The Ladder of Success

BJ Palmer, the developer of Chiropractic once wrote the following, titled the Ladder of Success:

Palmer’s Ladder of Success.
100%–I did
90%–I will
80%–I can
70%–I think I can
60%–I might
50%–I think I might
40%–What is it?
30%–I wish I could
20%–I don’t know how
10%–I can’t
0%–I won’t
-B.J.

The great climb the ladder of success and fulfill their life’s desires. For those in a Chiropractic office the goal is often better health. But is health an event or a journey?

Too many of us place health in the “event” category. We diet to lose 20 pounds of weight and when we achieve that we proclaim ourselves “healthy” and stop what we did to get there. Or, we begin an exercise program to lose several inches from our waist or fit into that special dress one more time. We stick to our program until reaching our goal, then once achieved, discontinue our program, proclaiming success.

But what happens next? The weight and inches often return with a vengeance. Many add on additional pounds. Is that successful? Personally, if that was me, I could not place such an event in the success category. The reason we have such yo-yo events is that we fail to commit to the journey.

Health is a journey. One tree does not make a forest, nor one cement block a sidewalk. The reality of health is it is a lifelong series of small goals that add up and become greater than the sum of its parts. It is a series of Dr. Palmer’s ladders. You may have reached the top of one ladder, but are only at the 40% or 60% rung of another. The successful ladder of life is climbed by continuing to challenge yourself to improve. The only person you need to better is yourself and your previous successes.

And it applies to all aspects of your life. Not just your physical health as so many think. You must create ladders for spiritual, mental, emotional, family, financial, etc health as well. These are all aspects of life. Chiropractic is about life.

GOT LIFE?