“If you don’t want what everyone else has, you can’t do what everyone else does”
– Dr. Ben Lerner
In industry, there is a term called “market share.” The big players, with the well-known brands in those industries are considered the credible leaders with the highest quality products simply because they have captured most of the market or have the greatest “market share.” Yet, often, this is not the truth. Just because an organization has captured market share, doesn’t mean they offer the best product or service. In fact, it’s often the opposite. Big, well-trusted, players often begin to over-charge, cut corners, or put cheap component parts or ingredients in their products simply because they can (Think processed and fast food companies).
As Chiropractors, we don’t have market share. While MDs, drug companies, and even certain drugs have nearly 100% market share (Think vaccines and pain killers), DCs have less than 10%. But what about quality and results? When you look at the cost to benefit ratio of healthcare, the U.S. spends many times more on medicine than any other country in the world; but are ranked the sickest in the world and die the youngest.
On the other hand, chiropractic families are extremely healthy.
The challenge is one of identity. When you’re the little guy with a better product, you can still have a really poor mindset about yourself, your worth, and your potential for impact. However, just because people believe something else is right and you are wrong, doesn’t mean you have less value. As Dr. BJ Palmer said, “When millions of people believe in a bad idea, it’s still a bad idea.” I’d add, ”When 7 billion people don’t believe in a good idea, it’s still a good idea.”
To create a healthcare revolution, chiropractors need an identity revolution? While people should be fit and well, it isn’t working out. We’re not sleeping, we’re not happy, we’re not at a good weight, we’re not in shape, we’re in pain, the health care system is inexplicably broken with costs out of control, and many are depressed, broken, and broke.
The term “Identity crisis” was coined in 1954. It was birthed from the idea that who we believe we are does not fit into the current culture and causes us to question our own worth. With the poor results the health market is suffering from, we should follow the opposite way and rather than having an inferiority complex: have a “Superiority complex.” Nobody wants what everyone else has today – so do the opposite and lead the opposite way.
1. The Opposite Effect and the Laws of the Universe
Shoes, pants, luggage, umbrellas, and technology give in quickly to time and decay. So do less complex organisms like bugs, grass, and bananas. They follow a law that states that because of the destructive forces of the universe; inevitably, disorder and chaos or what is called “entropy” will always beat out order.
The world tips way more towards disorder than order, but not you. Rather than experiencing entropy, many destructive forces have the opposite effect on you. When working well, you are designed to move towards order and healing.
2. Doing the Opposite when it comes to healthy living and health care
Clearly, people have trouble making good lifestyle decisions. We give in to fads, shortcuts, and what everyone else is doing to the point where yes, if everyone jumped off of a bridge most people would do it. Or like Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) said to Agent J (Will Smith) in Men In Black, “A person is smart, people are dumb.” When we let traditions drive our decisions, history has always shown that this leads to people getting hurt.
Beyond injury or illness, the sadder implication to following the herd is that it drastically limits you and cuts out a wide variety of options that exists for enjoying prosperity in your life.
As a crowd-follower, acquiescing to the traditions and norms of a struggling society, you can really fall short of health, happiness, enjoying a profitable career, and reaching your potential. Especially if you are following the a health model that has the distinction of being the worst in the entire world year after year; the U.S. health care system.
In a famed episode of Seinfeld called The Opposite, George Costanza has grown tired of where his traditional life decisions have taken him and decides he is going to do the opposite of whatever his typical habits and instincts have normally lead him.
It’s a hilarious and compelling episode because the punchline is; the strategy works brilliantly. Here’s an example from the show:
Waitress : Tuna on toast, coleslaw, cup of coffee (What George always gets).
George : Yeah. No, no, no, wait a minute, I always have tuna on toast. Nothing’s ever worked out for me with tuna on toast. I want the complete opposite of on toast. Chicken salad, on rye, untoasted … and a cup of tea.
Elaine : Well, there’s no telling what can happen from this (The friend or family member who always discourages change or difference).
Jerry : You know chicken salad is not the opposite of tuna, salmon is the opposite of tuna, ‘cos salmon swim against the current, and the tuna swim with it (The ever-present naysayer).
George : Good for the tuna.
(A blonde looks at George )
Elaine : Ah, George, you know, that woman just looked at you.
George : So what? What am I supposed to do?
Elaine : Go talk to her.
George : Elaine, bald men, with no jobs, and no money, who live with their parents, don’t approach strange women.
Jerry : Well here’s your chance to try the opposite. Instead of tuna salad and being intimidated by women, chicken salad and going right up to them.
RESULT: George comes back with her number (AKA: digits).
TAKE BACK YOUR IDENTITY! You are the authority in healthcare, the head and not the tail of wellness – the true wellness leader in your town. It must be nice to have the big brand with all of the market share. Yet, in the end, it’s more satisfying to save lives, change the world, and experience actual results.
Have fun saving the world!
Dr. Ben
