It has been said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step!” How true this is for gardening, lawn care, and our health. Take lawn care for example: Imagine cutting the grass this spring, and then putting the mower away for the year. Or what if you planted the garden and watered it only once. Well, obviously the lawn would look horrendous, and the garden may sprout only to wither and die. The health of our lawns and gardens depends on more than a singular event.
Now, you may be wondering, “What does lawn care have to do with our health?” The answer is quite simple; we can learn a lot by observing nature’s ways. To have a thriving garden and an attractive lawn it requires more than one event. A healthy lawn and garden call for regular attention. Weeding, trimming, and watering are all things that must be done over and over to allow the garden and lawn to thrive and grow. This principle of nature applies to us as well. For each one of us to be healthy, thriving, attractive individuals we must also take regular steps for our health.
Our health, like the health of our lawns and gardens, comes from a process, a sequence of steps, and not from a singular event. Understanding the difference between a process and an event can make an enormous difference in our enjoyment and fulfillment in life. An event would be mowing the grass once a year; a process is mowing it several times a month. Changing your oil regularly is a process; replacing your engine block is an event. Brushing your teeth nightly is a process; having a root canal is an event. When it comes to our health we tend to be an event-oriented society. We want quick solutions. However nature was not set up to work that way. In nature it is the process that determines the true health of an individual. For example, pretend you or I were to live a lifestyle (a process) that leads to a kidney problem. It does not matter if a surgery (an event) were to replace the kidney. The kidney problem will return once again if we continue to live the same lifestyle (a process).
Single events like taking our blood pressure, hiking Mt. Evans, or eating a green salad do not lock in our health for the year. It is only when we turn events, like hiking, into a process that we will begin to thrive and feel more alive. One step that I have found very useful in my journey toward greater levels of health is weekly chiropractic care. Some people think chiropractic is used only for neck and back aches. While there are limited scope forms of chiropractic, which focus exclusively on aches and pains, there are also full spectrum forms of chiropractic, which focus on enhancing life experience. Full spectrum chiropractic is a process-oriented way toward greater levels of health. It is appropriate for individuals with or without pain, and it is even very appropriate for children and teenagers. Full spectrum chiropractic fits into a healthy lifestyle just like regular physical activity, drinking clean water, and eating vegetables.
The journey toward greater levels of health and life enjoyment is an adventure. Remember that the journey is a process with many opportunities, lessons, and new experiences along the way. You do not have to turn health into an event, whereby you try to change your life overnight. This often leads to frustration and burnout. Instead just keep adding healthy habits, like regular chiropractic care, to your lifestyle and in time you will notice and experience the benefits.
Jason Steinle D.C. is the director of Health and Harmony. Health and Harmony is located at the intersection of Evergreen Parkway and Bryant Drive in the Pine Grove Plaza Building. Health and Harmony offers services for children, teenagers, and adults with a special emphasis on involving entire families.
