article archive
March 2007
The truth and nothing but the truth
by Dr. Ron Oberstein
The world we know today has been shaped by the efforts of
visionaries and leaders who endured many hardships and stood
the test of time. People like Martin Luther King, Jr., Mohandas
Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, David Ben‑Gurion, Eleanor Roosevelt,
BJ Palmer and others had a vision and pursued their dream
with unwavering commitment and dedication. They knew within
their heart of hearts what was right and were willing to
fight for their cause. They stood for justice, humanity and
the truth. Their missions were accomplished against seemingly
insurmountable odds.
Let's face it, a man in a loin cloth (Gandhi)
brought down the largest empire in the world (Great Britain),
demonstrating once again that the battle isn't won solely
by strength, but by conviction. MLK led the way to equality
for African Americans. Mandela stopped apartheid. Ben‑Gurion helped
establish a country. Roosevelt made great strides in women's
rights. Palmer developed a profession that became the largest
of its kind in natural healing. The common denominator shared
by all these magnificent leaders in making great changes
in our world was having others to help them. They didn't
do it alone, they just led the way. In part, what bolstered
their accomplishments was critical mass ‑‑ when
enough people start thinking the same way causing change
to come about. Strength in numbers, strength in commitment,
strength in the truth.
Look at the changes occurring in the
world around health care. Increasingly, the logic associated
with drugs and surgery is being re‑examined at the
same time that more money's being spent out of pocket on
natural healing than on either of these approaches. People
are questioning their medical doctors, wanting to know more
natural ways to help themselves. A tidal wave of major change
is sweeping across the old culture of health care in America.
Are you ready to take the next step to put chiropractic on
top of the health care professions and be the leader in health
and wellness? If you are, let's consider what you can do
to make these changes happen.
From 1895 to 2006, as a profession
we've touched many lives, and accumulated a mass of influence
that has elevated chiropractic to a place many thought was
never possible. Now the time has come for each individual
DC to take action within himself or herself in order to increase
chiropractic's forward motion exponentially. Working from
the inside is how the body becomes whole, and the same is
true of our profession.
Here are some action steps for growth
that each of us can take individually:
*** Send more people
to chiropractic college. More chiropractors are needed to take
care of our population. The schools are doing their part at
job fairs and college recruitment evenings, but they can't
reach the people we see in our offices every day. If you love
what you do, share it with others and let them have an opportunity
to love it too.
*** Donate the price of one office visit to
your state or national association. These groups dedicate themselves
to helping their constituents, and represent us at our state
and nation's capitols.
*** Help other chiropractors in your
area, or ask for help if you are in need. Strengthen those
around you and help us as a group to excel.
*** Give what you
can to the institution of your choice. Whether you realize
it or not, every dollar counts. Our colleges don't receive
federal grants like other major colleges, and by giving back,
we move further forward.
*** Increase your individual commitment
to what you do by being more of a presence ‑‑ in
your community, place of worship, and local organizations.
***
Become the best you can be within yourself. When you're whole,
your range of influence multiplies.
*** Get involved with groups
that support you personally and professionally. There are many
groups that look out for your best interest and have the great
intentions. Seek them out and support them as well.
This is
just a sampling of ways to accelerate the change we're working
toward. As you can see, this change must start from the inside.
Our forefathers and foremothers who practiced chiropractic
under oppression and prejudice stood for their beliefs. When
times got tough, they got tougher. They lived for the principle,
worked from the principle, and were men and women of principle.
Those were the cards they were dealt, and they played their
hands the best they could.
Our deck is stacked differently.
We may not have the outward oppression our history talks about,
but we have something far more devastating and insidious: APATHY.
Apathy breeds laziness, and laziness becomes paralysis. Put
a person on the couch all day, feed that individual all day,
and eventually he or she won't ever want to get up.
We didn't
become chiropractors to do nothing! Take a bold stand and get
ready to change your world from the inside out. We're all part
of the critical mass, and with each other, we'll move mountains
and change paradigms. Like all the leaders before us and ahead
of us, move with the truth and nothing but the truth!
(Dr. Ron
Oberstein, has been lecturing and coaching chiropractors for
20 of his 25 years as a DC. In 1994, he founded The Power Zone,
a chiropractic company that teaches doctors and their team
members how to unlock their hidden potential so they can become
the best they can be. Ten years later, Dr. Oberstein founded
the Chiropractors Buying Group, designed to offer chiropractors
the finest products, latest technology, lowest prices, and
greater choices in purchases for the chiropractic office. As
the profession's sole chiropractic buying group, CBG sets the
standard for lowering costs while providing the best products
and services available. To start saving ‑‑ up
to 67% or more ‑‑ on products used daily in the
chiropractic practice, join 4,000+ CBG members by going to
www.cbgsave.com. Or, call 800‑649‑0899 for FREE
membership.)