Since 9/11, there has been a tremendous shift in values. No longer does everyone seem so driven to succeed. Instead, we see a new motivation and desire to spend time with family and loved ones in the pursuit of a higher quality of life. This shift in values has been developing for a long time and is the result of what seems like years of lifestyle choices that have compromised people's physical, mental and emotional health, as well as that of their family members.
As Stephen Covey so eloquently stated in The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, it's easy to climb a ladder and rise to the top, but are we sure that's where we really want to be once we get there? You can look at your practice and ask yourself the same question. Is your practice positioned and operating the way you really wanted or intended it to be?
Think about how you are practicing chiropractic today. Is your office functioning as simply a pain-based center or are you teaching your patients about the quality-of-life goals chiropractic can help them achieve? Are you telling them how important and vital chiropractic can be in helping them achieve optimum health and happiness? As you know, chiropractic offers a chance for young children, especially infants, to experience health naturally, without the need for drugs.It also can support proper posture and a healthy spine and nervous system by removing any sort of "nerve compromise" that can create health problems and disease down the road.
It's a fact that as people age, the amount of stress in their lives increases. Without proper avenues for release, stress can accumulate and compromise the healthy functioning of the psyche and body. The nerve system is the natural adaptation mechanism for health and survival. Even the simplest organisms, such as an amoeba, can feel heat through its primitive nerve system and will move away for protection. Our highly evolved human nervous system allows us to respond to our environment on a sophisticated level so we can adapt in an appropriate way.
What makes chiropractic so important is that it gives the body the ability to continue to harmoniously function despite the rigorous demands of our high-stress society. The nervous system can become compromised when it is unable to adapt to stress in a positive way, damaging the protective system itself and resulting in all sorts of sickness and "dis-ease."
Have you ever noticed or heard someone comment on how the health of an older person seemed to go "downhill" really fast? This is what can happen to a nerve and spinal system that is constantly "under attack" from free radials, antibiotic-resistant bacteria and environmental toxins. One of your greatest opportunities as a chiropractor will be to help maintain the health balance of all individuals, young and old alike, despite their exposure to these elements.
It's important that you adapt the model of your practice (with the science and philosophy of chiropractic) in a way that supports these strengthening family values. People who visit your office with their families are coming to you not only for the obvious health benefits, but also because of the "togetherness" and quality of time they will share with their children or parents while they are there. Model your practice to support this burgeoning family environment, and not only will it benefit your patients, but it also will build your confidence that you are contributing to this new value system and making the maximum impact in people's lives.
If you look in the newspaper, you will see headlines shouting a return to family values, spiritual revival and natural healing. Ask your staff to begin clipping these articles. Use them in your human potential talks. Family practice chiropractors around the world are finding that just by embracing and teaching these concepts in their communities, their new patient enrollment has shifted from individual signups of one patient at a time to group and entire family enrollments.
This shift is confirmation that societal values have indeed evolved as chiropractic care and holistic health care models are embraced by families everywhere. You, too, can participate in creating these kinds of models in your community. Be a part of this exciting return to healthy values - and build the family practice of your dreams.
