by Mark Radermacher, D.C.

President of Total Practice Management

 

            Dr. Radermacher has been a chiropractor for 22 years and has been coaching some of the largest practices in the country for the last 14 years.

 

          The horrific events that occurred on September 11, 2001 have thrown the free world into a state of dramatic uncertainty. We have already experienced significant negative impact in our financial markets, our modifications in security and our way of thinking about our freedom and our future. It is in the world of uncertainty that thoughts and actions are amplified to the level of distortion. In order to understand and respond to the uncertainty that has been thrust upon us, we must take inventory of what we have and what we can create, specifically what we are truly uncertain of versus what we are truly certain of. In doing so, we can find more than peace of mind; we can also identify and create a plan.

            We must be very cautious in controlling our emotions during a time of dramatic uncertainty. Kneejerk response to events, actions and comments can be amplified to the extent of becoming unreasonably blown out of proportion. Calm reasonable thinking must prevail. In order to produce calm and reasonable thinking, we must take inventory of what we are truly uncertain of versus what we are truly certain of.

            Many people never take inventory of certainty and find themselves constantly focusing on what is uncertain. In fact, many people focus almost entirely on worrying and attempting to affect uncertainties they have no control over. Some simple examples are worry or attempting to affect the stock market, the weather, traffic and natural disasters. Worry will never accomplish anything except to eventually both emotionally and physically destroy the person who is worrying. It is fruitless to attempt to affect situations out of our control, while it is pathetic to fail to attempt to affect situations in our control.

            In taking a current inventory of uncertainty, we know we can be uncertain of additional terrorist attacks and when, where, and to what extent they may occur. We are uncertain as to how much more the stock market will drop and when and how quickly it might begin a substantive recovery. We are uncertain as to how much negative impact the world economy may experience and who and when the recovery will be led by. Even as these uncertainties are real, to worry about them would be of no positive value and, as stated, would lead to emotional then physical self destruction.

            The solution is to take inventory and then act upon the points we are certain of. The points we are certain of are those we can concern ourselves with and have impact on. We can be certain of how the majority of people will respond to the horrific events that occurred. Most people are worried and afraid. In fact, they are so worried and afraid that they are forgetting to think about controlling themselves in the present, which precludes them from creating the future. We can’t become upset by this reaction; it would serve no purpose. We can be certain about people’s health. Now, even more than before, people’s health problems are amplified. They may briefly be mentally too pre-occupied with worry to notice their deteriorating state of health. But, physical pain is a great motivator and will rule the mind sooner than later. We can be certain of what we have to offer. This is not the time to neither question the efficacy of chiropractic nor its importance in people’s lives. This is the time to boldly teach about health and chiropractic and this is the time to relate the stress of the horrific events that occurred to people’s deteriorating health. The near future will require patients to very diligently stay with the course of their care. These horrific events did indeed produce traumatic life impact; to fail to explain this to patients is to fail them as their doctor!

            We can also be certain of our freedom. We cannot sit back and hope all free countries in the world will remain free; we must act in support of all that needs to be done in order to help freedom prevail. Without freedom, our list of certainty (our list of what we can control) becomes pathetically short. And, finally, we can control our future. Of this, we can be certain. While many people are forfeiting their opportunities to control their futures because they are mired in worry and uncertainty, we can do the opposite. By understanding people’s reactions, by realizing people’s health is deteriorating rapidly, by knowing full-well that what we have to offer in chiropractic is mandatory for the masses, by understanding and enhancing our freedom and by realizing we (no-one-else) control our future; we create, firmly control and utilize our opportunities.

            What happened on September 11, 2001 was a disgusting and cowardly attack on freedom, plunging the free world into dramatic uncertainty. We can’t change what happened, but we must understand uncertainty and certainty. We have to make one of two decisions: Will we either succumb to worry and amplify to the level of distortion, situations we cannot control; or will we take inventory of certainty and leave unnecessary emotion on the side line while we take control and responsibility for our actions and thus our future? As chiropractors, our peace of mind and our patients potential for health hang in the balance and those who rise to the occasion will have the greatest potential to succeed.