Again, hindsight is 20-20. I realize my training as a coach was enabling me to put language and tools into place to work with people at a deep level of thoughts and beliefs. I began to apply my newly learned language and tools to asking my patients strong and powerful questions. I asked them questions about what was blocking their vital flow or creating physical/health challenge within their lives. Designing workshops and seminars for my patients and local community, all around coaching principles, helped me step into my next role of coaching and guiding people.
Each step of the way I was fortunate to be continually guided by skilled and talented coaches and mentors. Several of these mentors began to ask me to speak and teach more within the Chiropractic profession. The more this happened, the more my ‘next step’ in the journey was revealed. I developed the vitality and love of speaking to accompany my new role. The more I embraced the journey, and continued to do things that brought love and joy into my life, the more the other details and pieces fell into place to allow me to follow my purposeful path. Within the practice, my associate, Dr. Shaelyn Osborn, was ready, willing and able to step-up to take on a role of leadership and ownership of the clinic. I had the support of my family, as well as my family of patients.
The most difficult phase of my journey was departing from hands-on healing. Adjusting and connecting with others at their core level came natural and was innate to me. Once I was able to connect with a very deep level of myself, coaching and leading others in our profession truly enabled me to touch everyone and everything in their lives, including their patients! Becoming a coach enabled me to focus my intention and skills towards seeing greatness in other Chiropractors. There are many days where I see more in others than they are able to see in themselves. Revealing their inner wisdom for them to embrace creates passion and enthusiasm within me, and keeps fueling my vital flame.
Skills For Moving Into My Next Act
Another aspect of vitalism in my life (and probably the most significant) was becoming a charismatic leader. The process first started with me focusing on leading myself – my internal world and my life. Then, I began expressing my inner clarity to the outer world. Based on my core value of authenticity, the expression of my ‘insides’ on the ‘outside’ was extremely important. In the family model my husband Dave and I designed, the same theme flowed naturally with parenting our children. We wanted to lead and inspire our children towards greatness, and encourage their expression of their true selves to the world. In Chiropractic, my role and path is to inspire the next generation of Chiropractic leaders.
To date, my connection to my values has been one of the most essential elements in the plan for my life. My values have connected me to my guiding Principles. These have a flair and flavor very similar to the guiding Principles of Chiropractic. Without guiding Principles we can waiver on even basic daily decisions. With guiding Principles, decisions and directions are inherently natural, and you create a life path that feels uniquely authentic.
I still don’t completely know what the next Act is for me. I do know it is essential to make-way for flow (vitalism in action). Honoring the flow of intelligence by listening and trusting our intuition enables us to express innate through the body and throughout our entire lives. Experiences that bring joy and passion increase this flow. Things that feel heavy and uninspiring decrease our vibration and block the natural flow. By blending right feelings, with right actions, based on right values equals an inspired and vital life. By promoting flow in my life, I have been fortunate to create the opportunity to work with Dr. Joan Fallon and her biotechnology company, Curemark. Joan’s established company and her work with Autism (and other unmet neurological needs) are completely based on a set of values and Principles not only she aligns with, but I align with also. Every day I love what I do, and continue learning an incredible amount. I watch as Joan sets up her company in a unique and inspired way. I call it a ‘soulful’ company, based on values and high standards. And every day we break new ground.
In some ways, I feel each day creates more clarity for me, enabling me to see the thread of connections throughout all of the various things I have done and been involved with in my life. In following the flow and path, I am happier and more satisfied than I ever imagined. Every new lesson reminds me to trust and honor the vitalistic life force within – rather than fighting and controlling, just allow the flow. I listen to the whispers in the wind.
A Vital Life
Vitalism, to me, is so natural and authentic.
I don’t want to leave the impression that living a vital life is easy. None of my own paths has been or felt easy. Yet basing the pieces of my life on the core Principle of vitalism has carried me along a successful journey. Vitalism can be felt and identified – it’s a vibration, an aura, a mojo that people may exude. You might label it as passion, or even enthusiasm, but to me it is vitalism. Did you know the word “enthusiasm” comes from the two little Greek words en and theos? Enthusiasm literally means “God within.” How cool is that? The outward expression of an inner vitalism can literally be a connection to the God within each of us.
My wish is that you may find your path, your authentic life. In sharing my own, I hope to spark your inner greatness.
As my dear friend Dr. Fred Barge would have said, “Enuf said!”
•Stand up and celebrate your uniqueness.
•Balance is an illusion but being in the flow is not.
•We can succeed in spite of ourselves.
•Do less to be more.
•Life is all vibration, at a deep cellular level, and expressing our unique vibration creates a life of authenticity.
•Life is good!
3
It Is Not Just One Thing
Dr. Cecile Thackeray
Health exists when the normally constructed body properly performs its functions. Disease is a condition in which the organs or organism is abnormally related to internal or external influences, which relates to our welfare physically, mentally or spiritually. Disease is, therefore, a general term signifying any variation from the normal either in functions or tissue or both. An alteration of function cannot occur without a corresponding change in the structure of the tissue. It is possible, however, that the structural change in the functionary organ may be so slight as to remain undetected by the most precise method of differential diagnosis known by pathological investigators.
~ D.D. Palmer
I didn’t grow up wanting to be a Chiropractor; instead I wanted to be a pediatric neurosurgeon. Intuitively I knew I never wanted to stand in front of anyone telling them their child did not make it through the surgery. However, I was fascinated by the intricacies of the brain and the ability of it to control and coordinate the billions of functions and actions. How does it work? It was magical, powerful and had an essence all of its own. BUT, what happened when things went wrong? What happened when that communication was broken?
Lucky for me I was being lead in a different professional direction, and was fortunate enough to have experienced and witnessed some great things through Chiropractic. As a matter of fact, it changed my life – although I didn’t know it at the time.
I fell off of a bunk bed at the age of two and proceeded to develop allergies, and osteomyelitis (bacterial infection of the bone marrow) after falling off my bike. Then, at the onset of puberty I started to suffer from serious migraines and could not function for several days at a time. Well, I didn’t appear to have any serious ramifications in the eyes of the