October 2005

Success in action

by Dr. Robert Schiffman

"There is no upper limit to what individuals are capable of doing with their minds. There is no age limit that bars them from beginning. There is no obstacle that cannot be overcome if they persist and believe." ‑‑ H.G. Wells 

Being a person of action or accomplishment can change your life.  When you become this type of person, you possess the power to change. Start right now. This is your life. You are similar to a stonecarver's stone that is resistant to change. You must be the sculptor, and chip away at the things that hinder you and are not right. In fact, the only person who can do it is you, so pick up that hammer and chisel away.

The only way to reach that which is the best that lies within you, the stone, is to start chipping. You must start making the right choices for yourself. I heard it said once, that, "Character is like chiseling a statue; one has to knock off huge hunks of selfishness, which requires self‑discipline. Only then does character begin to emerge."

You know most people who say that they want to be successful will never take the initiative or be an action person. The only way to succeed is simple. You have to be the exception, you have to make a decision today to change and take risks and be different.

William James, the 19th‑century American philosopher said something that I think holds true today: "Compared with what we ought to be, we are only half awake. We are making use of only a small part of our physical and mental resources. Stating the thing broadly, the human individual thus lives far within his limits. He possesses powers of various sorts, which he habitually fails to use."

You don't expect success to come easily, for it's not the easy that you're after. You simply want the chance to prove all that you can do. You must do the work that is necessary to turn possibility to probability. You have to feel inspired and passionate. This will make your life have purpose. The American novelist, Washington Irving wrote, "Great minds have purposes; others simply have wishes." When you fulfill your purpose you will feel happy and full of joy, fulfilling your God‑given potential.

The first step is to stop daydreaming, stop being lazy, and definitely stop looking for the easy way (people are always looking for excuses) and stop comparing yourself to others around you. Live with a "can‑do" spirit. There's nothing that you want to do that has not been done before. You should see yourself as the chiropractor that you want to be and work hard toward being that person, in attitude, style. Be confident and happy, glowing in charisma.

Do you think that you have what it takes? Can you persevere when the going gets a little tough? Will you whine, whimper, complain and feel sorry for yourself when you see a few obstacles? Don't give up and settle for less than your best. Don't worry, you can never overachieve because you have unlimited potential.

In order to succeed you must learn, try and even make mistakes. You should never stop improving or learning. You've seen what others have done, what do you want to do? What do you want from your life, and how will you define your personal success? You should try to write your goals and plans, find your inspiration, and consider the characteristics of successful chiropractors.

There are many characteristics of successful people, and one of them is to have goals. When you have goals you have a clear vision of who you are and where you want to go. Goal‑oriented people base their life on reacting and not being content, they are also result‑ (not praise‑) oriented. Your realization of success is that to move anywhere you must be committed to change. When you choose to do this people will see you as a serious and purposeful person.

Another characteristic is that you choose to prioritize. When you prioritize you decide what are the most important things to do and then you do them, even if they're difficult. You are result‑oriented and you are effective at time managing. This will help bring balance in your body, mind and spirit. You should never automatically say "yes" to everything everyone asks you.

There are other characteristics, including being self‑reliant. You base your self‑image on confidence and being capable. You believe in chiropractic and your abilities as a chiropractor. You're a person of conviction and never look to others to do your work for you. Knowing that you're better off challenging yourself rather than competing with others, you're motivated, passionate, a real self‑starter. And, you're prepared to endure what's required of you once you commit to being successful chiropractor.

(Studying under CS Gonstead ignited Dr. Robert Schiffman's passion for chiropractic. The Life University graduate's career accomplishments have won him much recognition, and he is one of the most sought‑after speakers in chiropractic today. Dr. Schiffman ‑‑ founder of the Get the Big Idea Seminars and Coaching Programs ‑‑ continues to maintain one of the world's largest volume practices. Contact him by calling 877‑251‑0181, or visit online at www.getthebigidea.com)