“The wealthiest place in the world is not the gold mines of South America or the oil fields of Iraq or Iran. They are not the diamond mines of South Africa or the banks of the world. The wealthiest place on the planet is just down the road. It is the cemetery. There lie buried companies that were never started, inventions that were never made, bestselling books that were never written, and masterpieces that were never painted. In the cemetery is buried the greatest treasure of untapped potential.”
Myles Monrow
I live in Orlando about 7 miles from the “Happiest place on earth” – Disney. Millions come from all over the world each month to visit. On the other hand, mental and overall health rank at or near the bottom around here and the rest of the U.S. when compared to even some small, economically and politically struggling, and even 3rd world countries. Thus, the happiest place on earth can’t be all that happy.
As you travel down one of the main roads to my home, you will see a sign that says, “Disney.” Yet, you wouldn’t want to mistake the Disney exit for actual Disney World. While the sign is pointing you in the direction of potential blissful entertainment, you can only reach the full potential of joy and the magic of the Disney experience by actually getting to the park.
Modern healthcare offers the potential to get well. Providers will assess your symptoms, possibly run some tests, and then prescribe the recommended drugs, surgery, or treatment (natural or artificial) that supposedly will alleviate your suffering and provide you with the long and prosperous life you imagined. For those in a crisis or with debilitating mental or emotional anguish, these treatments can add value, but they don’t get you to Disney. They point you to the potential benefits of care, but cannot help you reach your potential or actually – be well.
It is good to have potential, but at some point, you want to actually reach or actualize that potential. In fact, one of the most influential psychologists in history, Abraham Maslow, found that it is the very nature of your existence to become a self-actualizing person, pursuing and reaching your potential – and beyond.
“If you deliberately plan on being less than you are capable of being, then I warn that you will be unhappy for the rest of your life.”
Abraham Maslow
Using his Pyramid or Hierarchy of Needs model, Maslow demonstrated people can only be satisfied if they progress through the various stages of actualizing potential during their lifetime. He states, “What one can be, one must be.” You have a need to self-actualize and live at your highest potential and beyond if you want where you live to be the “Happiest place on earth.”
When healthcare fails to provide a true path to experiencing your potential, per Maslow, it is metaphorically like failing to provide oxygen. Failing to become a truly whole and healthy person, not just treated to minimize the pain, is like failing to breathe air. You deprive your soul of oxygen and suffer the consequences body, mind, and spirit.
A Global Public Health Concern through the World Health Organization, 350 million people worldwide suffering from depression. The U.S. is second in the world in our addiction to drugs and alcohol. 1 As a world-leader in depression, it’s clear that conventional health care has failed to help people ascend the pyramid. 2
The whole concept of chiropractic is a complete expression of life. The purpose of our care is for people to become fully actualized human beings, functioning at their capacity, and even beyond. The care we provide transcends the alleviation of symptoms alone and does not merely point people to the possibility of simply feeling a little better, but takes people to a place where they can actually experience their potential.
Don’t just stand by a road sign that says, “LIFE” – get the whole experience! A chiropractic clinic is the “Healthiest place on earth.”
Don’t feel like you’re offering patients that level of experience? Let us help!
References:
- https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/publications/defining-addiction-treatment-gap-data-summary
- https://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-09-14/the-10-most-depressed-countries
