Chiropractic: for Self or Service

I recently saw a study that revealed the top three temptations we have are materialism, pride and self-centeredness. Since this is part of our human nature we have to work on moving beyond these temptations to greater place of service. When we look at the beginning of chiropractic, we see a culture created in the health care system focused on serving humanity by correcting spinal alignment for nerve integrity, to improve health potential. However, as we examine the evolution of chiropractic we observe a cultural shift led by the three temptations of human nature. Chiropractic needs to position itself as a part of the health care team for maximizing wellness not as condition treatment. Medicine has already established its cultural roots in that. If we lose site of our course as chiropractors we lose direction and perception. This loss of direction and perspective leads to selfish and destructive pursuits.

Overcoming self-centeredness comes from serving. Serving means sacrificing yourself, listening, understanding, giving mercy, kindness, gentleness and patience. And most of all it means being accountable to others.

Temptation comes from three things:

1) Human desire to satisfy self first.

2) Feelings of emptiness and doubt.

3) Negative thinking and negative environment.

Overcome temptation and develop a serving attitude by:

1) Fill your mind with truth. Why did God make chiropractic and MD’s both? The purpose of chiropractic is to optimize spinal alignment to improve body function, health and wellness. The purpose of medicine is to treat conditions and save lives in times of crises. Both need to focus on serving, not self.

2) Fill emptiness with knowledge. Study chiropractic, its principles, and how science substantiates its principle. This is how you gain certainty and lose doubt. Doubt tempts you to do things outside the purpose of chiropractic.

3) Fly with eagles, don’t walk with yardbirds. Turn from environments that are self-driven, to ones that are service-driven. Hang with serving type people. When you find yourself in a negative environment and your heart discerns wrong, don’t justify the feelings to make it right just for you, don’t flirt even a little with the temptation. Turn and run towards truth, purpose and the cause – serving others.

4) Lastly, love your patients as you love yourself.

A better understanding of the cultures of chiropractic and medicine will cure the temptation of pride. Chiropractic and medicine will never be the same culture, but can participate on the same health care team. The sooner certain D.C.’s stop trying to change our culture to match MD’s the better people we serve will benefit.

Holding to the cause of chiropractic will secure our heritage and make the difference for our having lived. The solution is in serving not self.