Fenton chiropractor – Page 20 – We Only Get One Chance

IT’S A MATTER OF THE HEART

It’s a matter of the heart…yet so much more than that. I want to ask you so many questions to see if any of your experiences match up to what is happening in my life right now, however I do not know what questions to ask that would even give a hint about the happenings.

It feels like this…

I have had a full life already…a life of experiences, living in all kinds of places, hanging out with all

Dr Erica Peabody - Its a Matter of the Heart - Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan

kinds of people, doing a ton of traveling and always in search of rich, rewarding experiences which, along the way has lead me to surfing. I am very athletic and though I do not know if I can really call myself a “surfer”, I can say that I have surfed and more than just a few times. When I was growing up, my family and I would travel to Oscoda, MI and rent cabins on the beach for a week every summer. We would play for hours in Lake Huron, well hours as long as the waves were not too high. When I first learned to surf, I had to get over that concept of “if waves get higher than this, it is too dangerous to be in them”. I had to re-learn how to be in the water, maneuver the waves and find peace in the chaos as they crash over me. In order to surf on a surfboard, it was important to have much larger waves than that. So I learned to work “with” the water…

Then, with some help of a dear friend, I was able to learn to get out past the break carrying a very large surfboard with me. It is challenging when this board is at least 3 feet taller than I and I am trying to “woman-handle” this thing out past the crashing point. I lost many, many battles and it was tiring to go against the tide. I was able to get up and catch a few decent waves. With help from another, I was able to learn to read the water and to even allow for the rip tide to assist me in conquering the break. Encouraging words and actions and I gained enough confidence to catch my first HUGE wave. I was such an exhilarating experience to paddle into it, catch it, stand and slide down the face of this monstrous wave. It actually was so exhilarating and my body was in such disbelief I was riding such a big wave that I bailed after just a few seconds. Memorable…for sure.

I haven’t really had much of a chance to actually surf lately, however when I look back on my surfing experience up to this point, it directly correlates with what was going on with my romantic relationship at the time. During our first Cafe of LIFE Book Club meeting of 2012, I drew a card from a stack that was to answer whatever question I had intentions of getting an answer for. I chose to ask about a romantic relationship for 2012. The answer I received was “You have done your work. It is time to sit back and enjoy the ride.” In relating to my surfing analogy, the card said…”You have done the paddling, now just wait for the wave and this time STAY ON THE BOARD AND ENJOY THE RIDE!!!”. Within just a few days from really taking in that notion, I caught a wave…and I have to admit, this has been the wildest, most wonderful and amazing ride of my life! It feels really good to be “going with the flow” of life and seems absolutely effortless.

So tell me…have you witnessed the ebb and flow in different areas of life? Have ever given up fighting the ebb and found yourself in the flow? Have tides unexpectedly changed on you? Have you been swimming with the current or against? I have found that the more I share the intention I have and the direction I want to go, the more life smiles on that. I have turned a corner in my life and have decided, in the poetic words of Eddie Vedder, “I’ll ride the wave, where it takes me!!” We only get one chance in this lifetime…what is in your heart?

BROTHERS

I have told you about my brothers before but I don’t think that I have told you lately how much I love them. We have such a fun, unique relationship now that is pretty rare to find in the world these days. I didn’t always feel this way mostly because while grow Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - Brothers ing up, I found myself on the short end of 3 against 1 on almost a daily basis. We have all faced challenges, have lived full lives and somehow along the way became really close. I think it also helps that 2 of them married some of the most amazing women which have also helped to grow our relationships.

Last night was a celebration of family…well a celebration of the winter season and ice, with a huge helping of family on the side. The four of us balance each other really well. We make each other laugh, help each other out and have a real strong appreciation for what each of us brings to the table. There is a loyalty that is like nothing else on Earth. We all feel really lucky that we have made homes within 10 miles of one another and this lends to some good times together. I am glad we are on this journey together, and though I didn’t always feel this way, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

BEST YEAR YET!!

Happy New Year!!! It has been pretty busy and hectic start to the year…all good things. Over the past couple years, I have spent a little time brainstorming with a few friends about a “theme” for the year. For example “Life is Zen in 2010” or “There Will be 7 in 2011” or “Life is Heaven in 2011”. So we were talking about 2012 and honestly, besides the word “delve”, not much rhymes with 2012. I was working it out and trying to figure out a cool catch phrase for 2012 and…it is just not happening.

So I look back at the past and I ask myself “Was life really ZEN in 2010?” NO WAY!!! What about 2011…”were there 7 in 2011?” Yes there were 7 this and 7 that, but nothing that was significant that pertained to that number. “Was life HEAVEN in 2011?” NOT EVEN CLOSE!!! I was seeing a pattern and I began to think that though it is super cute and catchy to make something that rhymes, maybe the rhyming part was the problem…limiting.

This past Saturday, I spent the entire day at a Women’s Retreat over in Oxford. It was a day for women, all things women, and lots of local practitioners with interesting topics about things that pertain to women and issues surrounding women’s lives. It was a day to escape normal life, hide out in this great little place tucked back in the woods and get reconnected…and I enjoyed every moment of it! It was such great timing with the beginning of the year and such an awesome time to set an intention for the months to follow. So I began to think about this “phrase of the year” thing again. I was eating lunch and writing a short little note to a real special person and it hit me…THIS IS GOING TO BE THE BEST YEAR OF MY LIFE!! It just struck me, just like that and I thought “HOW PERFECT!!!”. Since Saturday, that idea has been stuck in my head and resonating in my being. I had to tweak it a little bit to “2012, THIS IS THE BEST YEAR YET!!!” that way I am open to even better years in the future. Actually I think every year is better and better and I think it is a great time to sit for a moment and be grateful for that fact. Each year reveals to me a little more about me, and the more I know about me, the better.

How about you? Have you set any intentions for the year? What kind of a feeling does 2012 give you? Any plans, moves, changes? Is life how you want it to be or is there something or some role you need to step into? Let’s get going…we only get one chance…lets make it THE BEST YEAR YET!!!

DELIBERATE ACTION

“Hey Erica! There is a sloth right outside our window!” comes from the bedroom of the bungalow I was staying at in Costa Rica. In that particular instance, the girlfriend I was sharing a room with happened to look out the window. It was that particular instance she spotted him, however I am thinking that it is quite possible that she could have looked out at any point that entire morning, and maybe that entire day, and that sloth would have still been there. The

y do not move fast.

I saw a cartoon a few weeks back that this guy had gone to the doctor to ask why he was turning green. The doctor said something like “I would suggest you start an exercise program. You are growing moss!” The sloth is the same way. You cannot see it from this angle however the fur on his back was green, literally growing moss because he moved so slow! The picture you see is taken with my iPhone and though my arm is extended as far as it will go, the picture itself is not zoomed in. This sloth didn’t have a care in the world. We opened our window and then our screen and talked to him, made fake sloth noises (whatever those are), took tons of pictures, made a movie (its a sloth movie and incredibly boring or I would post it) and it is really true, you cannot scare a sloth!

So I sat and watched him. He just hung there, would reach out to grab a branch or a leaf in what looked like a slow-motion movie. I watched him sniff a couple leaves, then open his mouth and bite down on one, then let go of that branch and go back to chewing and hanging around. We had plans that morning which interrupted our sloth-viewing session or I would have stayed and watched for a while. They move so slowly and so deliberately, or so it seems. Their moves seem so well thought out, every millimeter planned and executed with precision. We later learned that they only go to the bathroom once a week and to do that they come down from the trees.

They are interesting creatures and have a rather mysterious feeling about them. I would say there is a real sense of the present-time consciousness when it comes to the activ

ities during their days. There didn’t seem to be much wasted energy on stuff that didn’t matter. It reminds me of moments when I find myself really present. Its that “work smarter, not harder” idea. Be deliberate with your time and energy. Many people walk around in life almost asleep. Have you ever driven your car and arrived at your destination without even knowing what route you took to get there or what you saw along the way? Have you ever finished dinner without even knowing what the food tasted like? Have you ever logged into Facebook, turned on a video game, or sat down in front of the TV and gotten up hours later wondering how 4 hours passed without you noticing?

This sloth reminded me of being present, making conscious decisions, and taking deliberate action. It is the idea of the “herd mentality” and taking a different path then the rest of the pack. I was standing in line and waiting to bathroom before a 5k this past weekend. I was 3rd in line for what appeared to be a full 3 stall bathroom…or full because the doors were shut. After waiting for the rotation of stalls to clear, I began to notice that the 3rd stall was skipping the rotation. Breaking free from the “herd” to deliberately walk up and check to see if the door was locked revealed a free stall. Who knows how long it had been free, however the line could have moved 33% faster if we were being a little more awake, aware and deliberate. Take the next 24 hours and check in with yourself during all the activities you participate in and make sure you are awake and really living life…maybe be a little more “sloth-like” and deliberate. We only get one chance…

DONDE ESTA LA PLAYA??

Most of you know that I spent Thanksgiving in Costa Rica…and many of you are waiting to see some pictures. I am waiting to get some pictures from a friend, however until then, I do have a few to post. The trip itself was amazing! It was 10 full days of great friends, new friends, laughter, great conversation, beaches, a beautiful bride, her handsome groom, great chiropractic adjustments, loads of walking, dancing, a few drinks, great Costa Rican food, lots of monkeys, a few sloths, live salsa music, down time, play time, jellyfish stings, monkey bites (yes, the father of the bride got bit by a white-face monkey), surfing, exercising, boat rides, zip-line canopy tours, great accommodations, amazing service, time for journaling and reading, sun-bathing, swimming in the ocean, kayaking, reconnection, silent contemplation, sleeping, music, shopping, delicious fruit, rain, humidity, crazy frizzy hair, girl-time and sunsets. I am trying to think of all the things I did with my time off and that pretty much sums it up.

Some things that were absent: a set schedule, time commitments, a cell phone, text messages and emails continually following me around, bills, layered clothing, goose down, boots, socks, driving, car that needed gas, laundry (although it was piling up), not many hair products (they didn’t do any good anyways), and negativity was absent as well.

I find it very easy, once I make it on time to the plane, to settle in and get out of my everyday mode. I am grateful for the ability to leave it all behind, however that is made possible largely because I know that my practice is taken care of by my amazing staff and anything that could potentially come up in my personal life, my family would step in and help out. I am grateful for my life and all those that are in it. I am very grateful to be able to step away and have the ability to have amazing experiences with some really awesome people.

I am not one that obsesses about sunsets…it’s not that I don’t love a beautiful sunset, I just don’t necessarily go and seek them out. That all changed while I was there and I am sure you can see the reason for that…absolutely beautiful!!! The area we were in was very hilly, or maybe more like cliffs. The views were absolutely spectacular and these are a few from the bungalow I stayed in and the beach we played at.

SUPER HERO CHRISTMAS

Last night I bought a wimpy Christmas tree. I say wimpy because it is only an 7 foot tree and looks so small. Over the last few years, I have been used to my 20+ foot ceilings and I would get 10+ foot trees because I had just the perfect spot. This year I am back to standard

8 foot ceilings and that is very limiting outside of cutting a hole in the ceiling. One of our favorite couples came into the Cafe this morning and I got laughing so hard as I was reminded me of a Christmas tree incident that happened last year. It goes something like this…

I cannot remember exactly what the evening consisted of, however I know that there was some sort of drama involved that left me feeling a little “run over”. I remember pulling into my garage after midnight with a distressed feeling and ready to go to bed and start the next day new. I walked into my house, set my keys down, kicked off my shoes and was heading upstairs when I noticed that my 12 foot Christmas tree had taken a tumble and many ornaments were smashed on the floor. “Where is that dog?!?!” …oh, right, he is still in his kennel being a good boy. There weren’t any earthquakes so the only one I could blame it on was the little physics wizard inside of me that was on vacation when I put it into the tree stand…apparently off balance. Then my inner comedian chimed in with “If a 12 foot Christmas tree falls in a living room and no one is around, does it make a sound?”

I quickly accepted the destruction and decided since it was already after midnight and nobody is around to help…this is the PERFECT time to remedy the situation. So with one big heave, I was able to get it mostly upright…well upright as long as I was holding it there…but if I was holding it, who is going to re-do the screws in the tree stand so that it won’t tip over again????? BRILLIANT ERICA!!!! Your SUPERWOMAN complex is really getting you into trouble this time around!!! So next decision to make was… 1. Let the tree fall again and go out on a limb and ask for help tomorrow, or… 2. Be grateful for long arms and find some of that SUPERHERO strength and somehow make it happen. Let’s put it this way…you all know which one I chose (I mean really, if you have been following this blog at all, you know me quite well), I dove in waist deep in pine needles, it was a dumb idea, and I was sore for days!!! …and if you do know me, I am sure you can get the visual and have probably let out a chuckle and the ridiculous-ness.

Moral of the story…if you are one person, don’t try to do a two-person job! Learn to ask for help when it is appropriate because helping others is human nature and if you ask, I can guarantee someone will step in and be glad to. Running my chiropractic office, I have people coming in all the time because they tried to do a two-person job on their own. Learn from my mistakes…or just buy smaller Christmas trees!!! ‘Tis the Season!!!

ITS THE TIME FOR GRATITUDE!

Some people on facebook are writing status updates about things they are grateful every day through the month of November up until Thanksgiving Day (the 24th). I decided I would do them all at once this way instead.

1. I am thankful for my health.
2. I am thankful for my family.
3. I am thankful to be living and practicing in Fenton, MI. I love this little town.
4. I am thankful for my practice
5. I have so much gratitude for the amazing staff at the Cafe of LIFE.
6. I am thankful for a clear mind.
7. I am thankful to have buddy Choco, my chocolate lab, in my life.
8. I am so very grateful I have the opportunity to be an aunt.
9. I am over the top grateful for the amazing yoga studio/community I am involved in.
10. I am thankful for good friends, and amazing experiences with said friends.
11. I am so grateful for the ability to travel.
12. I am grateful for all the lessons I learned though my relationships.
13. I am grateful for a special someone who is out there right now…you know who you are:)
14. I am thankful for music and the way it can shift me.
15. I am so grateful for the people that are committed to the Cafe of LIFE Book Club.
16. I am thankful for clothes on my back, food in my belly and a roof over my head.
17. I have so much gratitude for the lady that cleans my house and makes life easier for me.
18. I am grateful to have been born into a HUGE extended family!
19. I am grateful for summer weekends on the lake passing the hours with my family.
20. I am thankful to have been introduced to snow sports at such a young age that has led to my love of winter.
21. I am grateful to have lived in many parts of this country.
22. I am so very thankful for the picture window in my office that overlooks the river.
23. I am grateful for beautiful sunsets out said window and the ones at home.
24. I am grateful for my life…at times I forget how big.

This list could go on and on. What are you grateful for?

THE ANTI-FAN

I attended a football game at Michigan State University this past Saturday “GO SPARTANS!!!”. I love going to the campus, I love being in the stadium and I just love everything about a day of college football. It was the most beautiful day for a football game and we sat in some really great seats…well, great seats to watch the game, not so great seats for one particular fan, or “anti-fan”, that sat behind us. The entire game, this anti-fan shouted out the meanest things. He was a MSU fan and I am pretty sure one that has been attending games for years and years. He was loud, angry, negative and down-right mean. They would do something great and he would be sarcastic with his support. They would do something bad and he would shout something like “WELL WE HAVE GROWN TO EXPECT THAT FROM YOU GUYS!!!” They would start moving the ball down the field and he would act shocked, they would have a turnover and he would go back to his “of-course-that-just-happened” attitude. It was unbelievable that someone would pay money to come to a college football game and knock their team so much…to top it off, he was not quiet about it. His wife was with him and a younger woman sat on his other side…both of them were ultra-quiet…and it went on the entire game.

There are two things I learned from that…1. I am really glad I do not have anyone in my life that is that negative and 2. if you are a fan, BE A FAN!!! There is a saying “You get more bees with honey than vinegar”. If you are looking for positive results, it is important to have a positive attitude. Now some would ask, how much effect could one guy in the stands have on a team that is down on the field? and, does it really matter if one guy is being negative in a crowd of positivity? Have you ever heard the saying “One bad apple spoils a bushel”? I was not letting him effect me on a conscious level, but who knows what he was doing on a subconscious level to my energy, much less everyone else around him. More than anything, if a guy is that pissed off and negative at a wonderful college sporting event, I can only imagine what he is like in a stressful situation. If someone like that is the patriarch of a family, I would wager his negativity infiltrates his family members…and I know for a fact that it is effecting his health.

It isn’t always easy to keep a positive attitude, especially when life seems to be throwing you lemons…but what about that saying “When life throws you lemons, make lemonade”. By writing about this, I am by no means complaining about him. I am hoping to increase the awareness around attitude. When someone asks “How are you?” let’s run through 2 possible answers. “Not bad.” is one possible answer…but “Not bad.” leans towards negative energy. What if when asked how you are, you answer “I am good.” or “I am really great!”. Even just saying those two answers, as compared to the first, really changes the energy of how you are feeling…and in essence changes the energy in and around your body.

How are you spending your life? Where are you focusing your energy? What small changes can you make to shift your perspective in a more positive direction? Let’s start today…we only get one chance to make this the best life possible!

HALLOWEEN

Halloween means 2 things to me…COSTUMES AND CANDY!! The costume part of the 2…pure fun! The candy…a double-edged sword. Candy does a weird thing to me. It is fun to eat, tastes amazing, and releases “feel good” and comforting chemicals in the body. I always have mixed feelings about giving away candy at Halloween…and it mostly has to do with the detrimental effects the sugar has on immune system function. I have settled this battle in my head by giving out caramel apples at the Cafe. It allows me to still have fun with candy but also get that apple in there as well since…”An apple a day keeps the doctor away!”.

So this year I decided I wanted to do a little more educating when it comes to sugar and the immune system. What is the physiology behind sugar and the immune system and why is sugar so detrimental?

Interesting to note, October-February seems to be dubbed “Cold and Flu Season”. I would like to open your minds a little bit to the fact that it may be better termed “Sugar Season”. Halloween starts with the candy that can last for weeks, then Thanksgiving is filled with deserts, and December is the month of endless holiday parties, Christmas cookies, wine and other cocktails.

Do you want the physiology? The major players in the immune system, namely the white blood cells, need vitamin C in order to do their work. Vitamin C and sugar have a similar structure and if sugar is around, it will bind to the activation site and block Vit C. When you ingest sugar you can think of your immune system slowing down to a crawl. Not a good thing. Then do that over and over for days, weeks and potentially 2 straight months…guess what? COLDS and FLU VIRUSES set in!!

So let’s approach this holiday season with a little more awareness…and a little more will power to steer clear of all that sugar. Indulge some, but keep it to a minimum and I bet you will find more energy to enjoy the celebrations, friends and family, and I bet you will come through the winter season a little happier and healthier.

I am by no means saying that I keep my diet completely clear of sugar. On most days I do however I found myself digging in some on Halloween with all the goodies we had at the Cafe of LIFE. I also found myself experiencing some intense sugar cravings on Tuesday, needing extra sleep on Tuesday night and a good portion of Wednesday and am finally feeling back to normal. It is fun while it lasts…tastes great while it is in your mouth and I feel good about it all for about 3-4 minutes. Then I spend 3 full days recovering from it all. It simply is not worth it.

We may as well do the best we can with the choices of what we put in in our bodies…we only get one chance.

FLASH MOB

This past weekend I had my first flash mob experience!!! How fun! Flash mobs are happening all over the world these days. Have you heard of it? Basically people choose places where there are predicted to be large crowds and start some music and do a choreographed dance. If you have ever witnessed one, it begins with just 3 or 4 people. Then a large group gathers around to watch and a portion of the spectators are actually in on the dance and join. Then usually there is another section of the crowd that seem innocent but are actually in on it too and join and when it is over, everyone goes back to doing whatever they were doing and act like nothing happened. It is about bringing joy to others through the element of surprise and dance.

So I got wind of this group called Flash Mob America and I registered with them to receive their updates. It just so happens they were coming to do one in Ann Arbor…and you know me, always looking for rich, rewarding experiences…so I decided I would make it a point to join in the fun. I arrived at 9am for rehearsal which lasted for 3 hours. We went over and over and over the dance and learned about the specifics of how it develops because there is no actual practice time in the chosen location. There were about 80 people that were at rehearsal and it was awesome to see it all come together.

The flash mob took place at the Artisan Market in Kerrytown area of Ann Arbor (the same location as the farmer’s market if you have ever been). The 80 participants walked around shopping leading up to the time it was supposed to start which was 1pm. Then out of nowhere, we here the beginnings of the song “Party Rock”…which literally starts with the singer yelling “PARTY ROCK!!” Then 4 people began the dance and it evolved from there. I was fortunate to have a friend standing by and videotaped the entire thing and I wanted to share it…and my incredible dance moves, jk :)…with all of you.

If you get wind of a flash mob happening in your area…check it out, join in and have some fun. We only get one chance…dance like no one is watching…or dance like the whole world is watching and shake that booty and make it count!!!