Many of you outside the NSA practitioner world will not be familiar with my mentors, colleagues, employers, and dear friends, husband and wife team Drs. Pierre Bernier and Christine Bourque of Gatineau, Quebec. Those of you close to me know that there are very few people who have had a greater impact on my life than these two amazing individuals.
The reason I am writing this article now is that this past Friday they were celebrating the 30th anniversary of their chiropractic practice. While I was unable to attend the party, it was an opportunity to reflect on how they have influenced me as both a network practitioner and human being. I cannot possibly express how grateful I am to have known them for the past 11 years.
Pierre and Christine have been my personal chiropractors since 2001, became my coaches and mentors shortly thereafter, and gave me my first job as a coach and consultant to chiropractors in 2008. No one has been a greater influence on my chiropractic career and with the exception of my parents and family has impacted my life more powerfully. For those of you who have been a part of my practice, their signature is literally everywhere.
Pierre and Christine have taught me too many things to document, however I thought this article was a great chance to highlight the most important.
The first thing they provided me was a model for a successful, busy, and fun NSA practice. After having a life changing experience at my first Network seminar with Dr. Epstein in 2001, I started receiving regular care with Pierre and Christine. They were able to take a peak experience and turn it into something real and sustainable. I was absolutely terrified to start practicing this “extraordinary” looking work after being a traditional chiropractor. Without them there is no way I could have made our current practice a reality.
Something else they instilled in me was the importance of clinical excellence. From the time I was a student I was obsessed with technical mastery. This is why I have always travelled to seminars all over the place so often. Pierre and Christine helped me to take this to a completely new level. Every time I think to myself that I am getting great, I attend one of their workshops or Clear Days and have to completely recommit to stepping up my game. This is a gift I can never repay.
Another important attribute Pierre and Christine exude is the desire to contribute their gifts to the world. They are in a position that they don’t NEED to continue to work at the incredible pace they do. They don’t NEED to practice like they always have. They did not NEED to commit a huge amount of time and energy creating a program to help other Network doctors thrive 5 years ago when they saw the need. They do it because they love helping people and this is what they do best (yes, even better than golf)!
The most simple and profound thing I have learned from Pierre and Christine is that you can be supremely generous and ultimately successful at the same time. Honestly, this was a tough one for me. There is no need for further explanation; this is exactly what they are.
Pierre and Christine are not just celebrating 30 years of practice. They are celebrating having a direct, positive influence on tens of thousands of lives, an indirect influence on many, many more, and serving as an example of mastery to so many who touch so many.
There is no way I could possibly repay all you have given to me. All I can hope to do is to continue to follow your lead and work to turn each grain of wheat you have given me into a golden field that will feed all of the cities of the earth (except with bacon, not gluten).
« Any person who contributes to prosperity must prosper in turn. »
E. Nightingale