2013 – A Peek at What is Coming

January 15, 2013 by

Last week we reviewed and celebrated all of the incredible accomplishments, events and milestones at Gault Family Chiropractic in 2012. In this article I will give you a peek at what will be new and exciting in 2013.

The first and most exciting announcement I have to make is that effective April 29th, Gault Family Chiropractic is changing its name to Nexus Chiropractic! We made this decision for several reasons, including that we are looking to add another doctor to the practice and it would not be fair for them to practice in an office with my name. We are very excited about this change and will be unveiling our new logo, letterhead, cards and signs between now and April.

At GFC our focus is Neurospinal Restructuring Technique with the goal of reducing and correcting Neural Resistance which is essentially like having your nervous system out of tune like a guitar or piano string. When the nervous system is out of tune it can lead to a variety of secondary conditions such as back pain, headaches, poor posture and even a change in mood.

In addition to providing world class clinical care in the office to address that Neural Resistance, I am always on the look-out for ways to complement our care to make it more sustainable for our patients. Early in 2013 we will be adding 2 new programs to provide you with that support.

First, Tyler Touchette, owner and head trainer of Caveman Strong has offered to give movement workshops in the office to small groups each month. Tyler has been studying with some of the world leaders in movement and has put together a ground-breaking program in his gym that produces profound results for all ages. Poor and restricted movement patterns affect almost all aspects of our lives and without proper movement, correction of Neural Resistance is more difficult.

Next, I have recently discovered an excellent posture exercise program that we will be teaching patients to further support their Neural Resistance correction. Stay tuned for both workshops. Registration and dates will be posted shortly.

I am also in the process of revising our Discover Workshop with a more efficient format and updated information. Even if you have attended one in the past, now would be a great time to do a refresher. The next discover workshops are Jan. 14th and Feb. 5th.

I am very excited to announce the addition of a brand new advanced program to our twice a year Clear Day schedule. On Friday, January 25th we will be holding our first ever Breakthrough Evening Program. This will be an intensive evening done in a small group (10-12) and will consist of 2 advanced entrainments with me, integrated SRI and all workshops conducted by me. This is the most advanced program we have ever offered that will not only boost your care, but be applicable to real life transformation. The January event is already full so stay tuned for future evenings.

I will be speaking to 3 outside groups in the New Year. In February I will presenting to personal trainer extraordinaire, Tom Irvine’s fitness class at Saint Lawrence College. Later in the month I will speak as a part of the Encore Senior’s program on the meaning of pain. In March I will be keynote speaker at the Arbor House’s Interesting People series in Vankleek Hill (which means I only have two months to become an interesting person)!

This article is a part of the weekly articles I have been writing for over 8 years and we have decided to change things up a bit. Starting soon I will instead be producing a longer, multi-article monthly update. In addition I will continue to blog shorter posts more frequently. Together the blog and update will provide even better support to your health and care in our office.

Finally, I am excited to announce that in conjunction with the Association for Reorganizational Healing Practices (ARHP), of which our office is a Quantum Member we will be setting up a community project to assist and provide care to those less fortunate and in need. We may require some volunteer help from within the practice so please keep us in mind. I will update you on detail as soon as they are set.

This is what we all have to look forward to and more. Thank you so much for your trust and support which allows Adele, Cindy, and I to continue to search and implement new and better ways to serve you. We love our jobs and plan on 2013 being the best year yet.

 

Don’t forget that our Best Year of Your Life Workshop is Jan.29th at 7pm, which is also open to guests. Sign up at the front desk.

 

On Thursday, Jan. 17th I will be in Denver attending the advanced technique seminar. Dr. Tony Sandorfi of Ottawa will be entraining in my place. Dr. Tony is an excellent practitioner who entrains at our Clear Days.

2012 – The Year In Review

January 7, 2013 by

2012 was a great year for Gault Family Chiropractic and its’ practice members and we have some incredible things in store for 2013. As you know, over our 12 years of practice we constantly learn new things, refine our care and evolve both our clinical skills and service to you in the office. We are currently in the midst of another such evolution as we have many exciting things we will be unveiling in the new year.

Any time changes are taking place, it is important to know EXACTLY where you are coming FROM. You can’t leave a place you don’t know you are at (someone really smart said something like that)! There is no better time to assess where we are than at the start of a New Year, so in this article I will highlight 2012 at Gault Family Chiropractic. Next week I will give you a peak of what is ahead in 2013.

BTW…I recommend doing this with yourself with any part of your life that is important to you (health, finances, relationships, etc.).

Since the office opened in 2000, one of the things that has set us apart is the support we provide our practice members through coaching and workshops that help people to take what they gain through our care and apply it to their lives. 2012 was no different as we continued with our regular workshops and SRI coaching while adding a completely new quarterly program called The Fireside Chat. The chat is a more advanced workshop with a short presentation by me followed by opening the floor for questions and conversation including hands-on demonstrations. Our first two chats have been a huge hit and have been lots of fun for everyone. Our next Fireside Chat  will be March 26th.

    As per tradition we started 2012 with our Best Year of Your Life workshop in January to kick off your year right and we will be starting 2013 the same way on Jan. 29th. This workshop is NOT to be missed.

Many of you know that when it comes to clinical care, I am obsessed with delivering high quality. We focus on NSRT (NeuroSpinal Restructuring Technique) with the goal of correcting Neural Resistance and I take that goal very seriously. It is for that reason we invest a tremendous amount of time and energy (and Air Miles) continuing to refine our skills. NSA is one of the tools I use to achieve this and in 2012 I attended both the Advanced NSA seminar and The Bridge program in Denver and had the opportunity to study closely with system developer Dr. Epstein.

In addition, in 2012 I studied some new complementary tools our practice members can learn to reduce Neural Resistance and we will be expanding the use of these in 2013.

Over the years we have realized that we are more than just a chiropractic office. Our practice members become a part of our family and sometimes our office becomes like a second home. For that reason we made a lot of ‘home’ renovations to make our physical space more inviting and conducive to promoting your health. More will follow.

While I never wanted to be a product ‘pusher’ (and am still not) we realized that many of our important complementary recommendations for supplements and other things were not being carried out due to lack of availability. It is for that reason we expanded our product line to high quality fish oil, vitamin D and probiotics, as well as EMF fighting Q-link products and spine supporting pillows. All of these products are personally used by myself and my family and are an excellent way to support your care by reducing Neural Resistance.

2012 was also a year that my profile as a speaker and coach outside of the practice took off. In October I was honoured to be one of the headline speakers at Cornwall’s 2nd annual BizFest where I spoke about the same principles we teach in the office and how to use them to face adversity in life and business. I also continued to run the first year coaching, tutoring and practice evaluation program for X-CELS – an international company teaching chiropractors around the world. I love working with this program because it allows me to have an impact not JUST in my community, but internationally as well.

Of course many other things happened in 2012, but in a nutshell, this is where we are at. Lots to celebrate and so much more possible. I am even more excited to share what we have in store to serve you even better in 2013! Stay tuned for next week’s article.

Happy New Year!

How I Stay Healthy During Cold/Flu Season

October 23, 2012 by

Karma can be a funny thing. At this time last week my plan was to write the article I am working on right now – about how I stay healthy while so many people are walking around (or laying in bed) with colds or the flu. Guess what happened? I woke up that morning with a fever, a sore throat, runny nose and a body that ached all over. I had the flu! Couldn’t very well write that article, could I?

So, I got my boys ready for school, dropped them off and when I got home – feeling like hell – I wrapped myself in warm clothes, climbed under a mountain of blankets and slept for 2 hours.  When I awoke I felt as good as new and went on to have a productive day. That was my experience with the ‘2 hour’ flu!

When I share this story with people they think it is impossible. I can tell you that this has been my experience from time to time. What has allowed me to bounce back so quickly from these illnesses is exactly what can help you to stay healthy this fall and winter while the people around you falter.

First, let me say that the reason I experienced those symptoms in the first place is that I had not been following my own advice. I had spent the weekend eating not the best diet. I had also been very busy working on some new projects and looking after my boys solo as my wife was working out of town. I was not sleeping well or enough. In a nutshell, I just wasn’t taking proper care of myself. Why is this important? Connecting my lifestyle with my ‘sickness’ allowed me to stop, pull up my socks and get it together. Here is what I do to stay healthy at this time of year.

Minimize Sugar and Grains. This is one of the most important steps in staying healthy at any time of year. Sugar and grains have a detrimental effect on the immune system and leave us susceptible to colds and the flu. They also lead to systemic inflammation, acidic pH levels, weight gain and chronic disease. Most of your diet should consist of grass fed meat, organic eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables. I buy most of my meat locally from Peasant’s Craft Farms.

Supplement with Vitamin D3. Most northerners are deficient in vit. D – especially when the weather gets colder and our skin is not exposed to lots of sunlight. Optimal vit. D levels are essential to a strong immune system (among many other benefits). If you are wary of supplementation, have your levels checked by your GP or naturopath. Vit. D is inexpensive and we carry an excellent product that my family personally uses.

Get High Quality Sleep. I am not a believer in many of the current sleep recommendations. It is my belief that if you are living a healthy lifestyle you probably do not require as much sleep as the average person. That being said, sleeping WELL is crucial to being healthy and strong. I find regular exercise to be the most important factor in sleeping well. Having a pre-bedtime ritual, dealing with stress, and certain supplements may assist also. Whatever it takes, make sure you are getting a good night’s rest.

Fish Oil. After vit. D, this is my favourite supplement. Our western diet has thrown our Omega-6 :3 ratios way off course. I believe everyone should be supplementing with a high quality fish oil supplement.  Quality is extremely important to avoid heavy metal contamination. There are several places to get good fish oil and we carry an excellent brand.

Get Entrained. This is the cornerstone of my healthy lifestyle and the reason I drive to Gatineau every  Wednesday for 2 NSA entrainments. Physical, mental and emotional stresses affect us all, and if they become locked as defense posture or physiology our immune system will become compromised. NSA is the best way I know of to not only release this tension, but use it to transform our body and health. NSA also helps me to sleep well, exercise more effectively and has been shown to help people make better lifestyle choices. For me, Network care is the piece of the puzzle that makes all others fit together perfectly.

Don’t treat symptoms. I know this sounds strange. Last week, what if I had taken some cold medication to lessen my sore throat and runny nose, taken a pain killer for my body aches, and an anti-pyretic to bring down my fever? Sure, I could have gone about my day as planned, but what would the ultimate outcome have been? No, I listened to my body and responded in a way that maximized its’ ability to heal. What seemed like a miracle recovery was just a result of listening to my symptoms instead of attacking them. Try it out and see what happens.

Obviously there are many others things you can do to be and stay healthy and I recommend you research them on your own. Starting with these 6 steps will have a major impact on your health and help you to avoid being one of the masses suffering this season.

 

Why I Drive 3 Hours Every Week for My Chiropractic Care

September 10, 2012 by

I would like to preface this article by emphatically stating that I am in NO way commenting on the quality of the other chiropractors in my community. In fact, I think Cornwall is lucky to have a nice complement of chiropractors who do good work. I frequently refer potential patients and practice members to other chiropractors if their goals do not match the objectives of my office. Okay, on with the story.

This past Friday I hurt my neck during an Olympic weightlifting training session. No big deal, but it left me with a stiff neck that I could not turn very well and moving a bit like the Frankenstein monster. I was running some errands yesterday and ran into an acquaintance who commented that I looked kind of stiff for a chiropractor and we joked that it would be difficult for me to adjust myself.

I realized in that moment that I had not even considered phoning another chiropractor in town to get care. It had not even crossed my mind. The reason that I am writing this article is that I think most people would find it very strange that a chiropractor wasn’t seeking chiropractic care for himself after injuring his spine. I will tell you why.

First of all, I do not use chiropractic care as a reactive tool. My sore, stiff neck does not mean that my body isn’t healing. I had 265 pounds of weight crash a little too hard onto the front of my shoulders – some pain is understandable. In fact, the pain and stiffness restricting my range of motion are probably exactly what my neck needs to heal quickly and fully. Why would I want to get rid of that?

Why am I so confident that my body is healing well, even while I am in pain? In addition to taking good care of my health, I see my chiropractor in Gatineau for 2 entrainments every week. I have been doing this for 11 years. Because of this, I heal better than last year, and the year before that, and the year before that.

So why do I take every Wednesday afternoon off from the office, get in my car, fill up with gas, sit in Ottawa (the most inefficient drivers in the world!) traffic, pay big city chiropractic prices and wait in a busy reception room? All of this when I could probably drop in to an office down the street, be out in 10 minutes and have it all done for free. As I mentioned earlier, it is not because the doctors in town aren’t good – they are.

The reason that I go to all of the hassle and expense for my care is that what I want from my care is NOT to react to health challenges. What I want is to develop ever evolving strategies to live a healthy, happy, adaptable, and a forever increasing quality of life. I want reorganization, NOT restoration. Network care is the only health care system I am aware of that has this as a direct objective. If I ever find anything better at creating this result I promise I will learn it and provide it.

As a side effect of this care, I do have fewer occurrences of pain and disease, and heal much faster when they do arise. Bonus!

It is my belief that most people hunger to reorganize, step up, and evolve yet settle for comfort because they don’t think the former is possible for them. People want a life that becomes richer, fuller, healthier and more vibrant with each passing year yet don’t take the steps to achieve it. You can.

In any endeavour in life, be sure your actions, effort and the people you work with support your highest vision for what is possible.

 

 

 

“People don’t know that pain can lead to something GREAT. If they did they would not try to kill it.”                     Donny Epstein

 

September is Transform Time

September 4, 2012 by

As told in the Book of Ecclesiastes and later made popular by The Byrds’ version of the song Turn, Turn, Turn!, there really is a time for everything. One of the great lessons I have learned as I have become older – and hopefully a bit wiser – is that life is not about pushing all of the time.

With the seasons come different actions, different routines, and a changing focus. For most people, summer is a time of rest, relaxation, indulgence, socializing, and fun. This is great because it actually prepares us for the next season of autumn – which surprise – starts today!

September marks the beginning of transform time. Transform means taking massive action, making progress, getting results, and following a plan or routine. The transformation we make over the next several months will be what we celebrate at Christmas and the New Year.

So, starting today, how can you maximize the results you will achieve this season? Here are some tips to make sure you transform to the fullest this autumn.

The first step is to Decide what you want. In what areas of your life must you make progress in? Perhaps your career, finances, relationship, or hobby require some transformation? Certainly health is a huge area for most people after a summer of beer and burgers. Make a list of 3-7 areas of your life that need an upgrade.

Now, for each area write down what your progress will look like. Here is the key: make sure that what you write down is in the positive. So, instead of focusing on ‘losing’ weight, phrase it as ‘gaining’ leanness, vitality, health or the ability to fit into size x jeans. Write these down now.

The next step is to come up with a Plan to achieve the results you have committed to. One of the best ways to do this is to model someone who is already getting those results. If you want to be healthy, find the healthiest people you know and model their behaviour, focus and structure. Once you decide what changes you will make, it is essential that you write your plan down and schedule it. In my experience, weekly planning is the best way to incorporate any changes into your life.

The last step is the one that most often causes failure. The final and most important step is Action. It doesn’t matter how inspiring your goals are, or how well laid out your plans are, without massive and consistent action you will never get there. You must act and you must do so with pig headed determination (thank you Chet Holmes)! The practice members who get the greatest results in my office who become more healthy and adaptable every year are those who commit and follow through. Likewise, the chiropractors I coach who get the greatest results in their practice commit and take massive action. If you are not going to take action, save yourself the disappointment and don’t even start this process.

 

Do yourself a favour and make the most out of the season of fall by really creating some transformation in your life. Think about good it will feel to celebrate all of your progress in a few short months. When it comes to transforming both your health and life, I know of no better support than Network care. Our office will be holding several workshops over the next few months to help people take the next step. If you are reading this in another community, feel free to contact me for a practitioner close to you.

 

To close, a quote from peak performance and transform master Tony Robbins.

 

“Network Spinal Analysis and Somato Respiratory Integration, Donny Epstein’s revolutionary methodologies, are amongst the most powerful sources of personal transformation I have ever experienced or seen. They produce embodied and empowered strategies that are both sustainable and enjoyable for enhanced human resourcefulness and wellness.” I am stronger, more inspired, creative and healthy because of this work. It has personally and professionally helped me to maximize my ability to contribute to others.”Anthony Robbins

 

The Top 3 Reasons Most People Are NOT Healthy

August 30, 2012 by

It is my belief that deep down, everyone wants to be healthy. On top of that a tremendous amount of time, energy, money, and resources are spent on health related endeavours. Just pick up a newspaper, turn-on a TV, eaves-drop on conversations in Tim Horton’s, or take a good look at your last tax bill. We are a society obsessed with health!

Clearly, whatever we are doing is NOT working. People are sick, in pain, lacking energy and vitality and are medicated to the gills. They are also frustrated. The situation of our children is even worse. Why is this happening? There are some very simple, yet all pervasive societal mistakes that have led us to our current situation.

1. We are not clear on what we want. I have worked with thousands of people in my office over the past 12 years. When I ask new patients what they want from care, most will tell me they want some sort of relief – from pain, symptoms, disease, anxiety, depression – whatever. This is almost NEVER true! After a few questions it becomes clear that they don’t care that much about the pain or symptom – they care greatly about the impact it is having, or may have on the future on their lives.

What they really want is to be able to participate fully in life. To work, to play, to have fun, to love, to support their families, to interact with people, to grow, to contribute. They want to be healthy and happy! Fortunately, NSA care works to help the person become more adaptable and resourceful as an objective – pain and symptoms often improve as a side effect. Sometimes the patient or practice member’s quality of life improves so much that they don’t care about their symptom because they are too busy living life!

It is important to know what we want before making decisions in any endeavour. Marketers have done a great job in convincing us that relief equals health. I am here to tell you that is bull$#%. Know the outcome you want. This brings us to our next reason most people are not healthy.

2. We sacrifice health for relief. Following reason #1 this is no surprise. Assuming that a pain, symptom or disease is a sign that something is off with your health, wouldn’t it make sense that your next step would be to focus on your health and not the symptom? How many common, accepted treatments focus on your health? If you have a headache and take a pain killer are you getting healthier or sicker? If you have your gall bladder removed, are you healthier after?

Studies show that the more “treatments” you receive, the faster your quality of life will decline – even if the procedures are successful.

The next time you seek treatment for anything, ask yourself if it will add or detract from your overall health. Obviously there are times when we may choose a health harming treatment in order to save our lives – this makes perfect sense and I recommend it. For most people however, these are emergencies that may occur a couple of times in our lives. Otherwise seek out interventions that ADD to your health on a regular basis. Better yet, focus on building health and vitality whether you have a problem or not. This leads to our final reason.

3. We don’t take action. Being healthy requires healthy action. Being wealthy requires actions of the wealthy. Great relationships require great relationship action. Most people do not consistently take healthy action and therefore most of the population is unhealthy.

It is my belief that one of the most deadly ideas in our country is that health care is free. Subconsciously this is often processed as health is free. This single idea has ruined millions of lives. YOU are responsible for the health of yourself and your family regardless of what challenges may be present. You must have a plan and you must carry it out.

Where you focus your time, money and energy will determine your health and quality of life. Trying to get healthy by avoiding disease is like trying to get rich by avoiding bankruptcy. Focus on your health.You are worth it and so are your loved ones.

If you are one of the many people frustrated with your health and happiness, it is never too late. First, get clear on the highest outcome you hope to achieve. Then seek out ways you can get there. Finally, take massive and consistent action. You will be there before you know it.

 

 

« Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people. »
Spencer Johnson

 

 

Happy 12th Birthday, Gault Family Chiropractic!

August 14, 2012 by

I decided to delay the final article of the Winning the Game of Life series to celebrate the 12th birthday of Gault Family Chiropractic! The time has flown so fast that it hardly seems possible that 12 years have passed. So, in this article I will share some of the history and evolution the practice has undergone.

Gault Family Chiropractic officially opened its’ doors on August 14th, 2000 after I had graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa in February of that year. Our first location was in the former gas station at the corner of 5th and Marlborough streets (now a methadone clinic)! At this time I had no children, had not yet re-met my wife and believe it or not hand an almost full head of hair. I also started the office without any staff and did it all myself (very stupid in hindsight).

When I opened the office I had barely even heard of Network Spinal Analysis, let alone have any thoughts of practicing it. Initially, I practiced a very structural (yet specific) system of chiropractic called Gonstead. In fact, I had been the president of the largest student technique club in the world at that time at Palmer and had attended hundreds of hours of professional seminars before I had even graduated. With Gonstead, we did full spine x-rays on almost everyone, and all women were gowned on each visit while men were seen shirtless. Obviously we used a private room at that time.

On the strength of word of mouth and the regular workshops I still give to this day (although I no longer show a VHS recording of a live birth or use big words like ‘histopathology) the practice grew nicely and I hired my first staff member Elsie Craig. Shortly thereafter we were joined by our first co-op student, Amy Main who is still a practice member in the office.

In spite of the growth of the office, early in 2001 I began to become dissatisfied with the long-term sustainability of the results I was getting with my regular patients. They seemed to hit a plateau and stay there. At this time of dissatisfaction and questioning that I happened to hear an interview with Dr. Donny Epstein, the founder of Network Spinal Analysis (NSA), who seemed to have many of the answers I was looking for (and a whole lot more). A month later I was at one of his seminars, he placed me on a table to demonstrate an entrainment and at that moment I knew I had to bring NSA back to Cornwall (even though I didn’t want to)!

Over the next year we transitioned the practice into full NSA, Elsie left to go to teacher’s college and we hired practice member Sandra Hanniman to replace her. The practice grew immensely at this time as I dedicated myself to mastering NSA. By 2006 I had become only the 12th Canadian doctor to achieve the highest level of certification in NSA.

In the winter of 2004 I met massage therapist Matt Beaudette, who was about to open his own practice. He had a vision for a building with a variety of health care practices under one roof. In fact, he already had an accepted offer on 24 Adolphus St. and was looking for a business partner. That was the birth of The Adolphus Wellness Centre that included GFC; several massage therapists, a dietician, naturopath, EFT practitioner and a great psychologist (my wife).

In the fall of 2004 perhaps the event that has had the greatest positive impact on GFC occurred. I hired Cindy Besignano and Adele Gannon as Sandra was moving to Ottawa. They have literally been the backbone of the office over the last 8 years.

In 2009 I began coaching, tutoring, and consulting for other Network Chiropractors as a part of the “X-CELS” program started by my personal mentor, Dr. Pierre Bernier which I feel has given me the ability to have an impact not only in our community but around the world.

Thank you to everyone who has made this possible. We love the work that we get to do and love helping people of all walks of life. A huge thank you to my family who sacrifices so I can be obsessed with improving my work. Thanks to all of the patients, practice members and guests who have trusted us and supported us over the years.

The one thing I can promise is that we will never get stale. We will continue to refine our care, services, and procedures to get better and better. I can promise that on our 24th birthday, we will be light years better than today. Thank you for 12 years of healing, passion, and fun!

 

 

Are You Winning the Game of Life – Part 7

August 6, 2012 by

I know it has been some time since the last installment of these articles – and I do NOT apologize! I have just returned from my family summer holiday and one of the ways I have learned to more effectively win the game of my life is to fully take regular holidays BEFORE I feel like I need them.

So, this week let us look at the 3rd and final solution to YOU winning the game of YOUR life – Structures for Success! We know that successful and happy people set up their lives so that the game is winnable, exciting and effortless. Their schedules and rules for living fully support their awareness and behaviours (see the previous 2 articles). These people surround themselves with people who help them to consistently move forward. They also tend to live PROactively instead of REactively.

One of the most important structures we keep is our time schedule (if you don’t control your time it will certainly control you)! People winning the game of life plan their weeks ahead of time. This includes meals, exercise sessions and down time. Perhaps the biggest difference between successful people and the rest is that they know to schedule time for themselves FIRST (are you listening, moms)! This allows them to be much more effective and productive in everything else they do.

Another crucial – and often overlooked – structure is our physical body. We may not be aware of it, but something as simple as our posture tells the rest of the world so much about us before we even speak. Research shows that poor posture reflects a poor level of general health and well-being. It is also associated with less than ideal emotional states that other people sense whether we are trying to fake it or not. As a chiropractor who has seen thousands of people over the past 12 years it is obvious that optimal posture is essential to a healthy body and mind.

It would help anyone wishing to win the game of their life to consult with a doctor or health professional with the technology to measure and monitor posture over time and understands that posture is as much about our inner experience as our external expression.

Another structure essential to winning the game of life is our relationships. I know, some of you are saying oh sh*@! More than anything else in life, relationships define who we are. We also know that the relationship we have with our own bodies will reflect the relationships we have with others. Be sure to structure your life in a way that nurtures your most important relationships. Remember to focus your efforts on creating growth in relationships, not disaster control.

 

The magic of the solutions of Awareness, Behaviour and Structure is putting them all together. When we do this effectively, winning the game of life truly becomes effortless and fun. I invite you to now go back over the last 3 articles and commit to making at least some of this real. Start small, build the muscles, and then watch your life take off!

Next week we will conclude this series of articles with a guide to finding the right doctors, coaches and facilitators to help you accelerate the winning of the game of life.

 

« If you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. »
W. Churchill

 

 

Are You Winning the Game of Life – Part 6

July 11, 2012 by

Solution #2 – Behaviour!

In the last article we discovered that the people who are winning the game of life are different from those who are not in 3 main areas. These are our solutions to winning the game from now on. The solutions are: Awareness, Behaviour, and Structures. We looked more closely at awareness and gave you ideas to shift your awareness immediately.

This article will examine the behaviours that will set you on the path to winning the game of your life.

How to ACT like a Winner

We know that people who are winning the game of life act and behave differently than those who do not. This is obvious. The first characteristic of their actions is that their behaviours are consciously chosen. They create their own reality as opposed to wait for circumstance to dictate. Also very important, these individuals tend to focus almost all of their action on what they Want, instead of moving away from what they don’t want. Instead of seeking LESS pain, they will take action to create MORE health, vitality, mobility, or strength. Do you see the difference?

Start with the End in Mind

Winners of the game of life also understand that winning is a process and each action they take builds on the next. They make choices with the end in mind understanding that what may seem like a quick fix may hurt them in the long run. They ask, “How will this affect me in 5, 10, 20 years?” How many times have you taken a drug or undergone a procedure for temporary relief, knowing (or maybe ignoring) it was hurting your overall health? How about a little white lie in a relationship? Maybe a credit card purchase that made you feel good at the moment but you are still paying for today?

Start winning your game of life by focusing almost all of your time, energy, and money on actions that consistently increase your health and well-being in all areas of your life.

You ARE what you DIGEST

Winning the game of life also requires action in specific areas. Winning certainly requires great nutrition, however the most successful know that eating high quality food is not enough. You must be able to Digest the great food in order to be of full benefit. This means have balanced enzymes, gut flora and a properly functioning nervous system. It is also crucial to be able to listen to your body regarding food as we are built a bit different.

Move to Win

Daily activity is also essential to winning the game of life. Again, we are all a bit different so including a body awareness discipline is important in knowing what is right for you. Also be sure to include activities that get you out in the fresh air and sunshine.

When you Rest – Be sure you are Resting.

Proper rest is just as important as activity. Most people – while inactive – never truly rest because their body remains in fight or flight mode even when their day is done (and TV makes this worse). Techniques such as NSA and meditation can help you to break this stress pattern so you can truly rest and regenerate. Be sure to include family and friends in your leisure time as well.

Contribute

Perhaps the best way to win the game of life is to use your actions to contribute to others. Contribution is one of only 2 ways humans can be truly and sustainably fulfilled. Make contribution (small or large) a part of your goals and daily schedule and watch your happiness soar.

Grow

The other way humans are truly fulfilled is to grow! This means learning new things and improving and refining skills that are important to you. If you don’t already, find an activity you are passionate about and commit to getting better at it – for life. I recently competed against a 64 year old man in weightlifting. Yes, he finished last, but he was happy because he works on getting better every day!

We all have the same 24 hours in a day – some people create a great life with their 24 hours and others, not so much. It is never too late to make your 24 hours a day epic. Start today by looking at everything you do in a day and a week and asking yourself how you can create an even better present and future. Make decisions like someone who is winning the game of life, and soon you will find that you are one of them.

« Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. »
Da Vinci


Are You Winning the Game of Life – Part 5

June 17, 2012 by

In the 4 part of this series we delved into the traps that keep us from winning in the game of life. Very few people are winning their lives because these traps are the stories (not necessarily true ones) that become justifications and excuses for failure. In this article we will present the Secrets or Solutions to Winning the Game of Life.

How do We Win?

Now that we know what the traps are and how to avoid them, how do we actually win the game? What is the difference between someone who is winning the game of life, compared to most people who just get by (if they are lucky)? After all, don’t we all have the same 24 hours in a day to deal with similar stresses? Why are some healthy, happy, enjoying life and thriving while others struggle so hard?

In researching this topic we found 3 main areas where those who are happy and successful do things differently. Within these areas are the solutions to winning the game of life.

Area #1: Awareness

Area #2: Behaviour (Action)

Area #3: Structures

In the area of awareness, happy and successful people are always cultivating the expansion of their own awareness. They study what others are doing and thus take power and responsibility over their health, relationships, finances and anything that is important to them.

What Time is It? NOW.

These people live in the NOW as opposed to dwelling in the past or future. They acknowledge the reality of what IS without worrying about what might be or fantasizing as a way to avoid the truth. This presence can be cultivated with meditation or exercises such as T’ai chi or Somatorespiratory Integration.

Physical Awareness

Physical awareness is also essential to vibrant health. Being aware of the subtle cues of your body is required to be able to take action for your health before a crisis occurs. This also gives us access to high levels of energy at all times – and couldn’t we all use more of that? Exercises like yoga and dancing enhance physical awareness, as do gentle systems of bodywork and certain forms of chiropractic. In fact, these systems actually have the ability to use pain and stress as opportunities to increase our awareness and energy!

Emotional Awareness

Emotional awareness is equally important to the game of life. Successful people are keenly aware of their emotions and do not run from them even if they are uncomfortable. They understand that the purpose of all emotion is to motivate immediate action and for this reason no emotions are “bad.” Techniques such as EFT, The Emotion Code, and Network Spinal Analysis help us to work with the emotions stored as tension in our bodies. When we become aware of our emotions it frees us to take the appropriate actions, which leads us to our next area of solutions…..which we will continue with in the next article.

Start Now!

In the meantime, start cultivating your own awareness, both physically and emotionally. Notice what is, accept it and then decide on what must come next. If you catch yourself dwelling on the past, worrying about the future or fantasizing as a way to escape the present, pull yourself back to reality and ask yourself, “what is REALLY going on here?” Consider incorporating some of the awareness building practices mentioned (or others) into your daily and weekly routines.

By flexing these new muscles immediately, you will be more than ready to start applying the rest of the solutions we will be presenting in the following articles.

As a bonus for reading this far, here is a very funny video to test your awareness, click on the link below.

Awareness

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