ChiroKiddos: Adapting to Change

Friday, March 14, 2008

Adapting to Change

As the launch date approaches, I'd like to have some help spreading the word about ChiroKiddos. The website will be online soon...I'll keep you posted.
The Palmer College of Chiropractic student newspaper The Beacon will run an ad and article in the March issue (should be distributed this week).
With all the new things happening with my wife's business, our household is constantly changing. We are learning to adapt to the idea of running a company. In case you are facing life changes too, here are some thoughts on change:

I've heard it said, "Nobody likes to be changed except babies, and even they fuss and holler during the process!" And what about this one, "Beyond death and taxes, the only constant in life is change itself." Even as we've grown accustomed to the idea of change occurring there remains some apprehension about what will be next!?…So I figured we all might be in need of some reassurance and stability.

I have lived over 37 years and in my observations of humanity it has become clear that nobody enjoys life when their little world is altered by outside forces. Let's face it: changing is difficult, and it can be downright annoying when someone else's decision was forced upon us without our input or knowledge. Many changes are healthy and welcomed, but that doesn't make them easy.

While many marketing/business gurus tell us that the only successful businesses are the ones which adapt quickly to changing markets and provide unique services to the new consumer, it is not an easy thing to do. "Innovate or Die!" may be their mantra, but how can we keep up with the rapidly changing pace of life? Where is the solid predictable routine allowing me to function with some level of sanity?

First of all: liking change and learning to adapt to it are not synonymous. We may not like the next president (or the current one), but does that mean we will uproot our lives and move to another country in protest? I personally don't like paying taxes and think the government wastes incredible amounts of money. So I vote, write letters, make phone calls, sign petitions, send emails, and discuss my concerns--then get this--I move on with my life. Although I do not agree with every decision made by our leaders, I am proud to be an American and I sincerely enjoy the freedoms this country affords my family to live and worship as we please.

This analogy may break down for you at some point, but maybe there will be a nugget for you to apply to your life. Yes we get stuck dealing with change regularly, yet I wonder if that is part of the grand plan to toughen us up a bit for the real world?

Secondly: If you have coworkers, employees, colleagues, or staff who gripe and complain about the changes just keep an eye on them. They will likely make adjustments and continue pressing forward or give up and quit as failures and you may even need to encourage this in their lives. No matter how horrible it appears, the world actually hasn't come to an end! Remember the caterpillar becomes a butterfly only after a long hard metamorphosis.

Thirdly: Remember the high calling we have--to deliver hope and health to the public. Pursue that goal. Keep your focus on why you are a Chiropractor or Teacher or Parent. Don't allow the changes you don't like to bring you down; better yet, don't let other people's disillusionment bring you down. I always tell my children that they can decide how they will respond to situations. We get to choose how we react. We can rise above the malcontents and soar above the fray. Let us not fall to the lowest common denominator and grumble about the winds of change. If I don't like the direction of the wind I can always adjust the sails.

To paraphrase B.J. Palmer, don't underestimate how powerful and far-reaching things you say and do today will be for other people tomorrow. Changes and our reaction/adaptation to the environment are true hallmarks of Chiropractic, so we might as well begin now.

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Healthy Spines + Healthy Habits = Healthy Kids

-- ChiroKiddos exists to help Chiropractors bring the BIG IDEA of health and wellness to children and their families. We believe that every child deserves to live a full and healthy life.
-- Since the brain and nerves control every function of the body (immune system, endocrine and hormone activity, tissue growth, repair and wound healing, strength and coordination, learning and memory development, special senses, plus all the internal organ systems), it is imperative to maintain a healthy nervous system. This is especially important during the rapid growth periods children experience...from birth through the teenage years.
-- The spinal column houses and protects the brain stem and spinal cord. When the spine is not properly aligned it will often impair nervous system function, leading to reduced nerve signals, loss of health, diminished immune function, and decreased ability to adapt to stress. Traumas, toxins, poor posture, emotional stress, and "just being a kid" can injure the supporting tissues of the spine allowing misalignments to occur. A child often develops a vertebral subluxation complex (VSC) without the parents even knowing it.
-- The VSC is commonly understood as a structural misalignment and/or malfunction of the spine which compromises the flow of nerve impulses and reduces the body's innate ability to adapt and function properly. The physiologic effects of a VSC (disruption of homeostasis) often go unnoticed for years until the long term neural deficit contributes to pain or some other known pathology.
-- Normal playing, simple falls, and even birth trauma all can cause vertebral subluxation. The resultant nerve interference diminishes the body's ability to adapt to its environment. This subluxation process can explain the lingering health problems, infections, allergies, deficits, diseases, and other named disorders many children suffer from every day.
-- The good news is that VSC is a reversible condition! Each child needs to have his spine checked for subluxation by a Doctor of Chiropractic. Even if the child appears normal and healthy, Chiropractors are the only health care practitioners in the world trained to detect and remove vertebral subluxation by adjusting the spine. True health and wellness is achievable if the body can function as designed, free of nerve interference.
-- I invite you to join with ChiroKiddos by helping us promote "Healthy Kids" so this generation of children can live up to their maximum potential. We need to teach them "Healthy Habits" (avoid all drugs & toxins, eat lots of fruit & veggies, and exercise regularly). We also need to provide chiropractic care and "Healthy Spines" for all ages, especially children. Read more in my Healthy Kids blog posts.