March 2007

The truth and nothing but the truth

by Dr. Ron Oberstein

The world we know today has been shaped by the efforts of visionaries and leaders who endured many hardships and stood the test of time. People like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, David Ben‑Gurion, Eleanor Roosevelt, BJ Palmer and others had a vision and pursued their dream with unwavering commitment and dedication. They knew within their heart of hearts what was right and were willing to fight for their cause. They stood for justice, humanity and the truth. Their missions were accomplished against seemingly insurmountable odds.

Let's face it, a man in a loin cloth (Gandhi) brought down the largest empire in the world (Great Britain), demonstrating once again that the battle isn't won solely by strength, but by conviction. MLK led the way to equality for African Americans. Mandela stopped apartheid. Ben‑Gurion helped establish a country. Roosevelt made great strides in women's rights. Palmer developed a profession that became the largest of its kind in natural healing. The common denominator shared by all these magnificent leaders in making great changes in our world was having others to help them. They didn't do it alone, they just led the way. In part, what bolstered their accomplishments was critical mass ‑‑ when enough people start thinking the same way causing change to come about. Strength in numbers, strength in commitment, strength in the truth.

Look at the changes occurring in the world around health care. Increasingly, the logic associated with drugs and surgery is being re‑examined at the same time that more money's being spent out of pocket on natural healing than on either of these approaches. People are questioning their medical doctors, wanting to know more natural ways to help themselves. A tidal wave of major change is sweeping across the old culture of health care in America. Are you ready to take the next step to put chiropractic on top of the health care professions and be the leader in health and wellness? If you are, let's consider what you can do to make these changes happen.

From 1895 to 2006, as a profession we've touched many lives, and accumulated a mass of influence that has elevated chiropractic to a place many thought was never possible. Now the time has come for each individual DC to take action within himself or herself in order to increase chiropractic's forward motion exponentially. Working from the inside is how the body becomes whole, and the same is true of our profession.

Here are some action steps for growth that each of us can take individually:

***  Send more people to chiropractic college. More chiropractors are needed to take care of our population. The schools are doing their part at job fairs and college recruitment evenings, but they can't reach the people we see in our offices every day. If you love what you do, share it with others and let them have an opportunity to love it too.

***  Donate the price of one office visit to your state or national association. These groups dedicate themselves to helping their constituents, and represent us at our state and nation's capitols.

***  Help other chiropractors in your area, or ask for help if you are in need. Strengthen those around you and help us as a group to excel.

***  Give what you can to the institution of your choice. Whether you realize it or not, every dollar counts. Our colleges don't receive federal grants like other major colleges, and by giving back, we move further forward.

***  Increase your individual commitment to what you do by being more of a presence ‑‑ in your community, place of worship, and local organizations.

***  Become the best you can be within yourself. When you're whole, your range of influence multiplies.

***  Get involved with groups that support you personally and professionally. There are many groups that look out for your best interest and have the great intentions. Seek them out and support them as well.

This is just a sampling of ways to accelerate the change we're working toward. As you can see, this change must start from the inside. Our forefathers and foremothers who practiced chiropractic under oppression and prejudice stood for their beliefs. When times got tough, they got tougher. They lived for the principle, worked from the principle, and were men and women of principle. Those were the cards they were dealt, and they played their hands the best they could.

Our deck is stacked differently. We may not have the outward oppression our history talks about, but we have something far more devastating and insidious: APATHY. Apathy breeds laziness, and laziness becomes paralysis. Put a person on the couch all day, feed that individual all day, and eventually he or she won't ever want to get up.

We didn't become chiropractors to do nothing! Take a bold stand and get ready to change your world from the inside out. We're all part of the critical mass, and with each other, we'll move mountains and change paradigms. Like all the leaders before us and ahead of us, move with the truth and nothing but the truth!

(Dr. Ron Oberstein, has been lecturing and coaching chiropractors for 20 of his 25 years as a DC. In 1994, he founded The Power Zone, a chiropractic company that teaches doctors and their team members how to unlock their hidden potential so they can become the best they can be. Ten years later, Dr. Oberstein founded the Chiropractors Buying Group, designed to offer chiropractors the finest products, latest technology, lowest prices, and greater choices in purchases for the chiropractic office. As the profession's sole chiropractic buying group, CBG sets the standard for lowering costs while providing the best products and services available. To start saving ‑‑ up to 67% or more ‑‑ on products used daily in the chiropractic practice, join 4,000+ CBG members by going to www.cbgsave.com. Or, call 800‑649‑0899 for FREE membership.)