After asking the questions of "who are we", hopefully we're left us with some reflection of our rawness, our essences that we can bring to the expression of our work.  It's impossible to execute a project without it's necessary parts...and I promise you, all your parts are there, you are made right for the execution of your authentic design in chiropractic, it could be that the project (in this case,your office) is being defined by someone other than yourself and your Designer.

Given our reflections, it's important too that we examine "what" we have, do, and want to be...and what is the motive behind the work?  Resources about adding purpose into our lives are readily available.  There is no shortage of self help, self discovery, tutorials  lectures, workshops, seminars, etc.  Finding purpose in chiropractic is almost overwhelming in the sense that you can draw so much from so many, the Big Idea is enormous in it's expression.  How do you connect to it?  My challenge to you then is to take time for introspective moments of your current vision for your office, the actual "playbook" of the office execution will come soon, but to lay the proper footings, let's answer:
what do you do?
who do you do this with?
why do you do it?
and what do you want in exchange for doing it?

I'd encourage a personal evaluation of these questions and then a team discussion so that your individual visions can expand to include a larger body of people who will be part of executing the vision developed (or simply affirmed if you're already very clear about your work) 

One of my longtime favorite quotes that has bridged into my work for decades now is “art in its final analysis is a window into heaven.” - ____________

Within the many varying personal beliefs, for purposes “here”, follow with me if you would to consider heaven a reflection of divinity, and further even, in individuals, as the divine spark. 

Chiropractically speaking, we understand this expression as Innate.  Art, in chiropractic, has been considered the adjustment and I’m challenging you to expand that to the experience.  Would you agree that there is uniqueness to the exchange with you and another individual, beyond the time your hands are on them?  Would you agree that your staff each offer distinctly unique expressions of your office?  Of chiropractic?  Of course they do, they’re different people, each with a beautiful divine spark representing their Innate, participating with the expression of our great profession.

This isn’t new news, it is known, yet in my opinion, not given due attention in relationship to the impact it has on our work, the lasting effects of our moments, and the quality of our days.  This is a reminder that being CLEAR about our intention and attention is critical to our directions.  It’s time to revisit (or create if you don’t have one) your mission statement, statement of purpose and catalyzing statement…everything, EVERYTHING, you do in your office should be supportive of these intentions.

(Worksheets for writing these tools are inserted here)                                             

When I've taught about Creating a Chiropractic Experience, our first focus in the class is to identify who we see ourselves as.  To begin the thought processes, I ask you:
Who are you?  How would you describe yourself?  Are you kind?  Loyal?  Well educated? Assertive?  Do you see yourself as honest?  Would you say you have a sense of humor?  Are you purposeful?  Would you call yourself focused?  Are you a skilled communicator?  Are you clean?  Coachable?  High energy person?  Success orientated?  What words or images come to mind as you define who you are?

I use words like these to begin to bring an increase the knowing, the recognition, of all the angles of who we are, who we show up as, and who we intend to be.  I suggest that they must align with who we are DESIGNED to be if we're going to have an authentic experience in chiropractic.  If we aren't in a space that recognizes who and where we are, much less loves and accepts ourselves in this space, how will we connect to another?  

For me, the most powerful moments in practice have been the "real" moments, the times when my Spirit, my Innate connects authentically with another's.  In those moments, there is growth.  In those moments, the knowing of who I am, what I do, and why I do it increases.  I believe the same holds true for the person on the other end of the connect.  Often (not always now), the intention in a chiropractic office is to increase the expression of life by removing the interference, adjust the subluxation.  Would you agree that the expansion of one's knowing more of who they are, who they are created to express, experience and be, is part of our work?  It certainly is part of mine.  I don't mean the knowing that comes through a lecture, a book, a pamphlet, a letter, a script...we'll get to those...for know, I'm simply referring to the knowing that is IN us.  A recognition of that increase in the expression of Life.

A worksheet that starts the description of "you" for the work to be done in your office will be added here in the book.

A stopping place for today, to let the question above mingle with your thoughts...who are you and how do you describe yourself?
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"I believe that you're great, that there's something magnificent about you. Regardless of what has happened to you in your life, regardless of how young or how old you think you might be, the moment you begin to think properly, there's something that is within you, there's power within you, that's greater than the world. It will begin to emerge. It will take over your life. It will feed you. It will clothe you. It will guide you, protect you, direct you, sustain your very existence, if you let it. Now, that is what I know for sure." - unknown

As the bigness of this book project begins it's laboring stages, I'm reminded of the birthing tool that may have been the most effective and useful while laboring with my babies, "one contraction at a time, just do this one."  The enormaty of seeing this book to it's fullness is a bit daunting, the enormity is more than I can deliver today.  In the same way writing your office manual is immense, it cannot and should not be approached without honoring time and due process for it's optimal expression and realazation of it's design.  

To begin then.  

I believe that delivering an authentic chiropractic experience is a powerful model to connect patients with the truths we, in chiropractic, have adopted as a way of living.  We've experienced  life when we're "in integrity" with those principles and when we're not.  We're bright folks who recognize when we're attempting to mold a principle or truth to fit "our way" as opposed to aligning ourselves to those principles.  There is a multitude of resources reminding the benefits of living with intention. Our businesses, our offices, are no different.  I believe attention and intention are key to addressing the areas that are important for the optimal function and authentic expression of any chiropractic office.  For that matter, any service industry. 

To be clear, this book is designed to evaluate and challenge your model and methods, leaving you in a space of certainty regarding the practice that reflects the chiropractic office you are designed to express.  As I blog many of the chapters, I'll also be writing worksheets that will be used in the final publication of the book so that at the end, you've evaluated, described, and documented your authentic practice.  While there are critical, non-negotiable pieces of chiropractic that stand strong and firm regardless of who we each are, there is the Art that is unique.

For more than a century, the "art" of chiropractic has been described as the delivery of the adjustment.  No doubt that's true.  For me though, it's more...it's the delivery of a chiropractic experience.  I once read that we can judge the quality of our experience by the degree to which it touches our souls.  Are you touching souls?  Do people experience your intention?  Do you experience your intention?  Would you imagine the recycle symbol with the 3 arrows please? Imagine one arrow reads "experience", one reads "desire", and the last, "action".  Creating experiences that leave us with a desire for more will propel us to action, creating more experiences and the beautiful growth cycle able to continue.

We'll camp here for a bit... I'm excited to know labor begins, I won't be pregnant forever.