wellness – Page 2 – We Only Get One Chance

AFRAID TO ASK

Some people stare. Some people just catch a glimpse. Some noticeably try not to look. Many are afraid to ask…about my tattoo.

I have a tattoo on the back side of my right forearm. I often forget it is even there because it is out of my visual field. The only times I really see it is in the mirror.

Best Chiropractor Fenton Michigan - Dr Erica Peabody - Afraid to Ask

I got my first one 23 years ago and this is my third. The other ones are not in plain site and are usually covered by clothes and many don’t even know I have them.

This one is different. I had it done in January of this year. Up until now, it has been covered by long sleeves. Now that it is warmer, it is exposed most of the day and due to the location on my arm, I never realized how much I use that hand to rest my chin on while my elbow is on a table.

I thought I would write about it because so many are afraid to ask.

The coordinates read 3.0666 S, 37.3507 E and is the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro which I reached the summit in March, 2017.

When I completed that trek, I unfortunately ended up 6 months in a walking boot due to a severe tendinitis/plantar fascitis. I was asked hundreds and hundreds of times “what happened?” My answer was always “I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro and this is the souvenir I never wanted.” Of course that would then lead to further conversation around the trip. As overwhelming as it was to answer the same question hundreds of times, I enjoy the curiosity and sharing my journey…because it really was an epic adventure!

When I get ready in the morning is when I see it. To me, it serves as a continuous reminder. It reminds me that I can do hard things, really hard things. It reminds me that I am brave. It reminds me of the connections with the women I did the trek with and some of the strength of their own stories they shared. It reminds me that I have serious endurance and that I am capable of reaching my goals.

I have done many hard things although nothing was as physically taxing as that. When I got home, everyone asked “what’s the next mountain you will climb?” I do not have another physical mountain to climb, I have no desire to do Everest or anything like that. When I look back over the 2 years since the climb, I realize I have already reached the summit of another couple goals although there is always more ahead. I just thought I would share a little bit so that you are not afraid to ask. AND not just me, ask others of their stories too because maybe their ink represents a story they would like to share. I am adding my short Kilimanjaro vlog to the end of this in case you haven’t had a chance to take a view.

WHEN I WAS SIX

During a yoga class a few days ago, the instructor says “I remember when I was six and I was sitting on my bed listening to this song.” I cannot remember exactly what song she was talking about but I do remember first hearing that song when I was in my upper 20s.

Ugh.

In that very moment, I was reminded of just how many times I have already been around the sun…and another trip will come to completion in just a couple months.

This kind of an idea can be a real downer, although I am certain she didn’t mean it in that way. She was just in a sincere moment of remembering inside of her own life.

We all have those songs that take us back to a time and place in our lives. If you are a patient of mine at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic here in Fenton, you have heard some “different”, “interesting” and maybe “unusual” music during your visits.

This has 2 primary reasons: FIRST, if it was music that you know and have heard before, probably I have too, and you would have a singing chiropractor all day long. And though I have been told that my voice is reasonable (and of course my fiance says I have a “voice of an angel”), nobody is interested in hearing me sing all day long, and especially my team. And SECOND, a song in your life can be a trigger for something amazing while that very same song can trigger the next person back into some of the worst moments in their lives. I have deliberately chosen music that is unfamiliar except inside of this healing space (or its quite possible you have heard some songs inside of the local yoga studios or meditation centers, other places for healing).

That was a complete tangent on music and is not the message I am really wanting to write about today.

What I want to talk about is, in that moment when the young yoga instructor was sharing her initial memories of a song at age 6 and mine was upper 20 something, my internal dialogue went to “Oh to be 25 again…” and “Wow I am old!!”

I hear you little internal critical voice. You do really work against me most of the time don’t you?

In the very same moment I was inside of an intense and powerful yoga pose, with my strong arms and legs, my “relatively” peaceful mind, after a busy day serving people going on 15 years in practice, inside the 4 walls of my incredibly beautiful office, in a time that I am closing in on marrying the man of my dreams and planning for a beautiful life, in this body that has taken me incredible places and climbed one of the highest peaks in the world, gotten my doctorate degree, lived all over the country, and…and…and.

In that very same moment, that sweet little comment from the yoga instructor took me down into a valley of how old I am getting AND then the work that I have done in gratitude and appreciation for my life and what I have done in such a short amount of time, took me to the highest of highs. It was a beautiful roller coaster and one that I felt like I was watching from an outsider’s perspective, but I was living it.

I didn’t even know I could have an opinion about music until I was 9 years old and my older brother got two cassette tapes: Michael Jackson “Thriller” and Prince “Purple Rain”. It is the first music in my life that I remember I would consciously choose to listen to myself. Everything before that was just Cars 108 on the radio in my mom and dad’s cars.

It is funny how life works and it is sometimes frightening how fast life goes. I have a clear memory when I was 6 years old, in first grade and I had some neighbors that were in fifth and sixth grades. I remember thinking “WOW!!! Those girls are old and it will be fun to be in fifth or sixth grade and not in first.”

So here we are, I am not 6 anymore, not 16, 26 or 36 anymore. The years tick by and the sweetness of the memories carry through the accomplishments of life and all the juice that is squeezed out of each and every day. I am so grateful for that sweet, little w”when I was 6″ comment she made that day as it makes me also really appreciate not being 6 anymore and that I have had such a full life already. Do you have a music memory? Whats your very first favorite song? Music really matters…to me anyway.

JANUARY

It is hard to believe we are a day away from the end of January!

How are you doing with the year so far?

What changes have you made?

What changes do you want to make?

What things do you want to do this year?

The polar vortex has put a little damper on this week, however, it has also given us a few minutes to slow down and sit still, or at least I hope you are taking some moments to sit still. This is a great time to contemplate, plot and scheme for your success going forward.

We have been open a good portion of our regular hours this week as other business have chosen to be open, and some have closed.

I was reviewing some things in my life last night as I was trying to figure out whether to be open today or not (we are OPEN!!!!). First off, some of you know and some of you may not know, I lived in Anchorage, Alaska for 3.5 years, I got my bachelors degree at University of Alaska Anchorage. It was an amazing experience just to be up in Alaska, much less get a chance to live there and be able to experience it all. I have a great appreciation for the arctic northern temperatures having to live and work in negatives (-40 for an entire month one winter) for those years.

I watch you all get out of your cars here at the office this week, all bundled up with 1-6 children in tow and I applaud and honor you. It reminds me of getting bundled up to go to class and work at one time. I honor you for taking a moment to make it in to town and stop by our office. I honor you for your commitment to the change you want to make for yourself and your family this year.

If you have cancelled your appointments this week, I honor you for staying home and staying safe and warm, I honor you for respecting that small voice inside that said “not today”. I honor each and every single one of you and I watch as schedules change daily due to school closings. I honor you for being resilient enough to shift and change your days around to be able to manage it all.

We are open because I am going to be here anyway.

We are open because cabin fever is a real thing and has set in for many of you and you need an excuse to get out of the house and go do something.

We are open because our shifts are a little slower but it gives us a chance to catch up on other things, like hanging pictures and signs, getting ahead of the endless paperwork and doing a lot of cleaning.

We are open because we are here to serve you, and not as arctic heroes or something, but because we can make it here to the office and we also know you are doing a lot of extra shoveling and shivering and that there is a little extra stress this week that we can help you with.

We are here for you. We honor you for staying inside your cozy home with your loved ones and hunkering down. We honor you for getting out in the cold and heading this way.

Old Man Winter took his good ol’ precious time getting here this year but came in with a blast! When it warms enough to get outside, I encourage you to do so because I believe one of the healthiest things we can do through the winter months in Michigan is get outside and get some fresh air.

While you are inside of these slower moments, take a glance at what your plans are for this year and make a choice today to move you in the direction you want to go. That can be as simple as grabbing an extra glass of water, taking a few more trips up and down the stairs to get the heart pumping, journalling, reading a book or playing a game of checkers with your child.

Bundle up!!! Stay safe and warm!!! Take a few minutes to evaluate how you are doing now that January is coming to a close and let’s connect soon!!!

GROUCHY

She is grouchy…or finicky. Yeah, finicky is probably a better way to describe her.

The old girl, Big Blue as we have so adoringly named her, has been good to us so far.

We are working on week number 3 here and we are enjoying our time and our transition. It is different than just closing one door and opening another one in a different office space and getting to business.

It is time well spent feeling her out and figuring out how to manage all of the intricacies and quirks that make her so dang lovable.

She is warmer than would be expected on cold days and colder than expected on warm days except some areas are colder than others and warmer than others. Ugh.

The original builder, AJ Phillips, put the walls together by stacking two by fours on top of one another and then plaster and lath over that, not normal stud distance, like literally one on top of another. It is pretty astounding actually. We have a couple HUGE pocket doors and if you look inside the pockets, you can see the construction pattern…and to think those were put in place, by hand, one by one, 130 years ago. WOW that is some serious labor!!!

AND!!!! Not to mention the woodwork that adorns the entire space on all three floors The first floor is our Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic Center and has so many special things about it…but the second and third floors are absolutely spectacular as well. We are so excited to be able to open that second story to all of you and be able to rent the third story, one bedroom and one bath apartment. All in due time.

We love how much you all have loved her so far and we invite those that haven’t had a chance to swing by and experience the space to swing in! We hold open adjusting hours one Saturday per month and although we will have patients here getting adjusted, if you happen to be out and about around town this coming Saturday, October 6th, stop by and swing in! We will be here 9a-11a.

My staff comes to me with things they have noticed or things they need in this new space. It seems as though my

lunchtimes have been converted to “repair time” and grabbing lunch while working on a project! But that is okay, as we know that she will always be a work in progress but we will become a little more familiar with her needs and quirks as the time goes by.

When life took a turn and I needed to move to a different spot to be able to get one of my rentals leased out, I decided I would stay here and get to know her. My conversation with my mom that evening went “I am just going to triple-dog-dare myself to stay for the night and just see what happens. If you don’t mind, just please do not lock your door in case I get spooked and end up having to come out there.” I did fine from the first night but definitely wasn’t such a huge fan of having to go into the basement after dark. Now my attitude is like “sure girl! Whatever you need right now is good with me. Oh you need me to tend to something in the basement at midnight? Absolutely!! I will be right there!”

It is the strangest thing that I feel like I should leave a babysitter for her when Mike and I head out of town! I have never had the feeling but Mike thinks it is ridiculous!!! I just laugh at myself that the thought even crosses my mind at all. The great thing is that she sits right in the middle of a town that is so connected and wonderful and I am certain that if there was something going on, 30-50 people would be on the phone texting and calling me right away and so I thank you!!!

Please watch out for her. Mike and I have most of it handled but we need eyes and ears around for this grouchy old gal!!! …I mean finicky.

She is a gem and I think it has taken a bit for her to get used to all of us!!! There is a lot of new and fun energy inside of this space during our days and we have already had a HUGE engagement celebration!! …in fact that party is what gives me so much certainty that 30-50 of you would call and text if something goes bad because of the amount of people that made remarks about that party a couple Friday’s ago, “my kids pointed to that place and said, ‘Hey Mom! Can we go there?’ since it looked like something fun was going on when we drove by” are the kind of messages we got that following week.

We love her. We are so excited to plan our wedding to be hosted within these beautiful walls in early March, just 5 months away.

A phrase we hear over and over again around here, from me, my team and all those that visit, “if only these walls could talk!”

We are continuing to create a story here at Big Blue, stories of healing and health and wellness and life and living and family and the amazing power of the chiropractic adjustment that would make the forefathers of this great profession proud. There are pictures in the infancy phases of chiropractic that were taken in places just like this. Big Blue was born in 1889-91 time frame (seems the history was maybe she took 2 solid years to build) and chiropractic was born in 1895. It feels so, so very right to be here doing what we are doing.

Although she is grouchy, or I mean finicky (just looked that word up in the dictionary: fussy about one’s needs and desires <—sounds about RIGHT!) I think we have an incredible thing started that these walls will want to tell stories about for years to come!!! Stop in and join us this Saturday 9-11am!!!

PEACHY

From the outside it appears that all is peachy and so simple.

It’s not.
It’s hard, anxiety-driven work to pursue a dream.
It’s long, late night conversations and countless sleepless nights.

It’s questions without answers and conflict without immediate or foreseeable resolution.

It’s stress beyond anything I have ever known.
It’s wildly uncomfortable and feels like running around constantly short on time.
It’s humbling and frightening.
It’s not just out of my comfort zone, it’s as though I took a rocket ship and split from the Universe my comfort zone is in.
It’s so far off the edge and hoping the ground appears somewhere beneath my foot as I take the next step.

It is tears of frustration and moments when I cannot stand being inside my own skin.

It is giving up beach towels and sunglasses for hammers and drills.

It is a deep breath in not knowing when i will have space to exhale.
…AND it’s not just business, it’s every aspect of life.
It’s building a home that’s gone on far, far too long.
It’s learning to partner inside of a relationship rather than run off on my own and do it all my own way.
It’s learning what being a bonus mom is all about and to triplets nonetheless.

It’s wedding planning and all that comes with that (which i am currently trying to figure out).
It’s a constant battle with my subconscious that wants everything to stay the way it’s always been.
It’s tough and messy and faith-building.

It is somehow trusting that stupid phrase “You will only be given as much as you can handle.” Everyone please STOP SAYING THAT!!!!
It’s being sure to meditate every day and pray every night.

…and all this I am writing because I got a great hot shower and did my hair and now I’m dreading walking outside into the humidity which will undo it all in 17 minutes flat. …and so this is me procrastinating and writing to you instead of that.
And now I’ve come to the end of this rant.
Regardless of all that I wrote above, I’m going to make it the best day I can anyway.

Building dreams comes with a lot of hard work and not all of it is peachy.

3 DAYS IN

We are just 3 days in to our new location and I have to say it has been beyond extraordinary. We are over the moon excited about how this space has turned out which trickles down to our ability to serve you.

The space is airy and cozy and solid and grounding and healing and absolutely lovely.

So many people are astounded by our ability to get moved over and create seamless transitions for our patient crowd.

Here is all I know. We closed our doors at our Leroy location on Thursday, September 13th at 6pm. We had until Monday, Septmeber 17th at 10am to get up and running.

Mike would say over and over and over…. “Just pick the critical path, just the critical items that you need to get your day started and be able to endure patient care at the level they have come to expect.” …and so in and amongst a weekend of family obligations we made it happen.

Thursday at 6pm is when the anxiety set in. How long will it take us to do this? and is 3 days enough? It was a little like jumping off a cliff because, although I have moved my business a few times in the past, it had been 8 years and as I mentioned in a Facebook post, I am a pathological underestimator. I underestimate everything and commit 100% and somehow figure it out.

It was a weekend of moving furniture, unplugging computer systems and wires all throughout the office. It was filled with wires going every which way and plugging things in and praying. It was a weekend or rearranging chairs and sweeping floors and dusting everything from head to toe.

Mike had to leave with his children around 6:30 on Sunday evening and head back home to be sure they are all ready to start the week. I spent 5 solid hours on each adjusting station from one side of the place to the other and into the reception room.

The computer system was working, the music wasn’t. The tables were ready, the rugs couldn’t be put down because of the finish on the floors. The front desk was ready, the massage rooms were ready, the air conditioners were working, toilets cleaned and floors swept. One more faucet installation around 9:30 and we were prepped for my realtor and his team to show up for the unveiling of the signage and the start to our first day!!

https://www.facebook.com/JohnWentworthRealEstateGroup/videos/729294227406651/

We did it! It was a push but we did it and made it happen.

…and here we are just 3 days in and more inspired than ever before. Follow your dreams, listen to your heart and that small voice inside as it will lead you in the right direction. This truly feels like home and we are so glad to be here!

HOME

We are moving home!!!

I finished my final shift at Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic at 521 N Leroy this evening. I had 4 patients between 5:45 and 6pm and I could feel myself winding down the service in that space.

This is the fourth location for my practice, so although I am not a big fan of moving, I am familiar with the process. I bought the Leroy Street location in 2010 and the location prior to that was so super bittersweet leaving because it was a chiropractic office since the 60s. My heart ached to leave that location knowing I was moving my practice from the exact location my chiropractor worked in when I was getting adjusted as a kid. I settled myself knowing that my 521 location would be passed down to another generation of chiropractors at some point.

But it won’t be passed down and I am certain it will get rented to another amazing business other than a chiropractor. There won’t be little ones roaming the halls there waiting for their adjustments years from now and far beyond when I am retired like I always thought there would be.

But truly we are moving home. I cannot describe the feeling of our new building, affectionately known as “Big Blue”, except for it is home. I got a little choked up as I was counting down the final adjustments in the Leroy location but I could sit here now in full on tears to know that we are moving home.

This is home.

I have had a recurring dream over the past 20 years that has driven me to this exact location. Watch for a Facebook LIVE tomorrow, Friday September 14th, as I share that beautiful story.

How did I get here? How did this all happen? How on Earth am I moving my practice and my livelihood to my dream location, no literally the space inside of my dream? We have a lot of work ahead of us in the next 72 hours as we transition the office to be ready for the practice on Monday, but it is all worth it to move home.

LISTEN TO YOUR INNER VOICE

I cried when I read this. This spoke to me in a huge way and is a small lesson to help teach you to listen to your inner voice:

Hi Erica, I’m going to call and make an appointment for both an adjustment and massage. I could wait and tell you all this when I see you but sometimes it seems easier to put my thoughts in writing rather than to just tell it, plus you are a busy person and I don’t want to take a lot of your time. (Although I’ve been known to write books instead of messages, which could take a lot of time anyway. LOL!)

I keep trying to think of how I got so far off track! It’s just these little slips that happen without thinking it will be permanent – like family coming and just not taking time to take care of self. It’s preparing food that they like (and I like) even though it is not at all healthy. Pretty soon, a slip becomes a slide, doesn’t it? So that’s part of what happened last summer.

But then, I decided that the yoga schedule was too hard for me to work out so I joined a local gym, not intending to never go back to yoga. However, I got convinced that working with a trainer would be a helpful thing so I paid huge bucks for that for several months, which meant I couldn’t afford to go to yoga, to the chiropractor, to a massage therapist, etc., etc. The trainer also believes in eating vegan, but is strict on high protein and low, low carbs, which I tried hard to do but couldn’t stick to it. So I started doing high protein/low carbs eating meat, cheese, eggs, etc.

Then, the knee that you had been adjusting got worse and worse and I went to a surgeon who said I had a torn meniscus and he did surgery. He also said I have a significant amount of arthritis in my knee and probably in the other one. That was back in September and I’m still in pain, still stiff and am now doing physical therapy trying to get some strength and flexibility back.
I eventually could not afford the trainer anymore and began so slide off the diet and because my knee hurt so much I also quit going to the gym for the most part. Then I started eating whatever I wanted and gained some of the weight I had lost back.
So, there I was, sitting in my recliner, hurting all over, swollen up in my joints, feeling tight in my muscles, feeling dead in my stomach and OLD, OLD, OLD!!!! And I started praying about it and asking God to help me. And I began remembering how I felt when I fed my body the healthy foods – fruits, veggies, whole grains, nuts – all the things that are good (I was basically off fruits and whole grains on the low carb diet). And I remembered how limber I was, doing yoga, and chiropractic, and how great it was to have you support and encourage the yoga and the healthy diet and how easy and wonderful it was to get massages.
I think in the midst of all the voices that have swayed me one way and then another, I finally heard God’s voice – and my voice – saying “you know what is best for you! you remember what works, what is gentle, what is peaceful, what is healthy.
Sunday night I could hardly walk, hardly climb the stairs, barely even turn over in bed, I hurt so bad. Monday morning wasn’t much better and that is when I decided to make a change NOW! The yoga schedule will be the priority and my work schedule will be worked around it.
I will be going to PT for a while, but I want to come back to Cafe of Life and get back on the journey to health and wholeness. I have to stop allowing myself to get pulled off the journey and to stay focused!
I will be calling this afternoon and trying to get in next week. But I just wanted to tell you where I am in all this. I never intended on stopping my treatment there. It just little by little, day by day, time went by and pretty soon, I almost forgot.
As the yoga instructor says “BEGIN AGAIN.” I went back, by the way, on Monday evening. There was so much I could not do with my stiff knee but I did a lot and I felt more limber and not as tight and did not have as much pain Tuesday morning. The yoga instructor reminded me “Be gentle with yourself, but be persistent.” Good advise for someone who gives up rather easily, isn’t it?
I miss you and your gentle smile. I will be glad to see you and hope you haven’t given up entirely on me! I’m hoping to get this right this time.
Have a blessed Easter. I will see you next week, I hope.

MY RESPONSE:

Thank you so much for that email. I really appreciate you giving me all the details in your update because all of that stuff is important for me to know.

Life is a game of slipping and checking and BEGINNING AGAIN is always an option.

I never give up on anyone. Instead, I hold a space for healing for people whether you are at the Café of LIFE or on a journey that takes you from here. Either way, you will always be welcome here no matter how long it has been since your last visit. I realize that life takes twists and turns as mine does exactly the same. Healing comes from within and it is best to find something on the inside to anchor to so you can stay consistent, which sounds like you may have found that. Being gentle and persistent is how we progress, but take bite size pieces so you keep yourself having small successes that lead to bigger ones and then celebrate those.

There is a lot of “should’s” that can fall on us during a day and make us feel like we are failing in one area or another. Just do your best every single day and know that is all anyone can ever ask.

And give yourself a break, drink your water, find time to stroll and enjoy your days, make good food and exercise choices and believe in your body’s ability to heal. Your thoughts are powerful so make sure to use them in your favor.

Looking forward to seeing you…

Erica

Health & Happiness,

Dr. Erica Peabody

Every time I re-read this, the tears well up because I know there are so many people that have slipped and are struggling. Bless this particular person who shared her words so eloquently and is allowing me to tell her story.

Do you have a little voice in your head that guides you when you are lost? Does it talk to you in a positive way or negative way? Do you listen to your inner voice? It may be the most powerful guidance system you have for your life. There is so much technology, so many opinions, so many things trying to influence and steer you in this direction or that direction. Take some time to be quiet and listen to that inner voice…it is always right. Once you start to listen, and if you find yourself way off course…just BEGIN AGAIN.

A NEW BOOK IN THE NEW YEAR

As many of you know, I am one of the organizers of the Cafe of LIFE Book Club. We have a phenomenal group of women who sit down every other week together and study books that add to our lives. We have done a number of books with titles such as “Eat, Pray, Love”, “A New Earth”, and “Loving What Is”. We ended our year with a celebration of the year and it was amazing to look back on what we had accomplished together as a group in one short year! Years are short anymore. Time just goes by really fast! Anyways with the New Year here now, we are beginning a new book starting Thursday January 8th. Our new title is “Radical Forgiveness” by Colin Tipping. Sounds like an amazing title and I’m sure the book will be equally as amazing. We have a few new people who plan on joining us this time around and we welcome anyone who would like to add studying with a book club to their life. Let me put it this way, I guarantee this will become on of the greatest and most looked forward to hour and a half of your week. Come join us! If you have any questions, direct them my way and WELCOME TO 2009!