Wellness Articles

A “Crash Course” on LEADERSHIP

Some people mistakenly think that leaders are uniformed figureheads who are elected or chosen to represent a certain group or organization, but everyday leadership is demonstrated by parents, teachers, older siblings, clergy, friends – in fact, just about everyone finds themselves in a position of leadership from time to time.

Here are the thoughts of leadership educator Steve Ventura on
the subject:

The 10 most important words:
“What can I do to help you be more successful?”

The 9 most important words:
“I need you to do this, and here’s why …”

The 8 most important words:
“That’s my mistake and I will fix it.”

The 7 most important words:
“My door is always open to you.”

The 6 most important words:
“Let’s focus on solving the problem.”

The 5 most important words:
“You did a great job!”

The 4 most important words:
“What do YOU think?”

The 3 most important words:
“Follow my lead.”

The 2 most important words:
“Thank You.”

The MOST important word:
“YOU.”

Everyday Enlightenment…

World class athlete, college professor and bestselling author of the classic “The Way Of The Peaceful Warrior” Dan Millman offers us twelve gateways to personal growth in his outstanding book, “Everyday Enlightenment.”

  1. Discover your worth – Life is full of gifts and opportunities; you will open to receive and enjoy them to the degree that you begin to appreciate your innate worth, and offer to yourself the same compassion and respect that you would give to others.
  2. Reclaim your will – Inside you is untapped strength of will, of spirit, of heart. You have only to remember your purpose — great strength of will resides within you, waiting for expression.
  3. Energize your body – If you lack vitality, nothing else matters. If you have your health, anything is possible.
  4. Manage your money – it can serve you or bind you, depending on how you manage it. Clarify your goals and use your gifts, and you can make good money doing what you enjoy while serving the higher calling of your soul.
  5. Tame your mind – You perceive the world through your beliefs, interpretations and associations. As your mind clears, you perceive reality simply as it is.
  6. Trust your intuition – Your subconscious mind holds keys to intuitive wisdom, clear sight, and untapped power. All you have to do is look, listen and trust, paying attention to dreams, feelings, and instinct.
  7. Accept your emotions – emotions are like waves on the sea or weather in the skies, rising and falling on their own accord. You cannot control your feelings, so you are not responsible for your feelings, only for your response to them. Accept emotions completely, let your feelings be, just don’t let them run your life.
  8. Face your fears – Fear is a wonderful servant but a terrible master. Like pain, it can alert you and advise you, but may also cloud or limit your life. Your fears are not walls, but hurdles. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the conquering of it.
  9. Illuminate your shadow – As an infant, you were pure potential, but in growing up you disowned parts of your being, and you became “this” but not “that.” By illuminating your shadow, you become whole again, and real.
  10. Embrace your sexuality – Hungers and appetites for food, sex, and life are natural. If you suppress the power of your drives, you create obsessions, compulsions and guilty secrets. Life is not a matter of indulging or denying the energies of life, but of observing, accepting, and wisely channeling them.
  11. Awaken your heart – Love is life’s great secret. Love endures not from words or feelings alone, but from actions that carry you beyond the interests of separate self. You are not here to contact your higher self; you are here to become it.
  12. Serve your world – Service is both a means and an end, for in giving to others, you open yourself to love, abundance, and inner peace. You cannot serve others without uplifting yourself.

What is Wellness?

We hear a lot about wellness these days, but it seems to mean different things to different people.

For some, wellness is fitness, good muscle tone, proper posture, and being in shape. For others, wellness is eating right, avoiding processed foods, preservatives and food additives that clog their bodies, instead concentrating on fruits and vegetables and other fresh, whole foods. Others still think wellness is in the mind, and that positive mental attitude and an optimistic outlook on life is wellness. Who is right?

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines wellness as “the quality or state of being in good health especially as an actively sought goal.”

The American Heritage Medical Dictionary says wellness is “the condition of good physical, mental and emotional health, especially when maintained by an appropriate diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications.”

Mosby’s Medical Dictionary says wellness is “a dynamic state of health in which an individual progresses toward a higher level of functioning, achieving an optimum balance between internal and external environments.”

It’s a Blend
These definitions help us to understand that all of the abovementioned people are right in pursuing wellness in their own way. No one has to be wrong for each of them to be right. And it seems like blending the different pathways to wellness can make it more personalized, more effective for each individual, and more fun as each person creates his or her own best quality of life.

Notice that each of the definitions quoted here includes an intention to be well, and a willingness to do what it takes to experience wellness. Different people use different combinations of lifestyle habits to get as well as they can, and many people have discovered that the right approach is to develop habits like good diet, sufficient sleep and rest, drinking enough water, exercising to keep fit, maintaining a positive attitude, and performing body maintenance procedures, like massage or meditation, and periodic check-ups for your eyes, your teeth, and your spine and nerve system.

Choosing Your Professional Wellness Team

Most people have a dentist, and if they have needed glasses to see better they’ve seen an optometrist, but many people have not yet learned of the importance of having a family chiropractor to take care of your spine and nerve system. Your nerve system is your body’s switchboard, connecting all the parts to the brain and to each other, and the spine protects the delicate nerves with bone. If the spine is healthy and the bones move properly, the nerve system is protected. But if anything disturbs the way the spinal bones fit together, like an injury or other stress, they don’t protect the nerves, and in fact can start to irritate them. This can cause pain and poor body function, and the way to prevent that is to get regular spine and nerve system exams, just like you get your teeth checked.

The doctor who specializes in the spine and nerve system is the doctor of chiropractic, also know as a chiropractor or DC. Most people think of the chiropractor as a back doctor, and it’s true that the doctor does examine the back to decide how to help you – that’s because the spine is in the back, and the doctor of chiropractic is interested in how your spine is working to protect or interfere with your nerve system. This doesn’t only affect back pain and neck pain, it affects all of your body’s functions that depend on nerves to carry information to and from the brain – your digestion, your breathing, your immune system and reproductive function all are influenced by nerve system control.

Chiropractors and Wellness

Chiropractors have been educating people about wellness for over a hundred years. Choosing good lifestyle habits, like good nutrition, rest, exercise, attitude and chiropractic care, has always been a part of the doctor of chiropractic’s recommendations – just remember that like all people, each doctor of chiropractic also chooses the blend of lifestyle habits that lead toward wellness. Based on that blend, your chiropractor may concentrate primarily on spinal care, leaving the remainder of the wellness habits and routines up to your discretion. Others have learned about and specialized in various other disciplines, like exercise, nutrition, sports, and many other areas of expertise.

So, when you combine these definitions of wellness, you can see that wellness is “a dynamic state of being in good physical, mental and emotional health, especially as an actively sought goal, maintained by an appropriate diet, exercise, and other lifestyle modifications, toward a higher level of functioning, achieving an optimum balance between internal and external environments.”

Ask your family chiropractor about which wellness habits he or she uses – it may give you some insight into how you can keep yourself healthy physically, mentally and socially, and improve the quality of your life by deciding which lifestyle habits are best for you.

25 Little Acts of Kindness … One Thoughtful Gesture

  1. Take a minute to direct someone who is lost, even though you are rushing.
  2. Write a letter to a child who could use some extra attention. Kids love getting mail.
  3. Offer to pick up groceries for an elderly neighbor.
  4. Give a homeless person your doggie bag.
  5. Say “I love you” to someone you love.
  6. Put a coin in an expired meter.
  7. Help a mother carry her baby stroller up the stairs, or hold a door open for her.
  8. Each time you get a new item of clothing, give away something old.
  9. Take someone’s shift as the carpool parent.
  10. Bring your assistant coffee.
  11. Out of the blue, send flowers to a friend.
  12. Say “please” and “thank you” and really mean it.
  13. When you are on a crowded train, offer your seat to an elderly, disabled or pregnant person.
  14. Don’t interrupt when someone is explaining herself.
  15. Offer to babysit for a single mom.
  16. Let a fellow driver merge into your lane.
  17. Put your shopping cart back into its place.
  18. Call or write a teacher who changed your life.
  19. Bring a healthy snack to share at the office.
  20. Forgive someone a debt and never bring it up again.
  21. Listen with all your senses.
  22. Encourage someone who seems despondent.
  23. Volunteer to take care of a friend’s dog while he or she is vacationing.
  24. Help a friend pack for a move.
  25. Pass along a great book you’ve just finished reading.

Are You In Control Of Your Health?

What controls the things that happen in your life?

1. Do you believe certain things just “happen” to you, maybe just by luck or caused by other people, without your ability to stop them or change them? 

2. Or, in contrast, do you believe you have the power to make changes in most areas of your life? This belief is described as “locus of control.”

If you answered “yes” to question 1, you have an “external locus of control.” If you answered “yes” to question 2, you have an “internal locus of control.” Your beliefs about control can have a great influence on your decisions and behavior. We commonly experience some wonderful personal accomplishments in the first two decades of life: feeding ourselves, walking, tying our own shoe laces, learning to whistle, riding a bike, driving a car, graduating from high school, finding a job. Each of these accomplishments toward adulthood brings with it a feeling of personal satisfaction and self-confidence. The feeling of “I can do it myself” is a very powerful realization.

As we mature however, we begin to accept the fact that there are certain things that we cannot change. This can become a problem, though, if we view as “unchangeable” some important aspects of our lives that we can control. 

For example, most of us have experienced health problems during our lives. We may have grown dependent on the authority of other people to tell us what is wrong and what to do about it. We may have lost the sense of choice about healthcare. Traditional medicine focuses on treatment of symptoms; however, the symptoms are not the true problem. Symptoms result from underlying problems which compromise our health, and these problems may worsen over time unless the underlying cause is addressed. Chiropractic care focuses on finding and correcting the cause of the symptoms and uses natural means to correct the problem. 

Many times the underlying cause of symptoms is a subluxation (misaligned vertebra). Chiropractors focus on the human body as a whole unit, with special attention to the importance of the spine. Nerve impulses flow from the brain, through the spinal cord, to the rest of the body. Optimal health depends on the successful delivery of these nerve impulses to the organs, tissues and cells of the body. Each of the spinal vertebrae protects the nerves.  If a vertebra is misaligned by injury or the activities of life, the nerves can be affected and a health problem can result. Chiropractors correct the misaligned vertebrae with an adjustment and restore the free flow of nerve impulses through the nerve system. This enables the body to heal itself.

We have many choices in our lives these days: more options in the grocery store, on the internet, in the automobile showroom.  We also have the most important choices to make in healthcare, and you have the power to choose wisely. Make your choice the natural, safe and effective choice. Make your choice chiropractic care for yourself and your family.

Life Exercises

  • Every so often push your luck.
  • Never underestimate the power of a kind word or deed.
  • Never give up on anybody; miracles happen every day.
  • Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
  • Learn to listen.
  • Think big thoughts, but relish small pleasures.
  • Don’t expect others to listen to your advice and ignore your example.
  • Opportunity sometimes knocks softly.
  • Leave everything a little better than you found it.
  • Don’t forget a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
  • Never waste an opportunity to tell someone that you love him or her.
  • Treat everyone you meet like you want to be treated.
  • Make new friends but cherish the old ones.
  • Don’t use time or words carelessly; neither can be retrieved.
  • Judge your success by the degree that you’re enjoying peace, health and love.
  • Smile a lot; it costs nothing and is beyond price.

-AUTHOR UNKNOWN

It is time that you recognize how wonderful, powerful and perfect you already are. All of the answers you will ever need are right inside of you. All you need to do is trust your inner wisdom. Set your goals, raise your standards, and choose to show up as the “Best YOU Ever!” Decide to live in the present and live an “EXTRAORDINARY” life. Share this valuable information with those you care about so they can transform their lives too!

The Importance Of Following Instructions

When we can’t figure out just how to use our new computer, digital camera, cell phone or any other machine for that matter, it is usually because we haven’t read the instructions. An automobile, a computer, a fax machine- these are all complex mechanical devices requiring instructions. We can learn how to use them effectively by reading the instructions or by allowing somebody to teach us how to use them.  Sometimes, if we haven’t used these machines in a while we have to go back and review the instructions all over again. These complex machines are a very important part of our lives. In fact, sometimes we feel lost or out of control if we lose the ability to use them.

Are you aware that the human body is defined as a “machine”? We generally think of a machine as made of metal and moving parts, but a “machine” can also be defined as “an intricate natural system or organism, such as the human body.” Unfortunately our bodies don’t come with an instruction manual when we are born.  And it is true, our bodies are the most important machines we will ever own in our lifetime.  It is very wise to learn as much as we can about it.

Let’s focus first on the terms “natural system” and “manmade systems.” Computers and cars are not natural systems. They are manmade and come with a set of instructions to learn from. The human body is a natural system and does not come with instructions. Instead, the body comes fully equipped with its own natural ability to heal itself. When we are experiencing a health issue, it is important to understand that symptoms of illness are our body’s intelligent way of letting us know that something is wrong.  Something is interfering with the body’s natural ability to heal itself.

Chiropractic care is so effective because it works with the body’s natural healing ability. Pills will simply mask the symptoms of an illness without ever locating and correcting the cause of the problem. Chiropractors do not rely on pills but rather focus on enabling the body’s natural system to restore health.

The most amazing aspect of this “natural system” is that it works with no conscious thought. Our body works perfectly without us even thinking about it or reading an instructions manual to operate it. We don’t have to tell our heart when to beat or how to digest food or how to grow hair. When there is no interference in communication between the brain and the rest of the body, each system works optimally.

Chiropractors restore the body’s communication system by removing interference caused by spinal misalignments (subluxations). When the vertebrae of the spine are misaligned, this can cause a breakdown in communication of nerves to other parts of the body. This is when symptoms can arise. Chiropractors correct subluxations with an adjustment and help to restore the body’s natural ability to heal itself. 

Chiropractic care is a health care approach based upon the body’s natural ability to heal itself and is a very important step in a commitment to optimal health. Optimal health is one of our most valuable possessions. We should value ourselves enough to strive for the highest level of health. When we take responsibility for the choices we make regarding health, we give ourselves the best opportunity to achieve all of our health goals. Chiropractic care can help give us the natural health we deserve when we commit to learning more about our body and take all of the necessary steps to stay well.

Closing Thoughts… Lifetime Resolutions

No one ever gets out of this world alive.

Resolve therefore to maintain a good sense of values.

Take care of yourself.

Good health is everyone’s major source of wealth.

Without it, happiness is virtually impossible. 

Resolve to be cheerful and helpful.

What you give to the world comes back to you.

Resolve to listen more and talk less.

No one ever learns anything by talking. 

Be cautious in giving advice.

Wise men don’t need it and fools won’t heed it.

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak and wrong.

Some time in life, you will have been all of these.

Do not equate money with success.

The world abounds with big money-makers who are miserable failures as human beings.

Resolve to not procrastinate another day, for it is the thief of today’s peace of mind and tomorrow’s happiness.

Resolve to be the person you want to be … today!

Making Promises

Making a promise is a very powerful action to take.  Many times during our lives, we are asked to make promises to do certain things.  For example, at age 16, we receive a driver’s license that requires us to make a commitment to obey the laws of the road.  If we fail to obey these laws, we may pay a price.  We might pay a fine or lose our driver’s license for a while.  Many lessons can be learned through experiencing loss.  We learn quickly to pay close attention to speed limit signs and reduce speed when necessary.  Experiencing loss can teach us a practical lesson such as this; however, it also helps us change behavior in other ways. 

Have you ever experienced the unfortunate loss of a loved one?  

Grief is a common and expected emotion to feel at this time; however, in addition, we frequently feel a sense of regret that we did not fully appreciate and value the relationship we had with our loved one until it was lost.

Regret is a very difficult emotion to deal with.  Usually we can choose to celebrate the wonderful memories; however, sometimes we may choose to change our future behavior with our loved ones who are still with us.  We make promises to spend more time with the people who are important to us and tell them how much we value and appreciate the relationship.  Loss has taught us a valuable life lesson.

In other words, sometimes we tend to take things for granted until we lose them.  It is when we lose them that we truly understand their value in our lives.  We can understand this concept in other areas of our lives as well:  financial independence, health and happiness.  We can promise ourselves that we will reach specific goals regarding financial independence and even happiness.  These promises have little value if we don’t have good health to follow through with them.  It seems unfortunate to me that our own health frequently seems to be the personal asset we take most for granted.  Because we take our health for granted, we may never have set an effective plan to insure optimal health today and in the future.

The best promise you can make TODAY is to make the health of you and your family top priority.  Promises are powerful.  A promise means that we state an action that we will take and not allow anything to stop us.  We can use this powerful tool of making a promise to create and implement a health plan that focuses on the body’s natural ability to heal itself.  Make a promise to yourself to prevent health problems before they arise by eating well, exercising, getting enough rest and committing to a chiropractic corrective and wellness care plan. 

Chiropractic care focuses on YOU and your body’s ability to heal itself.    Chiropractic emphasizes the necessity of having a healthy spine in order to insure optimal health.  The brain, the body’s central command center, sends messages to every tissue, organ and cell of the body through the nerve system.  These messages can be interrupted through misalignments of the spinal vertebrae (subluxation) caused by activities of daily life including falls, sports and accidents. 

Traditional medicine utilizes drugs to treat and mask the symptoms, while chiropractors realign the vertebrae of the spine, restoring the body’s natural communication system.  Chiropractors locate and correct the cause of the problem so true health can be restored.

Don’t make an unfortunate mistake that so many people make.  Don’t take your health and your family’s health for granted.  Make a promise to yourself TODAY to make chiropractic a part of your healthy lifestyle and insure yourself and your family a healthy future.

Principles for Personal Success!

We should always follow the golden rule about how we would like to be treated if we were in another person’s shoes. 

  • We need to keep a pleasant personality.  People prefer to do business and interact with people they like.  People like to associate with people who are pleasant to be around.  Pleasant people portray themselves as sincere with a generous, cheerful and considerate attitude.
  • Maintaining optimal physical and mental health is essential.  Even if we already have an enthusiastic and positive attitude, we must control our mental and physical habits so they remain life enhancing and productive for success.  Proper rest and relaxation are vital to renew energy and sharpen purpose and focus.  Most of us realize optimal health is the key to expressing our best; however, we need to remember that regular chiropractic care is a necessary step toward physical and mental wholeness.
  • Forming good habits is really smart.  Both good and bad habits are formed the same way- through repetition.  By understanding this, we have the power to change a negative habit into a positive habit by repeatedly commanding our thoughts and actions through positive motivation.  These steps ensure that the positive habits become automatic.
  • Always giving that “little extra” can elevate our daily lives and help make a difference in the lives of others.  Studies indicate that a shift has taken place from the “me” generation to the “we” generation.  When we reach within ourselves, we will find that “extra something” we can give to those around us.  When we give more than is expected from us, life will reward us.  Elbert Hubbard wrote, “Folks who never do any more than they get paid for never get paid for any more than they do.”  Always give that extra something.  You’ll be glad you did and someone in the world will be better because of it.

I challenge you to give that “something extra” and make your life even happier, healthier and more successful.  Make a bigger difference in the lives of others because that is where real joy comes from, making others happy. 

I ask you to welcome challenges, look for opportunities in every situation to learn and grow, delight in the beauty around you and offer your sincere caring and kindness to others.  This is the real “stuff” of life.

I am committed to giving you that “something extra” because I am committed to making a bigger difference in the lives of my wonderful patients.

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