The Weekly Word

What I've Been Thinking About...
I watched the latest Chris Rock comedy special and he shared a story about his mother who was raised in South Carolina. During her childhood race relations were tense. As a young girl, she needed dental work done for a tooth extraction and there were only two people in town who can do it: the dentist and the veterinarian. Considering she was a human and not an animal, they went to the dentist but were refused service because of her skin color. On they went to the veterinarian for the procedure. 

Fast forward a generation and that girl who was once refused treatment now has a family of her own. One of her kids goes on to become a huge star selling out arenas, starring in movies, hosting big award shows, and so much more. Move forward another generation and that little girl from South Carolina now has a granddaughter who is excelling in school and studying Culinary Arts in Paris, France. These opportunities couldn't have even been dreamt up when she was a child. In one lifetime, that women went from being refused service because of her skin color to traveling the country watching her child be treated like comedy royalty and traveling the world visiting her granddaughter. How is that for progress?

Now, this doesn't mean the fight for social change should come to an end. As MLK Jr. said, “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable". Just because the ball has been moving in the right direction doesn't necessarily mean it will continue to do so. It is on us to continue to make things better, not only for our generation but for those that follow! 

Health Tip of the Week
I was having a conversation with a chiropractor friend this week and he shared some good insight regarding physical pain. Often times, when we feel discomfort in our body, we assume that this symptom is caused by something that we did physically. For example, my back hurts because I slept wrong, tweaked something, or fill in the blank for whatever it is that best fits your life. But what if the root cause of this issue is something more?

There are times when we feel physical pain due to the emotional burden we are holding on to. Mental stress can cause physical pain or discomfort. How often have we had tight upper back muscles during stressful life events? We can stretch, massage, and foam roll the site all we want but if we do not delve into the underlying cause (the mental stress), that feeling of discomfort will not go away. That tension, discomfort, or pain in your body is just a messenger and it is telling you that something about your life needs to change. 

For more discussion on the topic, check out my latest podcast episode w/ Darin Mazepa , owner of Vitality Natural Healthcare Center. 

What I've Been Writing...
On every tombstone, there is the day of birth and the day that you pass on. In between those dates is a dash. At first look, one might think that the dash is insignificant but upon further examination, I came to realize that it represents our time here on earth. The dash is how we spend our days, the relationships we build, the connections we make, and the mark that we leave on the world. So how do we make our dash mean something? Mahatma Ghandi once said that "If you want to change the world, start with yourself". 

To see where this story goes and to gain access to 7 tips to make our years count, click here!

What I've Been Watching...
American Nightmare on Netflix

Here is how Netflix summarizes this crazy story from 2015: After a harrowing home invasion and kidnapping in 2015, a couple is accused of staging the ordeal when the woman reappears in this true-crime docuseries.

This story is sad and it is very strange. For much of the three episodes, Marisa and I sat in bewilderment as we tried to put the pieces together and figure out who is telling the truth and who is lying. There is a wild story, bad policing, good policing, a criminal who shows Jekyll & Hyde qualities, a victim whose voice is often ignored, and much more. It was wild! 

Quote of the Week
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius

I hope you all have an awesome week!
​Chris