February 2007

The power of purpose

by Dr. Kevin Pallis and Dr. Ed Plentz

What happens when you lose your purpose? Your life begins to lose its meaning. You begin to lose your dreams and start going through the motions like everyone else. Everything seems to blend in a perfect shade of grey.

Purpose and a life worth living seem to go hand in hand. When purpose loses its importance in your life the linear, mechanized, predicable world replaces the non‑linear world of purpose and dreams.

Purposeful people are the ones responsible for change in society. It anchors and propels them to present ideas to society that may not be initially well received. They are the ones you remember from your childhood. They are the doers, the people who make things happen and create opportunities for others. They are our mentors, our teachers and our role models. They have the highest good of society in their hearts instead of self‑gain only.

If your spirit is not allowed to flow through your purpose, it gets bottled up and your life starts to not work as it did previously. Your practice becomes just a job. Everything in your life starts to drag you down. It seems like one darn thing after another.

It's spirit that powers dreams, not intellect. As chiropractors, we are constantly challenged between our personal beliefs and what society believes. This is complicated by economic incentives that reward chiropractors who maintain the status quo. Don't rock the boat with children and chiropractic. Should we give practice members what they want (symptomatic relief only) and keep our mouths shut about what health is? What about the next generation... children? When purpose is foremost in your heart, your practice will reflect integrity and purpose, not acceptance of the masses.

When you were small you dreamed all day long. Big dreams. Then somewhere along the way you were asked to give up your dreams. So you gave up your contrary ways and started acting like a responsible adult. You started to be like everybody else and put that purpose and your dreams away.

We're told dreamers never get anywhere. Yet, some of us are awakened by a bigger vision or purpose that intrudes itself in our lives... wanted or unwanted. Maybe it's the death of a parent. Maybe it's financial or relationship strain. Without a powerful purpose, we're exposed by these adversities. If a DC has a strong self‑image and purpose, going through adversity actually makes him or her stronger and more developed personally and professionally.

Everyone in chiropractic wants to know how to get new patients. Likewise, everyone wants to increase his or her income. How about staff relationships? The answer to all of these is purpose. Strange as it sounds, purpose is the common denominator of a leader. Having a vision, having a dream. People want to be around people of purpose.

People want to make powerful and lasting relationships, they've just been let down sometimes in the past. They've been sold to, promised, and marketed. What they're really looking for are individuals who stand behind what they say and who they are. That allows them as consumers to make the choice best for their families.

The intent of a purposeful DC is so much different than a purposeless DC. A purposeful DC calls after the first adjustment and welcomes new practice members to their office and thanks them, (yes, thanks them) for the opportunity to serve them and their family. That's a lot different than calling to see how they're "feeling" after their first adjustment. An offshoot of that is the recorded phone call thanking you for your purchase. Why bother? Without human touch everything is bland, antiseptic and cold. DCs of purpose are not afraid to make meaningful relationships with people.

People recognize purposeful chiropractors immediately by the environment of their office, their staff, and their message. It's an environment of greatness. It communicates very high regard for chiropractic and for practice members. Friendly, compassionate, possessing a backbone and genuine interest in the highest good for them.

Purposeful DCs aren't sidetracked by practice members who argue for the right to be unhealthy. Purposeful DCs are not pulled into the drama of why a practice member can't participate in care (insurance, time, distance, no money). They attract the people who are willing to make the commitment to health for themselves and their family.

Purposeful people seem to recognize DCs of purpose. They both have a unwritten credo that reads whatever it takes, I won't let you down. Isn't it about time that we as chiropractors stood up for our purpose and showed the world what a group of like‑minded DCs can accomplish?

(The New Renaissance is a movement of passionate chiropractors dedicated to changing the world. The leader in patient education since 1977, the Mentor IV Coaching Program is a step‑by‑step navigational guide that embodies the very essence of The New Renaissance vision of healthier people creating a healthier world. Without patient education, your patients won't "get it." To learn more about The New Renaissance, contact world headquarters at 800‑525‑3879.)