Arete ( /ˈærətiː/; Greek: ἀρετή), in its basic sense, means excellence of any kind.  In its earliest appearance in Greek, this thought of excellence was ultimately bound up with the notion of the fulfillment of purpose or function: the act of living up to one’s full potential.

Just think of what would be possible if we lived this way, trying to use up every last drop of ourselves during our short time here.  The apostle Paul lived this way.

Imagine what could be done to spread God’s Word to the ends of the Earth if we lived this way too…

We would change the world, leave a legacy, and live a lifetime of adventure.  May we all strive for Arete.

Today I was thinking of how many of my friends–offline and online–don’t understand chiropractic, let alone my passion for it.  I get it, as there are many mixed messages out there, including “chiropractors” who try to practice in a medical model treating back pain (we call these people medipractors).  I can see from their perspective it is hard to know what to believe.

Let me share with you what I believe.  

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You know what I’m talking about.

You’ve been hard at work on a project, a hobby, or even a dream.  You’ve reached that “point of no return” moment and you feel unsure, anxious.

There is a reason that Reset and Power are different buttons.

Is it good enough? 

Will people like it?

Will people hate it?

Will I be criticized? 

Is it worth it?

And in that moment you panic and hit Reset.  You decide to move on, to do something better, to start over in hopes of being perfect.

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Has it ever occurred to you that everything you do in your life is done through your nervous system?  Watching a sunset, tasting a great wine, feeling the ocean breeze on your skin — you experience your life through your senses which communicate to your brain via nerves.  That is why we call the nervous system the master system of the body, because it controls everything from your heartbeat to perception of pain.

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I was talking with a patient this morning, and as she was explaining the stress in her life to me I realized that many people have not heard the full story on stress, how the body responds to it, and what it does to their bodies over time.  This is another conversation I have daily, so I wanted to share it with you.  First, I will tell you a story about a stressful event, and then we will break it down afterward.

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Do you feel less creative than your younger self?  Has brain-fog and routine become your reality?  This spring are you looking for new experiences and new life?  If you answered any of these “yes!” then this is being written just for you.

Does your brain feel like this?

I was reading a new study this morning that shows Chiropractic adjustments have been found to improve creative thinking.  Like many people, there are times I feel like I am losing my creative edge.  That has led me to wonder why that happens as we age – because we have more experiences to draw upon and more time to hone our creative talents.  But we also have more demands on our time, more worries, more stress.

If you have ever heard me talk about stress before, then you know that it puts your body into a survival “fight-or-flight” mode.  When in survival mode, a part of your brain called the cerebral cortex is shut down.

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Everyone seems to be searching for an “authentic” experience, in fact, Generation Y is all about authenticity.  A chance for something to happen to them, for a story to be made, for a pivotal moment that shifts their paradigm.  We as humans are happiest when we are living congruently and consciously, though this is an uncommon state.  There is a great disconnect happening within people that is keeping them from having an enjoyable, authentic, passionate life.  This disconnect is caused by societal pressures, stress, and subluxations that overwhelm your body into a state of defensive adaptation where it survives on a sub-conscious level.

Living consciously is bringing awareness to everything in your life (actions, values, purposes, goals) and being fully present in each moment.  It requires you to create a purpose by intelligent design, and to pursue it regardless of pleasure or pain.  This is where the authentic experience occurs.

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This Weeks Thought Blackboard

How to LiveWell and Prevent Disease

Thoughts – Positive Mental Attitude

Chiropractic – Clear nerve communication (turn the power on)

Choices – Exercise, Sleep, Hydration, Posture, Eating, Supplements

This Christmas season, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve the community as a guide, coach, and teacher of health and healing. I’ve been seeing more and more mental lightbulbs turn on this year as people are beginning to take charge of their health, and understand that pharmaceutical companies are not benevolent-driven, but are profit-driven enterprises.  (more…)