The power of gratitude

Many of us are always living in a state of want: wanting more money, more love, more things, more connection with god, more affection, more fitness, more attractive bodies, and the list goes on and on. That constant desire for more is a double edged sword. It serves us powerfully as well as holds us back. It motivates us to achieve more, become more, and contribute more, but at the same time it also takes us away from the power of now. It removes us from our natural and pure state which is one of gratitude and love. It is incredibly important to take time everyday to be grateful; to review your goals from years past and see what you have accomplished and how far you've come.  It also is a good time to take inventory whether the things that were important to you then are still important to you now.  You can also take this time to recommit to the goals you may have been derailed from but are still top priorities in your life.  

I made it my commitment today to do this exercise and take a look at some of my old goals.  I pulled out my old red notebook that was given to me almost exactly 4 years ago before I set out on my journey to China for my last internship of chiropractic school. I remember sitting in my room on the 16 floor of an apartment building in downtown Zigong in the Szechuan province of China writing my goals for my dream chiropractic practice on the 4th page of my notebook.  I was still a student living off loans with barely a thousand dollars in my bank account and no idea how I was going to make this dream practice a reality.  Even at the time, I did not know if I really even believed it was possible to create what I wanted to create, and I certainly didn't know how I was going to do it, but I was very specific in exactly what I wanted.  I wrote out a detailed, yet concise, 19 word goal statement of exactly what my dream practice would be.  As I look back on that statement today, I am literally living that dream statement.  Every word of the 19 words I wrote down has manifested in my practice.  It has been an intense four years with lots of ups and downs complete with intense victories and punishing disappointments, yet with a compelling vision and a tireless commitment and focused work ethic my dream practice has come true.  I am eternally grateful for all of the amazing people in my life who have made it possible, because without them, not only would this have not been possible but it wouldn't have as much meaning without the people I love to share it with.  I am also beyond grateful for all of the members of my practice who have allowed me into their life and given me the opportunity to touch their lives and contribute my heart and soul into make their lives a little bit better.  It is truly an honor to touch the lives of so many people: 3 generations of families, new borns, kids, teenagers, parents, and the elderly.  

There is so much out there to achieve and to want, but when you put yourself into an intense place of gratitude for all that is, you tend to attract more of that into your life.  The life of your dreams doesn't come without a price however.  It requires an extraordinary commitment and work ethic, a constant process of self introspection, and the discipline to align your actions with your highest values and to remove the things in your life that are not serving you.  You can truly be, do, and have everything that you want in life if you make it a priority and follow these four essential rules: 1 Faith - that everything in your life at every moment is serving you and providing you with the lessons you need to evolve into the person you need to become to live the life of your dreams; 2 Commitment - to doing whatever it takes and taking action to become that person as life is providing you with those lessons; 3 Belief - that you deserve the goals and dreams that you have for yourself; 4 Gratitude - to live in this state always. Are you willing to do what it takes? Are you willing to be thankful for it all, the good and the bad? Are you willing to commit yourself to a life excellence? In the famous words of Rumi, "The garden of the world has no limits except in your mind. It's presence is more beautiful than the stars, with more clarity than the polished mirror of your heart."

Life Defining Moments

Do you ever ask yourself the question, "Why am I here?"? I am not talking about the superficiality of it, but deep down in the recesses of your very being.  I am talking about your ultimate and divine purpose for being on this planet, at this time, at this location, at this point in history.  I am talking about the big WHY.  Why are you here? What is your reason for living? When you are 90 years old, sitting on your rocking chair looking back on your life, what do you want to be proud of? What kind of life do you want to create for yourself and for generations to come? Are you happy with just sliding by under the radar or do you want to impact millions of lives for the next 500 years? Do you want to primarily focus on material wealth or is your mission to grow spiritually, mentally, and physically as well?  Are you looking to just have fun and satisfy your immediate cravings or are you looking to be a role model to lead, impact, and inspire the people around you; to be the kind of person that kids can aspire to be like?  While these questions are magnanimous in their depth, their undertaking is essential to you becoming the best you possible.  The answers to these questions become your roadmap in life.  These answers will inspire you when times are tough, and they will push you in times of complacency.

My belief is that we were all put here to fulfill a purpose in our lives.  I don't believe, however, this purpose is defined for us but that we have the opportunities to create the purpose in our own lives.  If you ever feel insignificant or there seems to be a lack of meaning, think of all the serendipitous events that have brought you to where you are or even near death experiences you've had, yet you are still here for some reason that only you can define for yourself.  I've had a few near death experiences that always come to mind when I start questioning my reason for being here. One such experience occurred on my way home driving from a full day of rock climbing in the beautiful mountains of Tennessee. At the time, I was in my last year of chiropractic school and was really looking forward to getting out of the hustle and bustle of Atlanta for a one day adventure in the wilderness.  The previous night I slept very little preparing for the rush and excitement of rock climbing.  The 1.5 hour drive to Tennessee is stunning and we could not ask for better weather.  It was a perfect day of adrenaline filled climbing.  At the end of the day, we decided to drive into the nearby city of Chattanooga for some food which was only about 25 minutes away.  Apparently, I was more tired than I thought after very little sleep the night before, lots of sun, and lots of mental and physical exertion.  As I'm driving in the far left lane of the highway, the only thing I remember is my friend in the back seat yelling as my eyes snapped open.  I was driving 85 mph in the grassy median separating the highway traffic.  As I came to, I attempted the drive the car back on the road when all off a sudden the car started to spin out of control across the lanes of the highway. The car was viciously shaking as I prepared for it to flip at any moment and send us tumbling across the highway like a tin can.  After what seemed like an eternity, we came to a complete stop, facing forward, out of the way of traffic, in the shoulder of the highway, perfectly placed in between the guardrail and the line separating the highway. Not only was there not even a scratch on any of the passengers, but there wasn't even a scratch on the car.  It is a moment I will remember and be grateful for for the rest of my life for two reasons.  The first is I will always be grateful for escaping from a seriously life threatening incident unscathed, and the second is that it was a pivotal moment in my life that really got me answering those tough questions I posed earlier.  The answers to those questions have yet to fully be answered, but it is moments like those that have led and continue to lead me on a path of self discovery. They continue to lead me on a path that is stock full of pleasurable and painful experiences, yet each one being absolutely essential to this journey of self discovery. This journey of developing my ultimate purpose in life so that I can impact humanity in the greatest way possible and leave a legacy I can be proud of.  Everyday I write more and more in the "book" that is my life.  Each day is a blank page and a pencil in my hand and with that, I get to to write a page in the "book" of my life.  Some days I feel like throwing away the paper and starting over, and other days I want to display it for the whole world to see.  But I am grateful for every day because with each page comes more clarity.  Each page is a new opportunity to grow, to reflect, and to redefine my life.  Each page allows me to ask myself new and empowering questions.  Each page allows me to tackle new frustrations and come to new empowering realizations.  Each page allows me to open up my heart to love and expand my consciousness to new levels.  If this process seems daunting and formidable; if this process seems like a life-long and challenging journey; it's because it is.  Who ever said life was easy anyway? 

Message from Thailand - "The Land of Smiles"

At the moment, I am sitting on my balcony in a beautiful 5 star resort over-looking the pristine waters of the Adaman Sea with picturesque rock formations jutting out of the water like fingers attempting to touch the clouds.  There is the faint sound of long tail boats passing by and a beautiful sight of the sun glistening off of the limestone cliffs that surround the hotel.  As I sit here in the solitude of my own thoughts, I realize a simple yet profound truth.  Happiness really is an inside job.  There is only one thing that determines our happiness - our choosing it to be so.  You see, with all this beauty that surrounds me here, one would think I would be happier than a normal day in the office or enjoying a good book and a coffee.  I even thought as I was planning this holiday, once I had the experience of being here, the environment would bring more happiness into my life.  The truth is, if you are truly happy; if you truly have joy in your life; if you are really at a place of peace and love, you find just as much joy and happiness in a book or a good conversation as you do in traveling to the other side of the world.  Don't get me wrong, amazing experiences like this add culture and new dimensions of creativity, however, it will not make you happy if you aren't already so.  Many people are constantly looking for happiness and joy in a relationship, a new job, a holiday, or more money.  We, as a culture, are looking for the next best thing to make us happy and fulfilled, but happiness, and I am talking about true happiness and gratitude, not a fleeting sense of elation from external stimuli, is an inside job.  When we can see the same beauty and gratitude in our job or in a child's smile as we do in the sun glistening limestone cliffs reflecting off the clear blue-green waters of the Adaman Sea of Thailand, then we have the whole world in our hands.  It is then that we experience and express the pure nature of our being.  It is then that we shine as bright as the brightest star on a dark night, and with that shining, we illuminate everyone in our path.  If you don't feel like you are there yet, join the club, and we can both be on this journey together.  

Love,
Matt

Best success tip I ever learned...

You don't need to get inspired. You don't need to get motivated. You don't need to get pushed, shoved, or pulled. You don't need any of these things.  All these things will do is hold you back. You see, when you get inspired, it wears out. When you get motivated, you need to keep looking for that thing to keep motivating you.  When you are pushed, shoved, or pulled and one of those stop, you stop.  At this point you are probably asking, "What do I need then? People have always told me I need to get inspired." Wrong, what you really need is to BECOME INSPIRATION. Let me give you an example.  We have all heard the phrase, Get Fired Up. Then what happens? Unless you keep the stimulus around, your fired sizzles out.  On the other hand, if you become FIRE, you light up everything around you.  People travel from near and far to watch you burn.  They seek you out and opportunities show up at your door because people want a piece of your fire.  It's a simple distinction, yet a very powerful one.  When you get inspired, it wears out because it is only a trait, usually temporary, that you possess.  But when you become inspiration, it is now your new identity.  It isn't just a trait you possess so it is impossible to lose it.  It is the new you!  Let me give you another example.  I love to work out.  If I go more than a day without exercising, it drives me crazy.  Yoga, Crossfit, hiking, paddle boarding, rowing, whatever.  I have to do something everyday to move my body.  I don't need to get motivated or inspired to workout.  It is just who I am.  At this point, it is ingrained in my DNA.  You would have to push me to not work out, and good luck with that! That would be like me trying to get you to stop brushing your teeth.  It's not going to happen.  Because it has become a part of who I am.  It is a part of my identity.  I am the same way with chiropractic.  I will be adjusted regularly for the rest of my life in order to continuously express my true innate potential. I wouldn't even move to a place if there was not a chiropractor because it is a part of who I am.  On the other hand, I am not the same with my meditation practice.  I have to motivate and inspire myself every morning to meditate.  It is not yet a part of my identity.  Until it is, it is going to be a process to continuously motivate and inspire myself to perform my meditation practice.  

Life will never be easy. It is a constant process of challenge, growth, and evolution if you want to fully experience the best version of yourself.  Although life will never be easy, there are key things we can do to make it easier and more enjoyable.  One way is becoming fire.  Become inspiration.  Be a role model.  Be the person who the people you love the most would be proud of.  And I am not just talking about out in the open for people to see.  It is easy to demonstrate kindness and motivation when you know people are watching.  I am talking about even behind closed doors, in your private life, in your relationships and time with yourself, and in the privacy of your own home, are you living a life you would be proud to display for the world to see?  This is the key.  When you begin to live your life congruent with your highest values; when eliminate contradictions from your life; when you constantly display the highest versions of yourself, even when no one is looking; this is when you begin to truly unlock the amazing treasures of your life.  Now get out there and light the world on fire!