As the hectic holidays come to an end and the beginning of a new year lies before us, a unique perspective can unfold. This time of year invites a certain level of contemplation. If you are like me, you are looking forward to the promise of the next year even as you marvel at how quickly this last year passed. Even more so, I try to look at things from a higher vantage point. How is my life going? I check and see how well my goals lined up with how things actually unfolded. I reevaluate future goals to make sure they are realistic and that I’m still congruent with them. And I’ve learned, in all this, I have to take care of myself.
It is a well-worn adage that so many people spend health gaining wealth, and then have to spend their wealth to regain their health. That applies to chiropractors as well if we are not careful.
While goals are about freedom and expanding our life’s purpose, ill health can become prison bars that keep us from fulfilling that potential. Certainly many people, due to health issues, may be bedridden or severely limited. So many of us more, however, are the walking wounded. We are limited in more subtle ways. The aches and pains, headaches and tensions that compel people to come see me for relief do impact all aspects of their lives. They affect productivity and they affect relationships. The psychological and emotional stress of our lives can have physical repercussions. Those physical repercussions can then in turn add more emotional and psychological stress.
As a chiropractor, I try to break that cycle. If you think about it, we all go into the new year carrying a backpack full of rocks that symbolize the various stresses that hold us back. If I can take out a couple of those rocks for my patients, they can go into the new year lighter more able to fulfill their potential.