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

Different Doctors, Different Focus

March 11, 2012 by

and Focus determines Results

 

One of the most important determinants of success in any endeavour is focus. We tend to attract what we focus on and the more we focus, the more it grows. Our success requires focus. This is why it is important that the doctors, coaches, advisors and fiduciaries we work will possess a focus that is consistent with the results we are looking to achieve. When what WE want is very different from our doctor’s (or any other advisor) the outcome often leads to frustration, disappointment, and failure.

 

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to give a lecture to trainer Tom Irvine of Quest Personal Training Studio’s fitness class at St. Lawrence College. I have been speaking and demonstrating NSA for his classes for years. This time, I chose to speak less about what I do and more about the different approaches in chiropractic and what the differences were. After all, I did not want to turn a potential future chiropractor off of the profession if they were not personally interested in MY focus in practice.

With so many techniques and systems within chiropractic, the best way to break down our differences was where we place most of our focus. I defined 4 distinct groups:

1. Pain and symptom treatment focus. These chiropractors aim to ‘fix’ your pain and symptoms and do so as quickly as possible. Success is defined as the pain going away and treatment is focused on achieving that goal.

2. Pain and symptom prevention focus. These doctors feel that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure so focus more on stopping problems before they happen. This may be in the form of regular ‘maintenance’ care and prescribed exercises. Success is a lower frequency of problems in the future. A doctor in this group may sacrifice the quick ‘fix’ of a symptom to ensure an injury more fully heals to prevent a future flare up.

3. Optimizing function focus. While pain and symptoms may be addressed, the focus is on getting your body functioning at its’ optimum. This may include optimal movement, immune system function, and in the chiropractor’s case definitely optimal nerve function. This doctor recognizes that pain and symptoms can be a part of a well functioning body so will not treat them at the expense of the whole. Often, these chiropractors are “subluxation-based” and recommend regular check-ups to ensure being in tip-top shape.

4. Evolving strategy focused. These doctors recognize that a living human is not a static entity and that there is an opportunity for everyone to develop new strategies for health and life. They know that once function is optimized, there is still another level to go. There is no ceiling to our potential for awareness, adaptability, resourcefulness, vitality, and happiness. The goal of these chiropractors is to help their practice members develop never-ending refinement. They also recognize that new physical strategies can impact our emotional, mental and spiritual lives. These doctors see pain and symptoms as a calling for more awareness and new strategies, not something to do battle with.

 

Of course, most chiropractors do not fit into only one of these categories. They do, however have one in which they place the most focus. One is not better than the other but they will definitely get different results. In my experience, when you start to take care of optimal function and evolving strategies, the symptoms often take care of themselves.

The great thing is that you get to choose which one fits best for you. A great way to find out what your doctor’s focus is to ask them what their highest vision for you in care. This also applies to any other coach or advisor you employ (a financial advisor focused on getting you out of bankruptcy will get very different results than one focussing on building your legacy for generations to come)!

Make sure your doctor’s focus is consistent with yours. What I look for in any coach is someone who is a little bit beyond me. Someone who will stretch me just beyond my comfort zone and makes sure I am learning something new. If you can identify your health focus above I would encourage you to choose a doctor 1 level past it.

 

 

“The more presence and congruence you possess, the less force is required in any endeavour”

–       Dr. Donny Epstein

 

 

2011 – The Year in Review

December 27, 2011 by

and What is To Come in 2012

In the past I have reserved the last article of the year for listing all that I am grateful for. This is a great exercise and one that I planned on for this year as well. Having plenty of time over the past few days, I realized that something was causing me to put off the article. It wasn’t that we did not have lots to be grateful for – just the opposite. After quite a bit of thought I realized that in my own evolution I have become much more able to experience gratitude in the moment and that reflecting back to do so has become irrelevant. In fact, it would only serve to detract from being present with what is happening now and what must change in the future.

So, this article will be more about Gault Family Chiropractic’s vision for 2012 and the part I will be asking you all to play in support of that vision.

Recently, my staff and I created what is called a catalyzing statement for the practice. This is a statement that not only motivates, but directs all decision making within an organization. Our catalyzing statement is:

To make Cornwall and area the leader in sustainable, transformational health care.

 

I recently shared this with a group of ambitious and successful chiropractors I regularly meet with on the phone. The one member familiar with our fair city audibly gasped at how big a job this will be. I totally agree and that is why I know it is possible. Great people and great organizations who truly change the world always find a way to use their darkness and wounds to create unprecedented healing and light – and this is my exact plan. From great challenge comes great opportunity.

For this to happen, my focus must shift. Over the past 10 years I have focused my efforts on building one of the top NSA practices in the world and delivering clinical care at the highest level possible. This will not change, however it is not enough.

The fact is I cannot personally look after everybody in town. Even if I were to hire several amazing doctors to work with me, our reach would still be limited to a relatively small demographic. While in my opinion, receiving Network care, doing facilitated SRI and having personal Reorganizational Healing coaching is the most powerful and efficient way to create strategies for sustainable and transformational health and wellness, it is certainly not the only way.

This year we will be creating more of a community not only within Gault Family Chiropractic, but also outside it. We will provide strategies and support for those who will never receive our care. This may be in the form of community workshops, online powerpoint presentations, videos, books and articles. Some of my more advanced practice members have already stepped up into a leadership role by inspiring people (such as Rachel Wolff’s book of photos and words you can see HERE) outside the office and I will be calling on and facilitating more to do so.

We have an opportunity to make this community a healthy, vibrant and amazing place that can inspire the rest of the world. Our society and culture are in for some chaotic years and only people, organizations and populations with the awareness, flexibility and resourcefulness to rapidly adapt and shape their future will thrive.

Governments cannot give us this. Large corporations cannot give us this. We must do it one person at a time. I am willing to lead when required, but it will take each one of you to be an epicentre of transformation. We can do this.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of my life this year! Thank you for reading these articles. Thank you for helping me, whether it was as a supporter or a challenger. Together, 2012 will be even better than 2011!

Stay tuned for our series of articles on Making 2012 the Best Year of Your Life, starting next week and our complimentary workshop of the same name right after I return from the Advanced NSA seminar in Denver, on Tuesday January 17th at the office and Wed. January 18th at Caveman Strong. Make this the year you finally keep your resolutions and achieve the results you deserve. Phone the office or gym to register.

 

 

« Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. »
Dale Carnegie

 

 

 

How Adaptable are You?

October 10, 2011 by

The Bane of Thorin

I have a confession to make. I am a horrible flag football player! My teams routinely finish at or near the bottom of the league each year. While I rarely play quarterback these days I believe I am one of the losingest at that position in the history of Cornwall Men’s flag football.

Here is the thing though – I shouldn’t be horrible. I run faster than all but the fastest. I can throw the ball as far and hard as just about anyone. I am very well coordinated. What do I lack? Adaptability! When things don’t go as planned, when the game changes, when there are too many variables I don’t adapt so well and things fall apart.

Life is More Important Than Sports

Let’s forget about sports for the moment. How adaptable are you in your life? How do you respond when things get stressful? How does your life go when a wrench is thrown into your plans? What happens when there is a challenge in your health, job, family, finances or relationships?

Adaptability = Success

Adaptability, in my opinion is the greatest indicator of wellness and success in any endeavour. Take an inventory of areas of your life you are successful and not so successful in. I bet you will see that adaptability leads to success and a lack of (rigidity) leads to failure, pain and frustration.

1st Be Present

So, how do we become more adaptable? First, we must be aware in the present moment. What is the reality – NOW. Until we know what IS it is impossible to change it for the better. In level one of Network care we help people to become more aware of how their body is and has responded to the stresses of life.

Response-Ability

Once we become more aware of the present we must have the flexibility to respond by changing our approach. This is called having more resourcefulness. Two people can have identical resources available to them, but the more adaptable individual will create more options with them. In level 2 of Network care, research has shown that the nervous system actually becomes more highly organized, indicating an increase in RESPONSE-ABILITY.

What is at Stake

A loss of adaptability can create major health problems. Life can be stressful and to be healthy we must be able to adapt to those stresses. Stress posture and physiology can become stuck in our bodies if we do not successfully adapt. This can result in a rigid, inflexible body prone to musculoskeletal injuries and pain. It also leads to a loss of digestive system function, immune response, high blood pressure and pulse rate. Worse yet, chronically high levels of stress hormones can cause weight gain, irritability and yes, even early death!

Body and Mind

The loss of health is not only physical. Sustained stress physiology makes it harder to think clearly, learn, be creative, calm, peaceful and have healthy relationships. It also hampers (if there was any doubt) your life enjoyment.

Our nervous system is how we interact between the outside environment and our inside reality. You can only be as adaptable as your nervous system is aware and flexible. NSA is a great way to boost your adaptability and succeed in any area of your life (except maybe flag football)!

“You can become blind by seeing each day as a similar one. “
Paulo Coelho

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