All healing takes four things—time, repetition, patience, and gratitude

If you are a practice member in my office, Rising Chiropractic, then you have heard me say, “All healing takes three things:  time, repetition, and patience.”  As I reflect on this, I also reflect upon myself and this past year.  As a healthcare provider, I care deeply about the health of my practice members, and as a parent who is also a small business owner, I do many things in my day that pull me in many directions.  I happily do all of these things—sometimes to the detriment of my own fitness.  I had convinced myself that I ran out of time and didn’t have any more to give.  But then I listened to myself tell a practice member, “We all have the same amount of time in our day.  It’s all in how we use it.  You will do what you prioritize…so, what’s the most important to you?”

“Touché,” I said to myself!  So, this year, I set myself on a path of re-prioritizing my time and focusing on those things I truly valued.  My health and fitness are one of my main priorities; not just eating well and working out, but my spine and how my body and life functions as a result of a healthy spine.  I took the time to remember that healing my spine saved my life.  It’s why I changed my life to become a chiropractor.  It’s why I learned to eat in true health on a budget, why I can read a book again, why I got into fitness, why I don’t take a single prescription medication, why I am not on disability, why I now have a beautiful family that I adore.  It’s why I wake up every day with a smile and go about my fitness routine without even giving it a thought.

It didn’t happen overnight.  All of this took time, repetition, and patience.  Twelve years in total.  For some, it takes more time.  Others, it takes less.  But it has taken me the exact right amount of time I needed to be in this place right now.  

As I was meditating this morning, I realized that there are actually four things required for true healing:  time, repetition, patience…and gratitude.  Gratitude for the good things in life.  Gratitude for the trials and challenging times; for the tried and failed solutions.  Gratitude for the path that led you where you are today.  Gratitude for all the sacrifices and investments made in the healing process.  Gratitude for the opportunity to make positive changes for a better tomorrow.

I’d like to take a moment to show gratitude for the journey that I have taken the last 12 years:

• I am grateful for the car wreck that caused my TBI.  Without it, I would still be struggling in a job and place that did not bring me fulfillment.  I would not have the amazing life I have today.
• I am grateful for the loss of my eye function for several years, because now I realize what a privilege it is to read a book whenever I want to.
• I am grateful for the whiplash, because I met a chiropractor who taught me that the chiropractic adjustment was essential to full and complete health.  It is she who inspired me to pursue this as a career and pay forward what she gave to me.
• I am grateful for the gut issues I had because I discovered the importance of eating real food and using that to heal and fuel my body.
• I am grateful for the struggle of learning to run and building muscle in my body.  I have strength and endurance now.  And I have greater goals to elevate me to a higher level of energy. 
• I am grateful for my adjustments and Denneroll to help me maintain the integrity of my spine, and thus the quality of my health well into my golden years.
• I am grateful for Rising Chiropractic and the practice members who place their trust in me.  I get to share my experience, provide access to true healing and health, and make a difference in their lives.  
• I am grateful for my family, who push me and encourage me to beat my best, never settle, and rise above my limitations.

This holiday season, reflect on those four things—time, repetition, patience, and gratitude—and ask yourself, “where would I be without them?”