Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Laugh It Up!

This morning I was hanging out with Evan. I saw her look at one of her plastic play cups that I had put her little stuffed fish into. She started laughing at this discovery. I laughed too.

The other day Barbara and I were going for a ride in the car with Evan. I heard Evan start clapping in the back seat and asked Barbara what she was clapping about. Barbara said that she just does that sometimes.

Marcel Proust said, "Let us be grateful to people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."

I am truly grateful for my little girl.

This little blog entry is about joy and laughter.

I was listening to Robin Sharma the other day and he shared a striking bit of information.

The average 4 year old laughs 300 times per day.
The average adult laughs 15 times per day.

Wow! Can you imagine?

When was the last time you laughed? When was the last time you laughed so hard tears ran down your face? Do you remember laughing so hard as a teenager that milk came out of your nose? Then you and everyone around you laughed even more.

According to Robin Sharma, comedian Steve Martin laughs in front of the mirror for 5 minutes every morning. He says that it gets him in the right frame of mind and gets the creative juices flowing.

In China they say, one who has not laughed today has not lived today.

"The more you laugh, the more you live."
- Robin Sharma

Laughter and joy have also healed people.

"Norman Cousins (1915 to 1990), longtime editor of the Saturday Review, global peacemaker, receiver of hundreds of awards including the UN Peace Medal and nearly fifty honorary doctorate degrees, overcame a life threatening disease and a massive coronary, each time using his own nutritional and emotional support protocol.Cousin’s seminal book ”Anatomy of an Illness” details his healing journey overcoming ankylosing spondylitis (a degenerative disease causing the breakdown of collagen). Given up to die within a few months in 1965, almost completely paralyzed, Cousins checked out of the hospital, moved into a hotel room and began taking extremely high doses of vitamin C while exposing himself to a continuous stream of humorous films and similar "laughing matter". His condition steadily improved and Cousins regained the use of his limbs until he was able to return to his full-time job at the Saturday Review." - from http://www.healingcancernaturally.com/laughter-is-medicine.html

Norman Cousins' case was published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1979. Since this time, scientist have confirmed that laughter boosts energy and creativity levels, and also promotes a sense of well-being. Laughing releases neurochemicals in your brain that lead to feelings of relaxation and happiness.

"May laughter fill your home, relieve your stress, and strengthen your friendships. Do not let a day go buy without laughing; it is good for your health." Catherine Pulsifer, from Seven Gifts To Give To A Friend

So laugh it up! Life can be a lot of fun. : )

Friday, April 18, 2008

Our Little Artist

This is Evan.

She is my daughter.

The other day, my wife and I took her to an art show. It was interactive and had an area for making some art.

Here she is. Isn't she cute?

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Restoring My Ignorance

I am rethinking things...

There are two things that just happened today that have caused me to pause. Here is the first...

If you do not know, this is Evan. She is my 13 month old daughter. Notice how children take risks without even thinking about it. They just do it in their joy of exploration.

Oh, and notice how happy she is.

Now, here is the second thing...

I came across this quote today.

"All you need in this life is ignorance and confidence; then success is sure." - Mark Twain

Evan is the epitome of this quote. She doesn't know any better and she is going for it. Did I mention how happy she looks?

So here I am, contemplating. How do I restore my ignorance? How do I confidently move forward without much thought?

Do you know what kills ignorance? Thinking you know it all. Another way of putting this might be a fear of not knowing. A fear of the unknown.

We think we know so much. It is this knowing that keeps us trapped and unable to explore.

Do you know what fuels ignorance? Curiosity. You must be in a state of ignorance in order to develop curiosity. If you think that you already know, why be curious?

Here is an example of ignorance being stifled... "Curiosity killed the cat." How often have you heard that? Think of the fear of that. If you are curious, you will die. Just like kitty.

Look at Evan's face. Go ahead. Click on the picture and blow it up. Do you see the joy that ignorance and confidence brings? How sad it would have been if my wife, Barbara, had stopped her and said, "No! You might get hurt." But she didn't.

In actuality, she helped make it safer by watching her closely and then she grabbed the camera (no calls to child services please).

So go on. Be ignorant! Be confident! Find the joy in this wonderful combination once again.

Clutter, Clutter Everywhere

It is finally Spring. Time for the inevitable Spring Cleaning. Yeah!

Let's talk about what Spring Cleaning is really all about... Namely tolerations.

Tolerations are those little things that bug you, just a little bit, and you tolerate them. Here are some examples (from my office)...

* cluttered desk
* stuffed desk drawer
* unopened mail
* cover missing on a plug
* scuff mark on the wall
* yellow spots on the ceiling tile
* dust
* wires under the desk
* files not filed
* my waistline is a little big

Get the picture? I could keep going.

We all have tolerations. We try to ignore them. We fool ourselves into thinking that we don't notice them or they don't bug us. But alas, they are sucking away at our energy.

I once heard tolerations described like this. Imagine that you are trudging through the Amazon jungle and you come to a stream. You hop in and cross. On the other side you discover that you are covered with leaches. You continue onward. Then what happens?

You don't notice anything for a while. Then you start getting weaker and weaker. Suddenly, you collapse.

You see, each leach by itself is not sipping much of your blood. As a group, however, they are draining you dry.

This is what tolerations do to you energetically. Each one sucks a little from you every moment of every day. So let's set you free!

If you really want to open the flows of energy and transform your life, you must handle your tolerations. Here's how...
  1. Make a list - Go around and list all of the things that you are tolerating. You will be amazed at how big this list gets.
  2. Put the list away for a week - Don't worry, it will be there later.

  3. Pull out the list - Cross off all of the tolerations that have somehow magically been handled already. This may surprise you.

  4. Put a plan together to eliminate the tolerations that are left on the list - Delegate what you can and schedule the rest.

  5. Take action - Get to it
You are going to feel better and become much more productive. The flows of the Universe will open up again. You will be free!

I recommend doing this practice at least 4 times a year. Anytime that you notice business drop a little or grumpiness at home, check your tolerations. It will change your life.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Remember You're Having Fun

Recently, I forgot something. In fact, it was something very important to the enjoyment of life. I forgot that I was having fun.

I forgot that I am doing what I love to do.

I forgot how blessed I am.

Have you ever forgotten that life is fun? What happened?

If you are like me, you got depressed. You got grumpy. You felt like running away.

Do you ever get like that?

What is your strategy for breaking free of that feeling?

Here is what I do (in no particular order)...

  • Check my food - What am I eating. If I am eating a lot of sugar or bread, or I am missing taking my vitamins, I am probably going to forget that I am having fun.
  • Check my "what I like" list - Here is a link to my list. Do you have a list? Make one. It was really good to check my list. I actually added to it. Then I scheduled a day trip with my family.
  • Check my gratitude. Have I been being grateful? Have I looked at all that I am grateful for in life? Have you looked at your life for all that you are grateful for?
After doing these things, my attitude shifted. I came to realize that I am doing what I love to do. I started to recognize the joy and fun in my life again. I understood that life is a marathon and not a sprint. It is up to me whether I enjoy the jog or not.

I hope that this helped at least one of you. I highly recommend writing the "what I like list" for yourself. Also, I have some classes coming up about blood sugar and vitamins. Make a point to be there.

Happy re-realized and appreciative again, Dr. Dale.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

How cool is it to be

I was thinking this morning about how cool it is to be. When you think about it, it is a really great gift that we have been given. I mean, you can be anything. Anything!

This is one thing that we get to decide. We hear it growing up... What do you want to be when you get older? We ask ourselves when we are older... Who am I?

Do we ever really answer the question? Do we ever really get clear on who we are? Who we be?

I believe that this is where a lot of emotional pain comes from. We just don't get clear on who we are. We search for ways to define ourselves, but never look within. We listen to others and give them the power to answer this most important question. We try to define ourselves based on what we do or our profession.

I am a chiropractor.
I am a father.
I am a carpenter.

Who are you really?

What part of the play of life are you here to play?

I think that we get fearful of the bigness of the part that we are to play. We all get butterflies as we are about to step up onto the stage.

Here is what I have determined is my be. Who am I?

I notice within myself that sharing this is somewhat personal and a little scary. Here it goes anyway...

I am a messenger of God. My beingness is that of a channel of Truth and Understanding. I bring forth Clarity. Before you go running to the hills yelling about what a crazy person Dr. Dale is, consider this... Aren't we all messengers of God? We probably are not all here to bring Understanding and Clarity. In fact, I think that a lot of us may be here to challenge Understanding and Truth.

Either way, we are here to sing our special voice into the world. We are here to expand, grow and experience. We are here to dance our dance. We are here to express all of the goodness from within out into the world. We are here to perceive the Beauty in everything and everyone and share the Light. I like that ... perceive the Beauty and share the Light.

I am a perceiver of the Beauty and a sharer of the Light. Run for the hills!! : )

Monday, April 7, 2008

New Disc Golf Best

Many of you may not know this, but I really enjoy playing disc golf. Yes, there is such a thing. there is a professional organization (PDGA), there is a professional tour, and there are courses set up all over the world.

Well, the course that I have been playing lately is the one in Pasadena. What is really neat about this course is that it is the first course ever.

Now for my firsts...
I was playing on Sunday with a buddy, Ken Brown, and I threw a 9 under. This was my best score so far and I was jazzed. During the round I had 11 birdies and 2 boggies. I birdied 2 holes that I had never birdied before. And during the round I threw 6 birdies in a row.

Here are some things that I learned about myself...

One of the techniques that I used to help myself stay present was to clap my hands and think or say out loud, "Let go of the past." This actually worked very well.

Another thing that I found very interesting was that when I was at 7 under with 3 holes left, I was feeling nervous. All I had to do at that time was throw pars and I would get my personal course best, but I actually felt the nervousness. Huh!

I get anxious at the dawn of success. Something to notice.

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

The Secret to Giving Your Child the Winning Edge

You may not realize this yet, but your about to learn a secret that will give your child a huge advantage in life. If you are like me, you want to give your child the absolute best opportunity to excel. You want to give them the winning edge. By the time you finish this article, you will know one of the most powerful secrets to do just that.

As you read, you will learn from some of the top athletes in the world as they share how utilizing this secret has increased their performance and extended their careers. In other words, you will learn what has given them the edge.

This secret is going to blow your mind.

My wife and I have utilized this secret with my daughter ever since she was born. She just turned one year old and people have always commented on her concentration and awareness. They have even described her as “special,” “so advanced” and “amazing.”

Here is something that you will probably never hear from a parent. My daughter isn’t “special” or “advanced” or even “amazing.” The truth is, she’s normal. But because most parents do not utilize this secret with their children, compared to other children, she is special, advanced and amazing. You’ll understand this soon enough as you keep reading.


How Kids Become Less Special and Less Amazing

Did you know that OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) recently released a study that said that by the time we are 13 years of age, we have had over 1000 traumas? Wow! 1000 traumas. Seems like a lot, huh? Almost unbelievable. Let’s explore this…

Did you know that the first major trauma in life is birth? Even in the best case scenario, it can cause incredible damage. In fact, in 1987, Dr. Gutmann, a German Manual Medicine Specialist, published a paper after he studied 1000 infants. What he concluded was that approximately 80% of all children are not in autonomic balance. What this means is that a large majority of our children are neurologically disadvantaged at the beginning of their life. In other words, their communications system is already out of balance.

Can you imagine? “Autonomic imbalance” is like having static in your phone line. You may be able to hear the communication, but you have to listen a lot harder with more effort. Yuck!

How else do we develop static in our communication system?

Did you know that 50% of our infants roll off of the changing table onto the floor?

According to Safe USA, “childhood falls account for an estimated 2 million Emergency Department visits each year.” Also, “in one year, approximately 7,000 children were sent to the hospital for falls from highchairs.”

Remember baby walkers? “Baby walker-related injuries resulted in more than 16,000 children receiving treatment in hospital emergency rooms.”

Now these are the major injuries that required emergency intervention. Just think of all of the injuries that our children go through that do not need emergency care. Remember, 1000 traumas before the age of 13.

Think about all of the falls and traumas that occurred while learning to crawl, learning to walk, roughhousing with other children, learning to ride a bike, sports or fights. Needless to say, you probably now understand how OSHA can state, “1000 traumas before the age of 13.”

Unfortunately, these traumas effect the communication system of the body. They add more static to the lines. As layers and layers of traumas happen, your child’s communication system, the Nerve System, is bombarded with signals from newly formed scar tissue and structural imbalance. This makes your child’s whole body less efficient. Do you remember learning in school how the your Nerve System runs everything? Now let’s get to the secret.


Understanding the Edge

You now understand that traumas to the body, especially the spine, creates static in the communication system. You now know that this static makes your nerve system work less efficiently. So, answer this question... Who has more of a winning edge, someone who is living life with an inefficient, static filled communication system or someone who has an efficient, clean communication system? You got it!

Wouldn’t it be amazing if your children had a clean, efficient communication system to work with? So, how do you keep your communication system efficient and clean, even though you start life with 1000 traumas? Let’s look at some of the superstars in sports that are already living at the winning edge.


What Is The Secret that Gives Sport Superstars the Winning Edge?

Many great sport stars have found the secret. It has helped them perform at high levels and extend their careers. Super achievers are always looking for that edge. These superstars in sports are going to share their secret in their own words. Their advantage can now be yours. While you read this, just imagine your child achieving like these superstars...

Tiger Woods, golfing superstar, said, “Being a chiropractor patient has really helped me immensely.” (Tiger Woods actually rode on the chiropractic centennial celebration float in the rose parade, 1995). He went on to say, "...lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I've been going to Chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It's as important to my training as practicing my swing.”

Seven Time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said, “I could not have won without my chiropractor’s help.” His chiropractor road along with him throughout the Tour de France. He would work on Lance and his team every night.

Legendary Heavyweight Boxer Evander Holyfield said, “I have to have an adjustment before I go into the ring. I do believe in chiropractic. I found that going to a chiropractor three times a week helps my performance. The majority of boxers go to get that edge.” I have witnessed on several occasions Heavyweight Champ Lennox Lewis being adjusted before a fight.

Home run star Barry Bonds said, “I go to my chiropractor on a regular basis, because I want to prolong my career as long as possible.”

Decathlon Gold Medallist Dan O’Brien said, “If it were not for chiropractic, I would not have won the gold medal.”

LaDainian Tomlinson called to ask Emit Smith ,the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards, about his longevity, how he'd rushed for 1,000 yards for 10 straight seasons. Smith's advice? Massages on Monday and Friday and ''find a good chiropractor.''

Have you noticed yet that every one of these athletes is (or was) the absolute top in their field. They all used the secret, chiropractic care, that gives them the winning edge.

Exercise Physiologist Dr. Sean Atkins said, “I would estimate that in excess of 90% of all world-class athletes use Chiropractic care to prevent injuries and to increase their performance potential.”

Now you know the secret that will give your child the winning edge. In a moment, you’ll learn the most powerful research that will prove it to you once and for all.


The Best Research that Proves the Secret that Gives the Edge

Here is one of the best scientific studies that proves that chiropractic care gives you the winning edge. Just check this out...

At the University of California, Irvine, researchers came together to measuring brain activity. They placed a subject into a functional MRI and asked her to move her foot. They recorded and measured how much brain activity (effort) was required to move her foot. They took her out of the machine and gave her a chiropractic adjustment. They then placed her back into the machine and measured how much brain activity (effort) was required to move her foot after the adjustment.

The results: Everyone stared at the results in amazement. Just imagine the look on the researchers’ faces when they discovered that it took 1/20th the effort to move her foot after the adjustment! That’s incredible! The communication system working 20 times more efficiently after the adjustment. From what I heard, all of the Ph.D.’s researchers lined up to be adjusted after they realized the results. Now you know why so many top athletes rely on chiropractic care for improving performance.

More importantly, now you know why your children need regular chiropractic care to give them that winning edge.

With all of these top athletes saying how they use chiropractic and this incredible research, do you think that your kids nerve system should be checked by a chiropractor?

Now, I can almost hear your mind saying, “My kid doesn’t have a back problem.” Imagine experiencing 1000 traumas. The truth is, your kid doesn’t feel his or her spinal problem, yet.

Get your kids checked now! Give your kids the winning edge.