January 2004

Viewpoint

Be bold and live your dreams

by Dr. Louis Leonardi

Chiropractic is spreading around the world at an unprecedented rate. Chiropractic is reaching a new level of commitment and dedication in this international movement. Chiropractic is achieving the global recognition as it rightfully deserves, as the number one natural healing art in the world.

And this is all happening because of you!!!

Doctors and students of chiropractic are accepting the challenge of the New Millennium and stepping forward with the individual commitment to spread Chiropractic all over the world with the motto: "if it's gonna be, it's up to me."

Here are some fascinating and inspiring true stories of chiropractic students and doctors who created a better world for themselves, for chiropractic, and for hundreds and thousands of people throughout the world.

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It was another wonderful day in Dr. Matt McCoy's chiropractic office. Then something happened that would change Dr. McCoy's life ‑‑ forever. It was a patient, a new patient. He was a Russian businessman who was in severe pain and after his first adjustment he began to feel better. He continued to come and he continued to improve.

Slowly, he was experiencing the greatness of chiropractic. After some time he became so impressed with chiropractic that he made Dr. McCoy an incredible offer: to bring chiropractic care to Russia.

Dr. McCoy could have said, "thank you, but I am very busy here in my successful practice." He could have said he didn't know anything about chiropractic in Russia and did not want to spend all the time and energy to pursue it. He could have said he just wasn't interested. He could have said a thousand different things that meant "no" but Dr. McCoy saw beyond himself.

He saw beyond his former limited ideas. He saw a chance to take chiropractic to a new country where it did not exist. He saw a chance to help and improve the lives of millions of people. He saw an opportunity to create a better subluxation‑free world with chiropractic. Dr. McCoy accepted the challenge and responded with a resounding "YES".

It was as simple as that.

Now, four years later, there is a chiropractic clinic in Russia, where medical doctors are learning about the benefits of chiropractic care. They are giving their full support to chiropractic. A few medical doctors have even come to America and enrolled in chiropractic school with the long term goal of establishing a fully qualified and certified school of chiropractic in Russia. All this because of one man's openness and willingness to seize the moment and expand the horizon of chiropractic on a global level.

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Or, maybe you would take a completely different approach and create an opportunity for chiropractic where it never existed before. Originally it had nothing to do with chiropractic but now through the mind of a chiropractor it became an international event.

It came in the mail as a brochure. It had pictures of a beautiful sailing vessel. It was a "tall ship" called "The Windsurf" with sails fluttering in the wind as the boat cruised along the magical turquoise waters of the Caribbean. The brochure also showed pictures of sumptuous buffets and candlelight dinners all in an exotic, exquisite, and elegant fashion. There were people admiring the dazzling array of stars in the night sky. Dr. Leonardi's mind continued to be drawn into this fantastic adventure.

The Windsurf sailed all over the festive islands of the Caribbean Sea. It also sailed the ancient islands of the Mediterranean. It was a brief but beautiful daydream. The brochure left my hand but as it drifted into the waste basket below, out of the corner of my eye I caught a glimpse of a third sailing. It was a sailing from Lisbon, Portugal to the magical island of Barbados. It was an incredible journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

Then it happened. When there was nothing in this complete fantasy trip, chiropractic was about to emerge. Where there was no opportunity for chiropractic, one was about to be created.

I had no time or inclination to take a vacation but a thought changed a vacation into a fulfilling, rewarding, meaningful experience

"What did people do as they sailed across the vast ocean?" was the thought that flashed into my head. I reached for the phone.

"Hello, executive office of the Windsurf Cruise Line".

"Do you have speakers on board for you upcoming transatlantic sailing?"

From that moment on it was just a matter of time before I found myself giving a successful presentation on health, healing, and chiropractic to the elite passengers of the world‑class sailing vessel, Windsurf.

I found myself answering questions and speaking to many of the passengers who wanted to know more about chiropractic. Some of them had never even heard the word chiropractic before. Thus, I did something any chiropractor could do. It was simply to think about chiropractic on an international level and to bring chiropractic to the world.

What opportunities do you have that could create a win‑win situation in some interesting and wonderful way that could spread the important message about the greatness of chiropractic?

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Then there is the story of Dr. Martin Finklestein who read an article about the "Flying Doctors of America." This was a group of medical doctors and nurses who went on various "mission trips" to third world countries.

As Dr. Finklestein read about this sincere and dedicated group of medical doctors he wondered if chiropractors were included. He followed up on this article and made several inquiries. Before long, he found himself at a meeting of the Flying Doctors of America. He found out that no doctors of chiropractic had ever gone on a "mission trip" before. Dr. Finklestein was ready for battle.

But in fact he was pleasantly surprised. He was warmly welcomed. While none of the members saw chiropractors as an important or useful part of the trip, none was opposed to having a chiropractor "come along for the ride." Dr. Finklestein then asked, "If there was no opposition why were chiropractors excluded from the "mission trips?"

The answer shocked him! "Chiropractors were not specifically excluded," he was told, it was just that "no chiropractor had ever inquired. No chiropractor had ever offered his/her expertise. No chiropractor had simply asked to go."

Dr. Finklestein rose to the occasion and immediately accepted the challenge. Without hesitation, he committed himself to be the first chiropractor on a "mission trip" with the Flying Doctors of America.

He wanted to show them the vast scope of chiropractic health care and the greatness of chiropractic. He became a team player and through his tact and diplomacy he was able to take cases that the medical doctors never dreamed, in their wildest imaginations, a chiropractor could help.

There was the child with epilepsy, who, by the end of 10 days of chiropractic care had his seizures completely stop.

There was the woman with paralysis of the right side who began to move.

There was the baby who was having asthmatic attacks almost daily until his first adjustment. So ecstatic and appreciative were the parents for Dr. Finklestein's successful chiropractic care that they came back with a dozen other friends, relatives, children, and with the baby.

With outstretched arms they gave the baby to Dr. Finklestein, asking him to become the godfather of the child. Through this symbolic act, not only was Dr. Finklestein overcome with joy and emotion, but the entire group of volunteers and people truly experienced the incredible healing ability of chiropractic.

Many of the doctors themselves began to receive chiropractic care.

Single handedly, Dr. Finklestein ‑‑ thinking and acting on an international level ‑‑ opened the doors for chiropractic to be included on every "mission trip" with the Flying Doctors of America.

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As a final example, the dynamite story about a "mission trip" involved five chiropractic students. They had one very simple and powerful plan. They wanted to bring chiropractic to a country it had never been before.

They saw themselves as pioneers and daring healers to spread the greatness of chiropractic to an unknown country. They knew chiropractic had been to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Panama; Russia, Brazil, Peru and Bali. They wanted something totally new and different, but in the most necessary and helpful and meaningful place. They turned to Asia.

As they scanned the map, it became obvious to almost all of them simultaneously.

Then Matt Lewis spoke the word "India."

Thus the little band of five students from Life Chiropractic College set out to make chiropractic history. They started doing their research into how to make their thought, their goal, their dream into reality.

Then they heard a rumor.

Some vague comments about some clinic doctor at Life Chiropractic College who had been to India and did some adjusting there. As they persisted their diligent search they found out the rumor was absolutely true and that a doctor had been to India for several months but no one was exactly sure who the doctor was. Then the breakthrough happened. Matt heard some students talking.

"Will you go back to Bali with Dr. Leonardi on his next mission trip?" one student was saying.

"It was a nice trip but Dr. Leonardi advised us to go somewhere else, someplace new," the other responded. "We asked him if he would do a trip to India. He told a small group of us that the need in India was beyond imagination and he would absolutely go if we organized it and put a small group of students together."

"What's this I hear about India?" Matt asked as he walked over to the table where the students were talking.

"Dr. Leonardi said he would go to India for a 'mission trip' if we got a group that wanted to go!"

Matt was gone before he even heard the end of the sentence. Within an hour he rounded up his friends and they found me at the school clinic where I worked, at that time, as a faculty doctor.

"Doctor Leonardi, we heard you would go to India for a 'mission trip' if we got a group to go?"

"Yes, I lived there for several months and opened a clinic there and the need is unbelievable."

"We want to go!"

"It would be a hard trip."

"We are ready to go!"

"There is no shopping ... no night life ... no restaurants ... no social events ... nothing except chiropractic."

"We wanna go..."

"It is hot, very hot. The wind itself is hot. There are mosquitoes all over. The food is only vegetarian. We are in the middle of nowhere."

"Dr. Leonardi, you're not listening to us ‑‑ we are prepared to go! What we need to know is will you help us facilitate this 'mission trip.' We will buy our plane tickets plus pay all the expenses and bring chiropractic to India."

"I can't create a negative enough picture for you, can I?"

"No. Doc, we are committed to bringing chiropractic to India. It's a country that it has never been before and we want to do a 'mission trip' there on a regular basis."

"How many students do you..."

"Five, and we can get more."

"And all five are committed?"

"Yes."

"How committed?"

At that moment our lives and our entire universe changed forever.

Matt turned to the group of four behind him. They exchanged glances.

"Who has a check book?" Matt asked.

Without hesitation Brett reached into his back pocket and stepped forward.

"How much do you need Doc?"

In that moment he wrote a deposit check for five people. Now they knew it was their destiny. Within a few short months, they created the first mission trip to India. The rest is history and what an exciting history it is because through the determination and persistence of these few students, tens of thousands of people in India have experienced the greatness of chiropractic.

Matt Lewis and company are preparing for the third "mission trip" to India as the original vision and dream continues to expand.

All this because of a few who said, "It will be, because of me."

They said they wanted to take chiropractic to a country that it never was before.

That was their goal, their vision, their dream. With that idea they took the action, made the commitment to pursue that goal and make it a reality.

And through that determined, dedicated commitment they achieved their dream.

What's your dream as a chiropractor?

Be bold!

Be daring!

Be courageous!

Dream the dream and create the reality.

Show the world the true greatness of chiropractic.

(Dr. Leonardi is a 1980 Life graduate and recipient of the International Chiropractors Association International Relations Award and co‑founder of the ICA Sports Council. He has lectured extensively about chiropractic care at scientific conferences and seminars around the world. He can be reached at drleonardi@hotmail.com.)