The beginning of a new year brings many things to all of us. By February we are usually getting into the groove of not writing last year’s dates on checks or in my case in numerous patients’ files for their routine visits (which, by the way, creates one heck of a mess with insurance companies as we try to straighten that out). For our office, it means our multiple travel dates get worked into the schedule and that can sometimes be frustrating for people who are trying to get in to see us. Please be patient as we work around our busy travel schedule, but I promise the inconvenience will be worth it in the long haul. We are not off to long weekends on the golf course or lounging on the warm beaches in the Caribbean all the time. Our travel is done with growth in mind and that growth is the subject of this week’s column.
For the next three weekends we will be traveling to expand ourselves and our offerings to the public. As Chiropractors the state of Georgia requires that we attend 20 hours of continuing education every year. That is the bare minimum that we are allowed to get by with in order to maintain licensure. We attend many times this amount in order to stay on the cutting edge of the latest techniques available to chiropractors and to learn what new research is out there. We take pride in the fact that we are always open to new ideas and if there is something new out there that might help our patient base we want to know about it. There is more than one way to skin the proverbial cat and if one way isn’t the best one for a particular case I want to have the next way in my bag of tricks. This is the very reason we are proficient in more than one style of adjusting technique. Seminars are held around the country every week that help hone those adjusting skills, and we like to keep sharp. This weekend’s trip, though, is a personal development weekend. In an effort to be as well-rounded as possible we look for things to help us grow personally in addition to our professional enhancement. We will be taking two of our staff members along who are attending workshops with us on communication and management.
O, The Oprah Winfrey Magazine, is one of the publications that I stop whatever I am doing at the time to read as soon as it lands in my mailbox. Since Oprah got her big break in the early 1980’s I have followed her career and was ecstatic when she started her magazine. One feature is a piece that she writes every month called “What I Know For Sure”. It is the last page in every issue, and in January Oprah wrote, “We have to keep transforming ourselves to become who we ought to be.” It is so true that as spiritual beings on this planet having human experiences we must continue to be open to change in order to allow the metamorphosis that is ours to take place. We all have a personal responsibility to expand as beings to help ourselves and all the lives we touch. We can choose to be stuck in our familiar ruts where everything stays exactly the same and the view never changes or we can be brave enough to allow the purpose for our lives to unfold. It is never easy to change and growing pains are inevitable. The other side of the growing pains, however, is always worth the trouble. I heard from adults as I was growing up that anything worth having takes hard work to get. Taking full responsibility for personal expansion is no exception.
I challenge each of you to find some area of your life that has been stale or stagnant for some time and make a commitment to allow change to happen. Are you doing everything possible to reach out and help make the universe a better place to be? If there is a particular aspect of life that you are unhappy with take a step out of your ordinary routine and find a way to change it. Read self-help books or sign up for a night class to better your education. Find weekend retreats for you and your significant other to attend to better your communication. Locate anger management workshops. Find a hobby. Learn to appreciate something you never have before. Nature, art, music, and travel are a few things that bring me joy. If you have been trying for years to change others in order to make yourself happier, the lesson is that you must change you in order to gain new perspective. As Oprah said, “Transformation doesn’t happen unless you’re willing: It’s your choice. This year I’m choosing to live beyond my wildest dreams.” So if it is a little bit more difficult than usual to get an appointment with us, please be patient. We are learning to grow beyond our wildest dreams. Treat your body and your spirit well.