Count the seeds? Or the apples?

Too often, we are concerned with the results.

We measure our days, quarters, years in numbers.

We count the apples, so to speak.

Sometimes we forget that there would be no harvest without tending to the seeds, the efforts, the process, the journey.

The numbers are important. They are a way to see where we are at that moment in time. But they don’t tell the whole story.

Unless, we are hoping the story ends there (boring and finite).

No we forget that our efforts, our imaginations, our work ethic, our vision for the future and the connections we have and create with others will determine the bounty of future harvests.

It is impossible to precisely tell what the yield we be from our efforts.

But the key is to keep tending to the seeds, and to enjoy the journey.

Count the fruit, sure, but then get busy tending to the process :-).

Have a bountiful seed-planting Tuesday!

-Dr Lindeman

The paradox of intention

Vishen Lakhiani (creator of Mindvalley.com) discussed a phenomenon known as “the paradox of intention” in a great talk you can find here.

He discusses 4 states of being. Think of a square with four boxes.

People can be happy now, unhappy now, have small dreams of the future or have big dreams of the future.

Too often people are not hitting the sweet spot (upper right if you are playing along at home). People tend to be content now and not thinking of future growth, or sadly more-often-than-not, unhappy now but big dreams of the future.

The caveat is this: in order for true growth to occur, we need to be happy now but with big dreams of the future as well.

So dream big, but also be extremely grateful for how far you’ve already come in life.

Start with gratitude, smile big and keep on dreaming-all are factors to make those dreams come true!

Happy Monday!

-Dr Lindeman

Life’s paper cuts/little triggers

In my book, one chapter is dedicated to the fact that life’s small inconveniences (spilled coffee, stepping in a mud puddle, etc) can exponentially create an entire “bad day.”

We tend to overreact to small problems when compared to large ones.

In the book, “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert, he discusses WHY these little triggers (as he titles them) can cause more havoc than big, devastating events.

We have a psychological immune systems, like many systems in our bodies, work with thresholds. When something is large enough to go over that threshold a defense mechanism is triggered and set into motion. We can rationalize a breakup with someone we love. We can overcome fractures, dislocations, and the links easier than we can overcome a slice to the pinky toe. We can move on stronger when we don’t get the job we sorely wanted more easily than we can overcome ruining our favorite shirt with a bbq stain.

When the attack is under our threshold, we don’t deploy our defensive “troops” to overcome the insult.

So what does this mean?

It means we are amazing, first of all.

We were created with extreme resiliency to overcome huge challenges.

It also means we need to be more vigilant in working through the little things in order to circumvent their effects.

Be conscious of life’s little cuts, and actively work to overcome them. The big stuff, most likely, we are already prepared for.

Happy Wednesday!

-Dr Lindeman

Ways to be happy :-)

These are great words of advice.

However, I don’t feel we NEED to love simply all the time. Doing some extravagant things (big vacations, big experiences) can truly be a gateway to happiness as well.

As long as we are doing them to savor and not to show off 😎

Find one thing on this list and expand it in your life today.

Happy Monday!

-Dr Lindeman.

🔥 The Fire 🔥

I love the song “The Fire” by The Roots.

Great messages throughout, here’s some of the lines that hit me right in the feels…

“And I’m an icon when I let my light shine. Shine bright as an example of a champion, takin the advantage, never coppin out or cancelin. Run like a chariot, learning how to carry it. Maverick. Always above and beyond average.”

“Realize I’m supposed to reach for the skies. Never let somebody tell you otherwise.”

And the chorus:

“Theres something in your heart, and it’s in your eyes. It’s the fire, inside you. Let it burn. You don’t say good luck, you say don’t give up, it’s the fire. Inside you. Let it burn.”

I love the song because it ain’t just about “winning,” it’s about acknowledging your purpose, your inspiration, your fuel that keeps you fired up.

Not simply about the accolades.

And when you let your fire burn, you warm everyone around you, and you light up the world with positive change.

We need your light. Let it burn!

Focus on the fire (your why) and there’s no limit to the skies you will reach.

Keep that 🔥 stoked today!

Happy Thirsday

-Dr Lindeman

Pretty awesome, right?!

Don’t be the center

“Don’t be the center of attention at your office.”-Dr Greg Howard

This was said at the wonderful zoomcast conference this past weekend. Dr. Howard was bringing the point home that even though we run our chiropractic offices, we should not be the center of attention.

This can be applied to any job/position.

True leaders earn their position as a leader by focusing on the people they serve.

You can be given a title of “leader” by virtue of a job description, but people will not truly follow you unless you first put them in the forefront of your interests.

The world is full of powerful people.

They are not necessarily considered leaders.

In large corporations, there are CEOs, CFOs, Vice Presidents, etc. There are also an innumerable amount of leaders on every floor, in every group and in al situations.

Strive to lead others, by putting yourself second.

If we all focused on helping others, focused the groups we get to help (lead), I promise we all would be better off.

Lead strong (by loving others) today!

Happy Wednesday!

-Dr Lindeman

Pygmies and the horizon

This story was taken from the book below:

“About 50 years ago a Pygmy named Kenge took his first trip out of the dense, tropical forests of Africa and into the open plains in the company of an anthropologist. Buffalo appeared in the distance-small black specks against a bleached sky- and the Pygmy surveyed them curiously. Finally, he turned to the anthropologist and asked what kind of insects they were. “When I told Kenge that these insects were indeed large buffalo, he roared with laughter and told me not to tell such stupid lies.”

The Pygmy had no concept of a distant horizon, he lived his life in a dense tropical forest. His perception drove his reality.

Sometimes we need to borrow others’ vision in order to see what is possible. Sometimes we don’t have a concept of a distant horizon 🙂

Borrow a BIG vision for your future today!

Happy Thirsday

-Dr Lindeman

Affirm!

I believe that affirmations (especially in the morning) are powerful.

Our subconscious minds are constantly telling us things throughout the day anyway.

Our “little voices” tell us that we aren’t doing a good enough job, we aren’t good enough, we are lacking compared to “that man” or “that woman.”

If we wrote down all the negative self talk thay pops up throughout the day, we may be astonished.

So to combat…AFFIRM the positives. Create the habit of noticing how friggin awesome we are, how amazing life is, and how we are going to continue growing both (our awesomeness and the worlds amazing ness) by coaching ourselves a bit more.

You are amazing!

Tell yourself 😉

Happy Monday!

-Dr Lindeman

Peace

This past weekend , my family and I had a wonderful trip to Folly Beach, South Carolina.

We breathed the ocean air in deep and enjoyed connection with each other.

In the meantime, mayhem was erupting (with cause).

I know I am privileged. I know my family is too. I do work hard, and we try to teach our children about viewing the world through others’ lenses as well. And I cannot imagine the amount of pain, and fear that a large portion of our population are feeling (and have been feeling for decades).

I am also afraid of the extremism that exists today. White, black, left, right, anti-(fill in the blank), pro-(fill in the blank), stay home bc of covid, re-open, etc. The divisions are real and very polarizing.

I believe the answers lie in empathy. We can have our own viewpoints but we should try to understand others as well. We can “stand our ground” but we also must try to see the other territory. If we can promote love, compassion and try for some understanding, the world will be more peaceful.

So try to do that a bit today. Have some conversations with others who don’t feel the way you do. Try to see their side. I can almost guarantee, they will have some valid points, just as much as I can guarantee you will as well.

Spread some love today. Promote peace.

Happy Tuesday

-Dr Lindeman

Your view/your future

This is an excerpt from the book: “Stumbling on Happiness” by Daniel Gilbert.

Good book so far.

The point I want to make form the Shakespeare quote is that we need to create our own happiness.

We can “borrow” goals and visions from others, but ultimately, we need to steer our own ship.

Just because you see some successes make others happy, they may not make you feel the same.

Find what lights you up, and work toward doing more of that :-).

-Happy Monday!

Dr Lindeman