Dear Doctor:
Our family vacation this year took us to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, a beautiful setting for some well-deserved relaxation and some interesting local culture — this year marks a century of aviation, since the Wright Brothers flew the first self-powered aircraft in Kitty Hawk in 1903.
Like with all “firsts,” you have to wonder about their thought processes — there had been some successful glider experiences, but no one had been able to solve the problem of the lift of the engine overwhelming the stability of the plane — until Wilbur and Orville Wright became infatuated with flight.
The owners of a bicycle shop, the Wrights saw the pioneering opportunity — yet their early experiments ran into the same difficulties the others had suffered. Nevertheless, they pursued their research vigorously and creatively, their optimism fueling their drive to succeed. In a moment of clarity, Wilbur was idly twisting a box, and made the connection in his mind — one side goes clockwise and up, the other side goes counterclockwise and down — and he suddenly realized how to shape the front of the wings and the back of the stabilizing device. By boldly and enthusiastically taking the first steps, they had put themselves in position to capitalize on their discovery, and changed our world.
In a seemingly unrelated story, nineteen year old Ashley Martin blazed a different kind of trail this past weekend — she became the first woman to score in a Division 1 college football game. The 5’11", 160 pound Jacksonville State University sophomore kicked three points after touchdowns, cementing her place in football lore as the woman who broke through in a previously male-only realm.
There were a few women who tried to break into college football over the last thirty years, but Martin is the first to put points on the board, heralding a new era — can a female running back be that far behind? It was her courage, persistence and above all, her willingness to be in the game in the first place, against all odds, that set the stage for her to make her dramatic statement.
Not everyone makes history, but the common denominator is clear — if you’re not in the game, there’s no way to win or even play. So the question is…are you in the game? Have you put yourself in position to win? If a situation were to arise for you to show what you’ve got, have you maneuvered into a place where you could take that step and make it count? Are you ready?
Too often, we look at others’ accomplishments and wonder what it took to make it happen. Often, it’s being involved enough, engaged enough, present enough, to see your shot and take it — and unless you’re in the game, those chances never come. I ask again — are you in the game? Do you have a vision for what you want your practice to evolve into? Have you worked on yourself to develop the qualities you’ll need? Are you willing to invest the time, energy and capital to put yourself in position to win? And perhaps above all, do you have enough belief in yourself to dare to expect greatness?
They say that timing is everything — make your own timing by knowing what game you’re playing, and playing as hard as you know how. That way, when your turn comes, you’ll be in position to win.
Dennis Perman DC, for The Masters Circle
PS It’s your last chance to find out how to “Break the 80/20 Barrier” — learn the strategies and perspectives of master chiropractors who have cracked the code to ultrasuccess in practice. Our guest speaker is Bruce Lipton PhD, a renowned research scientist who has become an outspoken supporter of chiropractic. This seminar got raves in Chicago and Oakland — for info, or to register for our NJ event September 12-13, please call 800-451-4514
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