Why do we do what we do?
This is absolutely the most important starting place. Period. Why do we do what we do? Why do we not do what we want to do? There is always a why – a belief that drives our actions. The reality is that we are often not consciously aware of the belief(s) that drives that action. Every choice we make has its roots in some kind of belief – some fantastic, others, maybe not. Examples include: the food we eat, the books we read, the people we’re friends with, the shows we watch, the clothes we wear, the way we steward our financial resources and perhaps the most telling: how we speak to one another, especially when there’s a disagreement.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
Here’s a practical example: Regular body movement and exercise is essential for health. If we believe that’s true, we make it a priority to move ourselves daily to give us the best opportunity to heal and by fully alive. If we think it’s a good thing, but not truly essential for optimal health, exercising is really only for those trying to lose weight or get stronger. Many people are motivated particularly around the New Year because of the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions. The reality is that many of the resolutions will fade because the belief didn’t change. The only thing that changed was a temporary commitment to a new action.
So what?
Now let’s talk about how your chiropractic care fits into your life. Many people walk walk in our door with a symptom, or many, that they want to get rid of. I used to think that was fairly superficial because we know there is so much more to your health and healing than presence of absence of a symptom. What I’m realizing is that there is still a very important ‘why’ behind even that level of health. You want to feel better so you can get a good sleep, be comfortable at work, have better relationships, be able to pick up your kids without pain and not have debilitating digestive cramps after every meal you eat.
You need to have a bigger ‘why’
We want everyone that we help to feel better and be pain free. Part of our responsibility, though, is to show you an even bigger ‘why’. What do you dream of doing, having or being in 5, 10 or 20 years from now? Will your current lifestyle choices and level of health give you the opportunity to reach those goals/dreams/visions? How important is the health of your spine and nerve system to getting you there? When we decide to make positive changes in our lives, we need to start with ‘why’. A couple years ago a friend of mine said he wanted to quit smoking. I asked him how big his ‘why’ was. When he realized his motivation for quitting was so he could be a great dad to spend lots of healthy years with his son, the process of quitting took on a whole new purpose, and he quit smoking.