That’s the difference
I graduated first in my class from Logan College of Chiropractic with a white coat, a stethoscope, a doctor’s bag of vitamins (they sounded like real, prescription pills) and became an adult musculoskeletal, sports injury practitioner. By the way, I thumbed to school every day. From Richmond Heights to Chesterfield, MO, 15 miles each way. No public transportation, no car, but I had to get there. The first part of my practice days were comprised of necks, backs and sports injuries, modalities, supplements, and taping. I realized that without getting to know my practice members, results were never enough. They were always crabby (like Old Lady O’Brien) and complaining about expense, how many visits they had to complete, etc. But when relationships were created, all of that mercifully died down. Then along comes my mentor Dr. Joe Flesia, and the change was made from an insurance-based, allopathic practice to a cash, VSC, family, DCME (Difficult Cases Made Easy), wellness-based practice. Without this mentor, all the academics and degrees of excellence would not have mattered.
He challenged me to open my heart to children. He challenged me to constantly study (make it a lifelong habit) and to do things nobody else was willing to do. He said, “You must travel a different path than others. If you wanted to be the best, you had to pay the price.” I’ve heard that a time or two before. When I was an allopath, he didn’t make any sense to me, but when I was seeing hundreds of people per day his expertise, guidance and mentoring became crystal clear. It’s the same clarity that I’ve heard members talk about time and time again.
The minute you walk into your first TNR event or seminar, there was a certain indescribable feeling. If the fit is right, you’ll find yourself thinking more and more throughout the event, these people are just like me. Sure, we all look different, have very different views and ways of expressing ourselves, but TNR members get me. They don’t judge my religion (or lack of it), my appearance, technique, politics, or world view. They support me and the path that I’m on. It’s okay for me to unfurl my tongue and speak my piece without fearing consequences, or ruining a perfectly dull, predictable, family outing with talking about illnesses, and checking my cell phone to alleviate the boredom. TNR DC’s seem to ooze that invisible ingredient I’ve been searching for.
In TNR, complacency and coasting are replaced by a dynamic tension toward being your best.
