting all you have into whatever you may be doing.
Something chiropractic has taught me. As a chiropractor, I deal with all sorts of patients, the majority of which are wonderful. However, I must regularly deal with people that are standoffish, grouchy, unkind, disrespectful, irritable, and/or just odd. Interacting with people like this is not fun, but it has taught me a great deal.
When I am faced with difficult people, it would feel best to tell them off or get them away from me. However, that isn’t conducive to a professional environment, and would make me feel like I’d lost my cool and changed who I was. What I have learned to do instead is take it as a challenge to try and win these types of people over. I attempt to do this not through flattery or being disingenuous, merely by putting forth an immaculate effort and refusing to become rattled. Usually this allows both of us to focus on what can be done to help them, while removing the awkwardness their behavior creates.
Something I encounter often. When your relationships are solid, bills paid, everyone is healthy, and your worries are minimal; it is extremely easy to have faith and be positive. However, when problems begin to arise and strike you like a large wave in the ocean, it’s harder. In fact, it’s so difficult that this is when people often stop trying, withdraw themselves, or become depressed. I have been there myself and used to manage it poorly. Now, I can deal with tough times and would like to share what’s helped me.
First, when you hit a rough patch, understand it’s not personal. Walk into any room and there are people going through things just as bad or worse than you. Second, realize that since you’re not the only one to go through the issue, others have found a way to overcome it previously. Divorces, lost jobs, financial problems, and more have happened to millions, and have been successfully dealt with. Finally, in tough times ask yourself what you must do to become stronger and conquer the problem. Sometimes this is physical, other times mental, and sometimes it may just take more patience, faith, and belief. Tough and stressful times will eventually find all of us, we must accept it and learn to deal with it constructively.
Some quotes I Love.
“The higher we are placed, the more humbly we should walk.” – Cicero
“If you learn from defeat, you haven’t really lost.” – Zig Ziglar
“Repentance is not when you cry, it is when you change.”
“Listen if you want to be heard.” – John Wooden