We Are All One Adjustment Away from Making Our Lives Work

Dr. Martha’s Monday Morning Motivational

Monday, March 30, 2011

The truth about life is that we are all one adjustment from making our lives work.  Why is it that the one adjustment that is so hard? So often we see what we need to do and hesitate to do it?  Even when we know that that one thing is the necessary tweak to take our lives from good to great? It is all part of the process, part of the journey.  And then once we make that adjustment it is inevitable that we look back and say,  “That wasn’t so bad”.

This concept of just one adjustment to create the necessary energy to create a shift applies to all areas of life.  Looking at life in the terms of three aspects: emotional, chemical, and physical there is always an adjustment we can make to enhance our overall well-being.

In the chemical realm there are many little adjustments we can make and I recommend doing them one by one.  Starting with water is an easy one.  Just by enhancing your overall consumption on a daily basis can increase your innate function.  Adding a lemon takes it a step farther, another small adjustment.  Other adjustments you can begin to make are increasing your fruits and vegetables, decreasing or even eliminating your grains, eliminating dairy, and adding healthy fats take your wellness to the next level.  One or more of these small adjustments simply makes your life work to it’s fullest potential.  If it’s not your style to make multiple changes at once, start with one and make the next adjustment when you are ready.  This should not be a stress.

We often think more about the physical aspect of wellness because we feel that.  Aches and pains grab our attention and make it known that they are in our lives for an unknown length of time.  What people often fail to realize is that when you take one nerve and break it down into parts it is only 10% pain/sensory nerves, with 45% autonomic and 45% motor nerves.  People are able to wrap themselves around the 10% because it nags at them and makes itself known and they push aside or fail to accept the other 90%.  There are many people who don’t even know because they have never been told. People are always shocked when I explain that their low back pain, digestive problems, and reproductive problems are all correlated.  A light bulb goes off and they get it! So, in terms of physical health a simple adjustment by a chiropractor can bridge the gap that is holding an individual back from optimal health.  Our innate thrives when our nervous system is balanced and suddenly our life begins to work. Once we are balanced physically we can get the proper benefits of working out and again we make a necessary adjustment to function better.

Our emotional state can affect every area of our body.  Many times this area is overlooked because individuals don’t want to deal with the feelings that come with making emotional adjustments.  They almost become numb or comfortable and in a sense they deny the emotional stressors they are under.  Great majorities of people are never even taught to deal with emotional stressors or worse yet are taught to stifle them and ignore them. So, dealing with them is like understanding a foreign language.  There are often times that dealing with these stressors affects our relationships with ourselves or other people.  They are especially hard when they affect the people that we love.  I just remind people not every effect is negative – even if it is perceived at that time to be.  It’s also important to remember that often in the heat of dealing with the emotional stressor is the worse, the eye of the storm if you will.  And when thinking of a storm there is always a stillness in the air after the storm that reminds us that the storm played its role.  That it was a necessary evil of sorts to re-establish balance of nature.  This is also true of the emotional adjustments we have to make in order to enhance our lives.  While they are not easy they are necessary to give us the balance we need and to allow our lives to function optimally.

In all three areas it is important that we constantly make adjustments so that we are constantly going from good to great. Some areas are easy to make adjustments and others are hard but realize the more difficult the adjustment the greater the shift.  Adjustments may not always be enjoyable at the time but it’s the result that is worth it.  Remember, we are all one adjustment from making our life work.  What adjustment have you been putting off?

Love. Laugh. Adjust.

Innate Girl

How You Do Anything is How You Do Everything

Yesterday when I was in the gym I learned a very valuable lesson or at least had it refreshed.  5 days a week I do Crossfit workouts at my local gym.  I have recently started doing them with three other people very regularly.  We always have a great time and healthy competition.  We have all definitely grown exponentially in both mental and physical strength over the course of our workouts.

Usually each day I am the second one done, every once and awhile I beat Jim but it’s rare! I will say that on the days I do he is more upset than I am happy (love ya, JIm)! But, today was very different.  Today the workout called for:

100 ft of walking lunges with 30 lb dumbbells

30- 30″ box jumps

30-30 lb weighted pullups (20 lbs for women)

**4 sets of all three for time **

We all knew it was going to be a hard workout so we got started! We first did our warmup of overhead squats, dips, sit ups, ghd sit ups, back extensions, and a few pullups. As Crossfit says, “Our warm up is your workout!”

The timers started and we were of with walking lunges which were difficult but definitely doable, then I was on to the box jumps which were actually a nice break from what was next.  Those CRAZY weighted pull ups.  Are you kidding me (AYKM)?? One word, WOW! Ok, so 20 lb weighted pull ups were very difficult and after 3 pull ups (yes, 3!) I moved down to 12.5 lbs. And I completed my first set.  The second and third set took forever and were so difficult. By the last set I was really contemplating losing the weight with the pull ups.  Pull ups without weight are NO problem but with weight they were unbearable.  But, I was determined! I pushed through and it took me 37:30 to finish the workout.  The longest a Crossfit work has ever taken.  And I felt awesome! Really amazing and extremely proud! Why? Let me explain.

I was the last one finished by about 10 minutes.  Which was a change and like any change it can be uncomfortable.  But I was also one of the only people to finish it full out with all weights accurate or atleast a derivative of it.  Jim completed it full out with everything down exactly and really did awesome! But the other two did less weight on the walking lunges and no weight on the pull ups, which is still acceptable and deserves a job well done.  And believe me I considered it a couple times during the almost 40 minute workout.  I kept thinking that “it would be so much easier with no weighted pull ups” but I kept thinking to myself easy isn’t always the right or best way!

During yesterday’s workout I realized that sometimes the right way isn’t always the easy way. This seems simple but it’s so true and really important.  A lot of times a few shortcuts will still get you to the end point but will you get the same end result? Let me explain.  If I would have taken the weight off for the pull ups I still would have finished the workout and  would have done 120 pull ups total so I would have still felt amazing but I wouldn’t have gotten the same benefit as I did by doing the weighted pull ups.

My personal take home from yesterday was simple, sometimes the most growth and results come from taking time and being detailed.  It wasn’t when I finished but that I finished and finished fulfilled. Be patient and persevere and you will finish as you should! The right way isn’t always the easy way!

How you do anything is how you do everything.

Be well. Love and light.

Love. Laugh. Adjust.