You don’t “need” to be empowered
Not to contradict myself immediately, but the mission of Brilliant Life Chiropractic is to empower our community. Whether you come into the office as a patient, or simply read our blogs, or otherwise support our mission. How do we do that? What does it mean to be empowered? How does that impact your life? And why do I say that you don’t “need” to be empowered?
Being empowered means that you have power over your life, and that begins with the power of choice. Believe it or not, you have a say in your life, and in your health. But first, you have to understand that choice is power. How does that relate to a feeling of need? What does it mean to need something?
Pain Hurts!
People who come to see us at Brilliant Life are often in pain. A comment I hear commonly is “I had to take ibuprofen.” I get it, I really do. Pain is no fun, and sometimes it feels like you really do need to do something to make it go away. But that’s not always the truth. In fact, it’s rarely the truth, however much it may feel like it.
Ibuprofen is a choice, not a need.
Because that means you have been forced into something that you didn’t choose. There is nothing empowering about that. Your pain is driving your life. It’s dictating your behavior. That can often lead to feelings of guilt, or a lack of control over your life. Maybe not in that scenario, but can you see how it could grow into something more? How can this be shifted?
See if you can re-frame that pain into a sensation that you’re having, and that’s all. Consider your options and see what it might feel like to feel your pain, acknowledge it, let that go, and choose to take ibuprofen, or not. When it’s a choice, you don’t need to feel guilty about that choice, like pain “forced you into it.” Instead, it’s a deliberate action, where you are in control.
The True Power of Choice
Now, I’m not advocating simply taking ibuprofen consciously whenever you have pain. I’m also not saying you have to live with pain as just another sensation. I’m good with whatever choice people make. After all, it is your life. I’m asking you to consider if it’s really a need, and to make the choice that empowers you, whatever that is.
Let this filter into the rest of your life as well. How important is choice to your life? Think of all the things we do that we feel we need to justify with something. That turns it into a need. Do you need to have that drink? Or do you need to eat that snack? Do you need to take the elevator? Or have that cigarette?
Taken the other way, do you “need” to go to the gym? Or go for that walk? Eat perfectly? Do you need to skip dessert? These are all choices. Some of them contribute to your health, and some don’t, but it’s still a choice. And it’s your life. Own your choices. Make them consciously and watch your life transform.