chiropractor – Page 9 – We Only Get One Chance

LIVING FULLY

To me, living fully is the most important concept in running my daily life.

If I get an invite somewhere, I take it.

If I get an opportunity to do something, I say yes and make it happen.

If I have an idea, I try it on and see if I can make it work.

To live fully is to take every opportunity to say “yes” and explore life!

When we got orders to go to Anchorage, Alaska, the decision was literally made on a “why not?” philosophy. Why would we go? Why not! I have to tell you it was one of the most incredible experiences that has shaped my entire life from that point forward. Going back to revisit was amazing.

Humans get involved in analysis paralysis, stuck in our thoughts and in our heads. We think too much and it stunts our movement forward. I want to challenge you when the next opportunity presents itself, see if you can answer it with a “YES!” instead of thinking too much (of course as long as it is safe and reasonable). Take the opportunities that help us live fully. We only get once chance to live this life. Let me know how it goes!

RETURNING TO ALASKA

A return trip to Alaska has been on my list for a few years now. As many of you know, I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for 3.5 years. Though I am a Michigan State University fan through and through and began my undergraduate degree at MSU, my true Alma Mater is University of Alaska Anchorage.

I moved to Anchorage in 1998. I left to pursue my doctorate degree in 2001 and this was my first chance to get back there to explore that beautiful state.

When I look back to 14-17 years ago, I hardly recognize who I was at that point in my life. So much has changed in my entire being, that truly feels like a completely different lifetime.

Stepping off the plane and driving from the airport to our hotel was surreal. All the little neurons that hold memories of that place started to fire in my mind. I could remember some streets, but not all of them. I could remember the layout of the city, but still needed a map. It was such a familiar place yet so far away and removed that it had a really cool and new feeling to me.

Our first stop was University of Alaska campus. When I lived there, I wore very different clothing. All of my logo wear from UAA was oversized hoodie sweatshirts and I needed to update some of those pieces. Being back on campus was surreal. I completed 3.5 years on that campus but it was so foreign to me. Did I even go here??? 3.5 years of my life is a long time, long enough to have traveled that campus by foot to and from class over and over and over again, it seems like I should remember something. It was like being in the twilight zone and being in a place I had never been before.

I decided to purchase an alumni license plate cover so that I can see it on a daily basis as a reminder of that era of my life. Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Denali 3

Completing that visit to campus, we heading out towards the mountains. Our destination was Denali National Park. The drive was incredible; the mountains, the water, the scenery, the music in the car, the conversation, the memories, the company, all of it. It was so great to be back.

The days are long in Alaska this time of year. In fact, the days never end once you get far enough north. The sun sets but it never gets dark and I am not sure it actually sets as much as it tucks behind the mountains for a few hours.

The next day we took a 12 hour bus ride into Denali National Park. If you ever go there, you can only drive your car 15 miles in. Anything beyond that, you have to get on a shuttle bus. When you go, get on one of those buses because there is so much more to see out there beyond 15 miles, that is just the tip of the iceberg.

The day finished with a hike to our campsite. I think the hike was a little over a mile, or 2 miles or more miles if you take the wrong path. Yup, absolutely found that out through experience.

I am renewed and refreshed in the mountains. I am renewed and refreshed with lots of hugs. I got a lot of both of those things by the second day of vacation.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfknbGVDjHY[/youtube]

My return to Alaska was such a tremendous experience. The lessons are trickling through my days as this week has gone by. Pictures do not do the place justice…but I tried. Stay tuned, I have a lot more to share.

I THINK I CAN

I headed over to Grand Rapids a few weekends ago to watch my friend run the River Bank 25K. He is not used to someone being interested enough in the road race scene to want to travel the distance to sit for a couple of hours and watch. What he is learning is that I am interested, however, I am not going to just sit and watch. There was a 5K and a 10K option for that morning and I figured I could easily pull one of those off.

You all know that I run for medals. I don’t always need a participation medal when I am finish a long distance race…wait, yes I do. I knew there was a rather large and fancy medal involved for the 25K, that is 15.5 miles and kind of a big deal! Maybe I could finish that distance? “I think I can.” The seed of “25K finisher possibility” was planted and my mission became to find out if there was a medal for 5K and 10K participants, and if so, how big?

Chiropractor Fenton Michigan 25K finish 2 We walked around the expo and picked up his number. They were still taking registrations for all 3 races however I found out that the 5K and the 10K finished with an “oversized lapel pin”. I am not sure what size “oversize” is but I did know that the 25K medal, if I could finish it, would be totally worth the trip to the west side of the state, and the seed of “25k finisher possibility” started to grow.

So I sat down to fill out the registration form and since the seed had been planted and was growing, when it got to the place that I had to check the box for which race I was going to run, I checked the 25K box. I figured there is a chance that I cannot finish that distance. There is also a really good chance that I COULD finish it and HUGE PAYOFF of getting to sport that medal around my neck for the rest of the day. “I think I can.” I have run a marathon, many half-marathons (13.1 miles) including one last fall, however the longest distance I had recently run was only 6 miles.

I was nervous. I was very, very nervous. My friend and I started the race together and I told him “I am pretty sure I am in over my head right now.” He looked over at me and said “I bet you will surprise yourself. See you at the finish line.”

So I started. “I think I can.”

And I kept going. “I think I can.”

And going. “I think I can.”

The miles were ticking down. The 11-minute-mile pacers passed me at mile 8. From that point I was determined not to let the 12-minute-mile pacers pass me no matter what.

At mile 12, just when I thought I couldn’t go on anymore, I saw a woman running with a metal stick in her hand. When I looked closer, I realized it was the 12-minute-mile pacing group. They were not going to pass me. I would run with them but they are not passing me. That is just the simple facts here, they are not passing me. “I think I can.” Chiropractor Fenton Micighan 25K finish 1

I allowed my strides to be determined by the woman holding that sign. She was one of the most excited and upbeat people I had seen all day and I was so very grateful for her enthusiasm. I needed it.

If you have ever run that particular race, it finishes in the downtown area with an uphill section leading to the finish line. There are moments in all of my long distance running that I find myself in tears of gratitude just for the simple fact that my body allows me to do something like that. I got to that hill and that tears-of-gratitude point all at the same time and I began to hyperventilate. I am running and training almost everyday, but was in awe and disbelief that I could run 15.5 miles with so little long-distance training (this is not something I recommend) and feel good. The hyperventilation forced me to slow my pace and lose that 12 minute group but I could see the word “finish” stretched across the street so I just let go. “I can.”

Finishing that race is a really proud moment in my life. Overcoming the limitations of what I think I can’t do is a big deal to me and is what makes life so rich. We have to brush up against our limitations in order to really push them and having those 2 phrases “I bet you will surprise yourself.” and “See you at the finish line.” are just what I needed to make that happen that day.

I want to leave you with a question…What limitations have you put on yourself and have you ever tested to see if they are accurate?

“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.” -Henry Ford

I think I can.

LUCKY

I was a lucky kid. I got my spine checked and adjusted by a chiropractor for as long as I can remember. I went to an office right here in town where CRUST is located right now. My mom took my brothers and I at least once per month to make sure we were growing and developing normally.

This morning I started a woman under care that is 82 years old. She was an absolute delight and she got talking about this “old chiropractor that used to be right downtown Fenton” that she used to go to and take her children when they were growing up.

It just so happens to be the same chiropractor that my family went to.

I have to share the story she shared with me. You all know we see a lot of children at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic however sometimes I don’t get a chance to really share much of the “WHY” we see children.

She started off with a story of her son, when he was 10 years old, decided to parachute off the neighbor’s roof using an open umbrella. Mary Poppins flew around with an umbrella and everyone can probably see exactly why a child might try to make that happen.

This young man came crashing down and fortunately wasn’t hurt too badly…or so they thought at the time.

The very next morning this young boy woke up and couldn’t talk. He could move his mouth but no voice or sound would come out. They immediately went to see their medical doctor. That doctor ran all kinds of test on this young boy, all tests were negative. They sent him home with breathing treatments and some sort of cough syrup. While he was on breathing treatments and syrup, he was able to do some talking but it had to be a constant daily regimen. It never resolved it, just kept symptoms at bay. After some time, the medical professionals recommended surgery to help this issue however they only gave them 50/50 chance of regaining his voice and the other half was losing his ability to vocalize completely.

Mom started wondering “how am I going to tell this 10 year old boy that he cannot talk much and cannot talk loudly and to save his voice?”

Her chiropractor at the time mentioned that maybe she should bring him in and see if he could help with this issue.

“Talking and voice issues and chiropractic care?” Ultimately she decided this has to be better than surgery and they would give it a try. Within just a few short months of starting regular chiropractic care, he healed. His voice and ability to vocalize returned to normal.

So how does this work? Children jump and fall and traumatize their bodies all the time. The nerve system is the master control center of the body and is housed within the spinal column. If there is interference in the connection wires of the nerve system, the body cannot heal and grow and develop as normal and all kinds of things can be a little bit “off”. Over time, that little bit “off” can build up leading to further stress and even further diminished communication within the body, and potentially symptoms. Chiropractor Fenton Michigan Umbrella

The nerves in the neck supply all the things in the head, face, shoulders, arms and hands. Guess what? Vocal cords and ability to use your voice is controlled by nerves in the neck. If the nerves are off, thing can go a little haywire. This young man had interference in the nerves in the neck even though he did not fall and land on his head.

The bottom line is the body works better with a good nerve supply. Does chiropractic care fix voices? No, we help normalize the body and allow it to heal. Chiropractic care was discovered when an adjustment restored hearing to a man that had gone deaf. Does that mean chiropractic care cures deafness? No, not a chance. We are always assisting the body to do its job better…all of its jobs.

I feel so lucky to have been checked and adjusted since I was little. If you ask all of my brothers, they would say the same thing and are choosing the same for their children right now. Fortunately for me, I get to care for those precious littles since we all live close to each other.

If we take care of the spine in the younger stages of life, there is a higher potential of growing, healing and developing normally and that is why we see so many children at the Cafe of LIFE. I loved this woman’s story because I think we all know a child or were a child that thought we could fly or at least wanted to give it a try!! I also love this story because it reminded me of where my love for chiropractic first started.

I am opening up this conversation to everyone. If you have questions about your children and how chiropractic could help them, reach out and let me help you understand better. Email me at erica@cafeoflifefenton.com. I would love to hear from you!

I AM NOT CRAZY

I know what you are thinking, “what is she up to now?!?!” I have to write this post and just globally announce that I AM NOT CRAZY!!!!

I am selling my house. Yes, I have been so grateful and blessed to call a cozy place on a beautiful lake south of town “home” for the past 3.5 years. SO. VERY. VERY. VERY. GRATEFUL.

As I was headed out the door for a run 3.5 years ago, my mom called me to ask if I would ever consider living on the lake (they live on the other side of said lake). The very first thing that came out of my mouth is “that would be great if I had somebody to do that with.”

I pondered that thought for my entire run and it became very apparent that very thought was an incredibly limited belief about myself and my situation. I called her right back and said “YES!!!”…and the rest is history. Fenton Chiropractor Lake 2

So fast forward 3.5 years later, with a for sale sign out in front of my house, and everyone is calling me CRAZY!!! “You have got to be CRAZY to move off the lake!” “Are you nuts, you live in a beautiful home!” “I heard a rumor your home is for sale, are you out of your mind?”

All of you know that owning a home is a lot of work. Adding the word “lake” in front of that word “home”, adds a lot more work on top of that. I am not one to shy away from work and I have a lot of maintenance things hired out to keep my life simpler.

My biggest challenge is that everything on the lake weights 60-80lbs or more and there are so many routine things that I cannot do at all because things are so CRAZY heavy. I am just one single gal and I truly have to call people over to help me on so many occasions.

Everyone will say “Oh, but that is simple for you…you have 3 brothers to help you with all that stuff.” Well there is some truth to that and they step up every single time they can, however, they have their own lives and families and it is tough sometimes to coordinate schedules to make things happen.

I absolutely love the lake I am on and I practically grew up here though we didn’t have a house right on the water. However, like I mentioned above, my Mom and step-dad are on the other side of the lake and in the summer, my brothers and their families hang out there almost every weekend. Therefore, I am rarely at my house at all. I would much prefer being with everyone else and playing with the kids as they learn about their world, about the water and how to swim. We spend hours and hours chatting, playing, listening to music and the squeals of the children, and making and sharing food together. That is what I want to spend my time doing and the greatest part of this is that I do not have to give any of that up. My family will live in the house they are in for many, many, many more years to come.

I have a beautiful pontoon boat that I keep at my house. It is a running joke on the lake, and some think I AM CRAZY that it never leaves my dock. I took it out a total of 3 times last summer and 4 the summer before that. If my family is out on my parents boat, why would I undo my boat and be separated from them? Trust me, I AM NOT CRAZY!

I have a family home and I do not have a family. I AM NOT CRAZY for making this decision, I am just one single gal and that is too much house for me anymore.

It is true that I will miss my view and my garage. I am down-sizing and moving into town really close to my practice. I AM NOT CRAZY, I have plans to eventually live on another lake down the road sometime. For now, this is the next right move for me. Fenton Chiropractor Lake

It seems backwards and so strange when I tell others of this move. I always feel like I have to justify the fact that I AM NOT CRAZY and then I go into my long list of reasons that I am choosing what I am.

I will absolutely miss this house. If you know me at all, you know I have put some blood, sweat and tears into creating a home here. Homes that are loved show you they are loved, that is apparent to anyone who walks in my front door.

I remember moving out of my last chiropractic office location and into the location where the Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic lives today. When I left that location, it had been a chiropractic office spot for over 50 years. I didn’t buy the office from someone, it just so happened they were moving their practice out when I was moving my practice in. When the final day came in that space, it was incredibly emotional for me. It just so happened to be the spot my brothers and I would go to see our chiropractor while growing up. As a child I ran through those halls I was now serving in. I also knew that we would be able to offer such a superior experience with so much more space and a better fit in our new building and that is exactly what has happened.

This feels a lot like that move. It will probably be even more emotional because it has been a sanctuary for me, a refuge at the end of my day and a nest to settle into at night.

In retrospect, maybe it would have been great if I had somebody to live in this lake house with Maybe that would have made it simpler and easier, or at least I could have had built-in help for carrying heavy things. (On a side note, I would allow all of you to call me CRAZY if I married someone just so I would have help carrying things). But I also know and fully trust that it is the next right move for me and it is going to lighten the load, free up my time and allow life to be so much fuller and richer in my new spot, right in town, right by my practice. That will become my sanctuary, refuge and nest to settle into at night.

Ultimately I did choose to live here and though the seed was planted by someone else, I let it grow and become my current reality, which truly is beautiful and I am so blessed.

I also have found that when life gets a little uncomfortable, that is when the magic really happens.

Yes, I am in tears, this is incredibly uncomfortable. It is so much simpler to stay in a place than to move It is so much more comfortable to not make waves and shake up my life and have to pack everything up and unpack a home of boxes on the other end. But I hope you can hear in my words that I am stunted here in this most beautiful place I call home right now and it would serve me better to let go and move forward. It is also well thought-out and I rest peaceful knowing that, though it looks like a strange move from the outside, I AM NOT CRAZY!!!! Rather, I am just doing my best to live my fullest life possible and I HOPE YOU ARE TOO!!!! …and as a side note, there is a really great, very loved home for sale on Runyan Lake if you are in the market.

THE TIME WE HAVE

This short clip is talking about the time we have and is represented in jellybeans. It is a brilliant picture representation of our life.

Watch until the end…profound, profound message about what if today was the only day, what would you do?

Let me know what you think about the time we have, the time I have, the time you have. It is all so very short. I have been attending an online course and realizing actions steps need to be taken TODAY!!! Get out there and make it the kind of day you want! The kind of life you want!!! We only get one chance…

THE MOTH

“I will be on that stage someday” I said to my friend, Ameena, when as we were leaving The Circus Bar in Ann Arbor after “The Moth” StorySlam live event for the first time in early 2014. Ameena sent out a mass Facebook message earlier that day to my Book Club to see if anyone wanted to attend a “story-telling” event in Ann Arbor with her. I had been in the process of studying “The Art of Storytelling” for the past couple years and when I saw it was a live storytelling event, I jumped on the chance to attend.

I do my best to reply “yes” to any invite (within reason) that is thrown my way. I enjoy opening my eyes and mind to new things and ideas, and I tend to get involved in rich, rewarding experiences that start by simply replying “yes”.

Some of you may know of, or already listen to “The Moth”, but let me set the scene.
The Ann Arbor venue holds just over 300 people and all walks of life attend these events. The night consists of 10 volunteer storytellers from the audience. The stories need to be 5 minutes long, true, based on the theme set for the evening, and notes are not allowed. There are 3 sets of judges that are chosen from the audience and there is a Chiropractor Fenton Michigan The Moth 2 “winner” that advances on to a larger venue and then on to the “Moth Ball“, a huge event in New York City. While people are telling stories, a warning whistle blows at 5 minutes. Once 6 minutes has passed, another longer whistle blows and points can be deducted due to time. There is an awesome host or hostess that MC’s the evening and weaves their own stories in and around the storytellers as well as sharing “micro-stories” that the audience members have written out.
Throughout the evening, the stories are being recorded; both video recorded as well as audio and “The Moth” shares these stories on NPR, Michigan Public Radio and their podcast that is broadcasted everywhere.

The event happens monthly and I only missed a couple in the past year. I have also been listening to the podcast regularly and look forward to every new episode. Humans are so interesting and everyone has a story to tell. Because I have been on the hunt for rich, rewarding experiences in my life, I have some really cool, fun, awesome and interesting stories, a few of them brewing for the opportunity to match up with a theme at one of these events.

The StorySlam in December happened just before the holidays and while I was in Ann Arbor that night, it came to my attention that the theme for January would be “cold”. PERFECT!!! One of my stories finally matches up!!! That night I committed to getting myself up on that stage in January.

So I began to rehearse my story. I rehearsed it over and over and over, probably about 30 times to my empty house over the month. There was not a lot of feedback when I performed my story to my empty couches, but it allowed me the chance to get details figured out and hone in my words.
The event was on a Tuesday and was drawing near. As the days ticked by, I became more and more nervous. I do well in front of crowds once I get up there, but the time leading up to it can be absolutely overwhelming with nausea from nerves.

Monday that week, I am going through my regular day at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic and when I would have a moment to think about getting on stage the next day, I would make myself sick. Monday night I could hardly sleep. Tuesday I woke up a little tired and my day was busy as usual. It didn’t help that these nervous feelings were taking over my body. I was getting myself so worked up about it I reached out to a friend. His reply, “If you get there tonight and you feel like doing it, then do it. If not, then who cares!”

Right.

I realized in that moment that it was my perfectionist nature that was creating the stress and if I just let it go and decided to be my imperfect self, I could settle some nerves and step into a powerful place of vulnerability.
I also knew I didn’t have a choice in the matter that evening…this was my evening to make it happen and to live more fully, I just couldn’t let this chance pass me by.
I practiced my story 4 more times on my ride down to Ann Arbor. I walked into the place, signed the rights away on my story and took my seat. A friend had gotten food for me and a little liquid courage which always helps.
The stories started and as they would randomly draw names from the bag, the nerves were so overwhelming, I didn’t know if I was going to implode or explode and decided the only possible way to make it through would be to use my breath to calm me down. I also put a piece of gum in my mouth just so I could stimulate my parasympathetic, relaxation response.

After the first 2 storytellers went, my name was called. I threw the gum out of my mouth, may or may not have said a swear word and up I went.

“YOLO is a trending term. Everyone has been using the concept of “You Only Live Once” that it has been reduced down to these 4 letters. It was 1994, I was 17 years old and I was in love…”

I knew my story was a crowd-pleaser and I knew they would get a kick out of it. I was surprised it was actually easier to tell the story onstage than at home. When I practiced on my own, I didn’t have the response of 300+ people laughing and cheering the story on. Onstage, I could feel all that presence and was also able to remain calm and mindful enough to make my words clear, rhythmical and tell a really good story.

I had a friend record it for me and was able to watch myself on stage and I am proud of what I did.
I didn’t win “The Moth” StorySlam that night but it was a huge win in my life. It was something I wanted to do for over a year and decided to bust through any barriers, physical and mental, and make it happen.

Through the years, I have decided I am not going to be sitting on the sidelines of life and letting experiences pass me by. I often get private messages on Facebook and through email asking me “do you have a terminal diagnosis? Are you dying or why are you making all this stuff happen? What is driving you? What is your motivation?” It is simple…we only live once and my plan is to squeeze as much juice out of my days, weeks, months and years as I possibly can.

That Tuesday night is only the beginning of my time onstage at “The Moth”. I am not sure it will be easier the next time I do it. What I do know is that I did it, I went to battle with the perfectionist that lives inside of me and won, I found some strength sharing my story standing in vulnerability, I survived and made it out the other side more fully alive, That is what life is all about.

MY TRIBE

I never really felt the word “my tribe” until I went on my last vacation over the holidays. This is my tribe.

We have a resonance, ride the same wavelength.
We look at life through a similar lens.
We were familiar to each other from the beginning.
We laugh louder and harder together.
We mastermind.
We play. Like kids, we play.
We call each other out on limiting beliefs.
We call each other to be bigger people than we currently are and hold one another accountable.
We love in a really big way, each other and the world.
We bounce ideas off one another and truly gain so much from the other’s perspective.
We live fully and loudly and that is magnified when we are together.
We make our little crazy lives and ideas seem “normal” when we are together.
We have worked so hard, dug and excavated all kinds of stuff in order to uncover more of who we each are at our core. We did a lot of that work together and have tremendous trust in one another.
When there is time to shift and change and grow, a gentle space is held for when one stumbles.
We dance and sing. A lot! Fenton Chiropractor My Tribe
We can be our authentic selves, and it is encouraged.
We love life and remind each other to remain keenly aware of how blessed we are in our individual lives…and also as a group.
We have seen each other at our worst and helped to elevate that space.
We serve others and realize service is the key to happiness.
We have learned love, loss and so many other life lessons together.
We have great respect for one another.
We plan and plot and scheme.
We are family but we are so very different from our own blood-family.

That is my tribe and I wish all of you had a chance to get to know all of them. They are some of the most incredible people and my life would not be quite as rich without them. There is a great line in the Broadway play “Wicked” that goes something like this…

“Because I’ve known you, I’ve been changed for good.” This is my tribe.

10 YEARS TODAY

It is “Throw Back Thursday” and exactly 10 years today that I graduated from Chiropractic College. From the time I started college to finishing with my doctorate was also 10 years.

It is very clear that decades go on in the blink of an eye and it truly is important to take each day lightly and have fun. I have had so many incredible experiences and memories, and have learned so much in this past decade.

In the last 10 year:

I graduated from Chiropractic College with these great guys and loaded up my things and moved home to Fenton, MI.

I moved in with my parents, moved into an apartment, bought a condo and bought a home.

I started a practice, Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic at 110 Trealout Dr, moved my practice to 114 W. Caroline Street (where Crust is currently) and we found permanent digs in 2010 at 521 N. Leroy St.

I have celebrated the marriage of my mother to my step dad, and 2 of my brothers to 2 very beautiful women.

I have welcomed 4 nieces and 3 nephews, and watched my brothers become fathers.

I have been to countless birthday parties, holiday parties and spent hundreds of hours at the lake with my family.

I have had 5 extraordinary women help me run my practice…Thank you Lauren, Rachel, Vickie, Angie and Alyssa.

I have had 7 of the greatest massage therapists on my team…Thank you Rachel, Teri, Kelli, Rachael, Toni, Kel Leigh and Nicole.

I have traveled a lot and have some fun stamps on my passport.

I have participated in a Chiropractic Service Trip <<–YouTube picture book (Peru August 2014).

I have run a marathon, Chicago in 2006, many half-marathons, Crim 10 milers and other races.

I have finished 4 triathlons.

I have been to hundreds of yoga classes, maybe close to a thousand.

I took yoga teacher training and doula training.

I have been in love, been loved and fallen out of love.

I have done a FLASH MOB, jumped out of an AIRPLANE and taken a ride in a helicopter.

I have had health challenges, sports injuries and have more faith in the body’s ability to heal than ever before.

I have attended births, I adjusted women before labor, during labor and immediately after birthing their babies.

I have checked and adjusted too many babies to count, more kids than I can imagine, and I can’t even fathom how many adults.

I have adjusted people minutes after birth and hours prior to death, and those who have just lost someone important.

I have laughed more in the last 10 years than ever before in my life.

I have had more fun than ever before in my life.

I have cried so many tears of joy and sorrow.

I have never loved life so much as I do at this point right now.

I have made so many great friends, lost a few and learned so much from connections with others.

I have learned to embrace the moment, be present to the day and squeeze as much juice out of life as I possibly can.

I am so grateful, so very very grateful to be of service to a community that has given me so much.

I am so freakin’ grateful for my support system of people near and far and grateful to have people in my life that help me keep my flame lit.

I had no idea when that picture above was taken at my graduation that all of this stuff would have happened.

It has been quite a ride, I look forward to seeing what the next 10 years will bring.

10 years today. Truly unbelievable it has been 10.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDi7nW_l_Pw[/youtube]

AM I READY

In the chilling 30 degree wind, dodging rain drops and snow flakes, I learned something HUGE at the Michigan State vs. Ohio State football game last weekend. It begs me to start asking the question “Am I ready?” in my life on a regular basis.

If you know anything about either football team, they are both really good. My team, the Spartans, have finally put an excellent, high-quality team together after all these years and everyone knows that Ohio State is good and has been that way for a long, long time.

The teams came together at Spartan Stadium a week ago. The anticipation surrounding that game was intense…everyone talking about it, looking forward to it, trash talking the other team, the whole thing. It was probably one of the most highly anticipated games of the season in this region.

If Ohio State beat my team, it really put the Spartans in a tough place. After the previous season and a huge Rose Bowl win, this particular loss meant no playoffs at all and no big bowl game.

And that is exactly what happened.

I have to say that the better team won and I made an interesting observation while I was freezing my behind off sitting in the stands that night.

When Michigan State is up, they are up. But when something goes wrong, they start moping around the field.

Sometime in the 2nd quarter there was a bad call by the refs. With that bad call was our first unanswered touchdown drive. Then, a missed field goal. Coming out of that drive, Ohio State regains possession and you can see the mope happening in our team. The mope of the players on the field begins this domino effect of the mope of the crowd in the stands. It is as though the wind has been stripped out of our sails and all is doomed. That may sound exaggerated but truly that is what it feels like to be in the stands. The only hope for lifting energy in those moments is our fantastic marching band, but that only goes so far.

On the other hand, if Ohio State made a bad play, and there was a fumble and a few other turnovers, they stay on their horses and get right back out there. They are ready every single time they get on the field and I can feel that from the stands.

One way this shows up as the game goes on is when the players take the field and get out to their starting positions, Ohio State players run/jog with enthusiasm all the way to their starting point. Michigan State players take to the field with a jog, and if this start follows a play that didn’t go their way, they slow to a walk and take their starting positions.

Energetically this feels like OSU players are ready, really ready for whatever happens next. Michigan State players are flat, they are settled into the ground, heavy and seem like they are hoping and praying for luck to turn in their favor. Quite frankly, games are not won on luck alone. I am not saying they truly are banking on luck, but that is what it feels like. If the last play ended in their favor, they have a spunk to their step. It is a pendulum that swings good and bad, high and flat, all game long and has for years. …and the entire crowd in the stadium follows that lead.

It takes readiness and opportunity to win this college football game, but also the game of life. When readiness isn’t there, opportunity is missed.

So let me ask you, have you ever shown up with “flat” energy to a meeting for work? Have you shown up with “flat” energy to the gym? Have you ever shown up flat and moping for your shower in the morning? I know for me, when I show up with flat energy to the gym or even for my morning shower, it takes exceptionally more energy to get moving than if I energetically jog up to my starting point.

People often ask me about my office and how we work so efficiently and handle serving people so easily. I never realized it but unconsciously when I walk in the doors of Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic, I energetically jog. My whole staff does this. The first person on my table is usually ready and waiting for me. I don’t physically jog up to the table, but that is exactly where I am energetically.

Do I always feel like it? No, however if I do it whether I feel like it or not, I start to take on that readiness feeling, it takes over my being, and I am able to serve from that place regardless of what was happening just minutes prior.

This also happens in my workouts. Sometimes I just do not feel like moving. If I can get to the place that I planned my workout, whether that be the gym, yoga studio or outdoor trail somewhere, and I can find it in me to jog into my starting position, everything gets easier from there.

How are you showing up?

Regardless of the awareness OSU’s team brought to me, by no means am I wanting you to become a Ohio State fan, we all know better than that! What I would like to suggest is taking a moment in the morning and asking yourself “Am I ready?”. Take a moment to notice what pace you are approaching your starting position. Are you flat and moping into your starting position or are you jogging right up to that place? If you can see that mope I have talked about above, make a shift, pick up your pace, lift up your chest. No matter if the last play worked for you or against you, be ready. Readiness wins games and I am thoroughly convinced it plays a HUGE role in the game of life as well.