Drop Everything and Take a Long Hard Look!

Have you ever been chugging along at full steam when something unexpected stopped you in your tracks? Sometimes life throws you a curve ball that makes what you have been doing very difficult. Your initial response may be to try and fix it so you can get right back on track. But this may not be the solution. What if the curve ball was meant to get you out of auto-pilot, so you could see if you are really on course? If this is the case, it may be time to set a new course or choose a new destination.

This recently happened to me. As a Network Spinal Analysis practitioner (NSA) and a Doctor of Chiropractic, I have a very specialized practice. It takes a lot of management, planning and marketing on top of my regular hours of patient care. Most of the week, I'm on the go with meetings, coaching calls, taking courses, meeting with colleagues, writing articles, giving lectures, keeping physically active and trying to fit life in on top of it all.

Doing all this has allowed me to build a thriving business and develop a reputable presence in my community. My philosophy is to lead by example so I strive to be a model of happiness, health, success, fulfillment and balance. Most people find it difficult to keep up with all the things I do.

In mid-March, I developed a rash on my chest which spread to my whole body within a matter of days. I immediately found it impossible to exercise or do anything after work. Shortly after, I could not even work. Taking time off for illness is almost unheard of for me but I had no choice. Who wants to be touched by someone covered in ugly red bumps!

Initially I thought I would miss a day of work and then recover over the weekend. As my eyes, face and joints began to swell, I soon knew that it would be longer. I planned to take the next week off to rest and recover.

I went to the urgent care clinic and was prescribed prednisone, a corticosteroid for the inflammation. For two days I suffered without taking it because I hate taking medication. After a week of crazy itching and, eventually, joint pain, I gave in. I was sick and taking medication, two things that seemed very unnatural for me.

All I could do was sleep, eat and watch television. I even stayed with my parents because I could not cook or do my laundry. I was totally dependent. My entire existence revolved around personal care. My parents drove me to appointments at my NSA practitioners' and at the urgent care clinic.

Most nights, because of, pain, itching, discomfort or the medication, I was not able to sleep. In the lonely time in the middle of the night, there is not much else to do than think. About everything and anything.

This rash -- the curve ball -- had forced me to drop everything and take a long, hard look. Things were going really well and I was moving along according to my plans. So what was missing? How had I gotten off-course?

I knew there was a lesson in here somewhere, and whether I was conscious of it or not, it needed to be learned and applied quickly. As I was forced to take a second week off, I was eager to learn and change before this went on any longer.

But what was I going to change? My business requires me to be there. I can't keep it going if I don't work hard.

But was I doing all the things I really enjoyed?
Was I working on the projects that really inspired me?
Was there a more effective way for me to get everything done?

Now as I am recovering and slowly getting back to work, I am reshaping my business. I am considering my precious energy much more. I am not indestructible and my energy is not limitless, despite how I previously acted.

I am making big decisions and many exciting changes. It is scary and thrilling at the same time. One of the biggest things I wanted was time for was my writing. Being laid flat out give you lots of time. So I have made a window in which to write and develop new classes. I am working on things that have been on the back burner.

Has anything like this ever happened to you? Maybe it was trouble in a relationship, with a business or some financial deal falling through. We often try to fix these problems even though we know it will only work in the short term. What is the change in course that is necessary? Is it time to reorganize everything?