Happy Easter, Greek Orthodox Easter and Passover

Traditionally, it’s a time to consider and reflect on the gift of renewal or a new life spiritually. 

I can’t resist the comparative to the physical renewal that happens here when people start the process of removing the interference to their expression of life by getting adjusted and living a lifestyle that supports healing and more vibrant life.

It is so commonplace here we almost get dulled to seeing it.  I have to remind myself that it’s a wonderful gift rather than the expected outcome.  We have seen everything improve and that means everything from cancer to a neck ache.  It does NOT mean every person recovers.  But, every person certainly does better. 

Every morning I thank God for the gift he has given me to help others.  It is a blessing to do this. I’d confess I didn’t appreciate the magnitude of the changes I’d see when I first began on the journey. 

To be honest, I did it for myself.  Most of you know I’ve had some trauma early in life with the loss of my family in a car accident when I was 13.  In my 20s I was aware this was shaping my worldview that bad stuff just happens.  I instinctively knew I needed to help others to get out of my own head.  For a long time, I did this as a technician if you will.  Reading x-rays and re-aligning the spine and lo and behold, people got better.

What I did NOT appreciate for the first 10 or so years of practice was the spiritual aspect of doing so. It took me I’d guess somewhere around my mid 40s to see that my communications and relationships were more profoundly affected by my past than I was willing to consider.  But, after being under chiropractic care myself for about 15 years, I began to change spiritually and emotionally, to be able to visit areas of my past in my head that I formerly had too much pain associated with doing so.  As a result, I avoided thinking about or certainly talking about that aspect of my life… with anyone. 

The thing about getting adjusted and normalizing your nervous system is, it becomes more resilient and certainly able to handle a wider range of sensory and motor signals that are not just running muscles, they run your thoughts, emotions and brain. 

I slowly had the bandwidth, as my tech friends say, to manage bigger issues and grow in this area.  Today I can talk about it without feeling a crushing sensation in my chest.  I share it freely with people I think can benefit from it.  Particularly those with whom I’m having a hard time connecting with.  As, over the years I’ve realized that the connection between people is the thing.  But it took decades for me to realize this. As one therapist put it to me “You care more about people thinking you KNOW a lot than CARE a lot”.  I vehemently disagreed and I fired him for that.  I thought that was completely wrong.  But, turns out, there was a kernel of truth, perhaps a whole cob, of truth there. I'm better at it now. People have always said I'm a good doctor. Unfortunately, only recently have people said I'm a good listener. I'll own that. It is who I am. Or, who I WAS, anyway.

So, everyone’s a work in progress.  We are on a path to learning and renewing and being better every year.  I hope that this Easter gives you time to appreciate who you used to be and who you’ve grown into now. You are certainly a better rendition of you.  That’s what happens as we go through it all. Easter is a great time to be thankful for the renewal of life and look forward to our growth and renewal. 

I’m blessed to be part of that here for people   I am very grateful to be part of your lives. 

Blessings,

Dr. Barrett