The Greatest Goal and Purpose of Life

Of all the great pursuits in life, to me this is the most important. Every virtue, treasure and reward in life is obtained only through this quest. What is it? It is living your potential.

Robert Louis Stevenson said it more than a hundred years ago: "To become what we are capable of becoming is the only end in life."

But what is potential? Webster's dictionary defines potential as possible (as opposed to what's currently actual) capable of being or becoming or a latent excellence or ability that may or may not be developed. So potential then is what you can become. It is the best possible version of yourself.

The first challenge, I believe, to living our potential - is realizing the greatness that is dormant inside of each of us.

Thomas Edison said, "If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves."

Dale Carnegie also taught, "We all have possibilities we don't know about. We can do things we don't even dream we can do."

Why don't we then? I think what stops most of us from tapping our inner genius; the hero or heroine inside each of us is fear. We are actually afraid of our greater potential.

19th century philosopher Soren Kierkegaard said it this way, "There is nothing of which every man is so afraid as getting to know how enormously much he is capable of doing and becoming."

I know I am constantly challenged by the philosophy espoused by Marianne Williamson when she says, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of our highest potential that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

Nelson Mandela echoes this when he says, "There is no passion to be found playing small - in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living."

It is said that the greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we are capable of becoming.

But denying your potential isn't just sad, it's unhealthy. In fact, psychologists tell us nothing creates internal stress and trauma more than when what you are doing on the outside (your actions and behaviors) is incongruent with your potential on the inside.

Abraham Maslow warns, "If you plan on being anything less than you are capable of being, you will probably be unhappy all the days of your life."

So where do you start? You start by realizing your greatness, understanding the unfathomable strength, courage and capability that has been gifted to you, but has yet to have been unwrapped.

Anne Frank wrote, "Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. The good news is that you don't know how great you can be! How much you can love! What you can accomplish! And what your potential is!"

Pope John the 13th pointed the way when he said, "Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do."

And finally we are prodded by the encouraging words from the late great Jim Rohn when he says, "The big challenge of life is to become all that you have the possibility of becoming. You cannot believe what it does to the human spirit to maximize your human potential and stretch yourself to the limit."

Darren Hardy (excerpt from the October 2010 Success Magazine http://www.blogger.com/www.successmagazine.com)

A Quality Life Demands Quality Questions

The quality of your life is based partly upon the quality of the questions you ask yourself daily. If you are not inspired about your life or if you are not living the life you truly dream of, it may just be because you are not asking yourself the highest quality questions. The moment you do is the moment your life begins to change. Most people who struggle through life ask themselves such uninspiring questions that their lives become exactly that, uninspiring. Asking yourself low-quality questions leads to a low quality life, but asking yourself high quality questions is one of the keys to living the more self-actualized life you dream of and deserve.

Below are seven high quality questions you could begin asking yourself daily. I have been asking myself these questions for many years and have been able to fulfill many of my dreams through this method. Many of my friends and students have also done the same. These questions have already been demonstrated to increase the quality of many people's lives around the world. Let's now take a look at these seven high quality questions.

1. What would I absolutely love to do in life?
This question helps bring clearly into your conscious mind one of your heartfelt and meaningful dreams or objectives.
2. How do I become handsomely or beautifully paid to do it?
This questions helps you awaken your creativity and helps you reward yourself in return. It helps make your vocation your avocation. Why not get financially rewarded for doing whatever you love?
3. What are the seven highest priority action steps I could complete today that would enable me to do it?
This question helps you see how possible it is to accomplish this or any other meaningful dream or objective. It helps you organize your actions.
4. What obstacles might I run into and how do I solve them in advance?
This question helps you plan more effectively and prepares you for the challenges you might face in advance. It enables you to act more than react along your journey.
5. What worked and what didn't work today?
This question helps you refine your actions and keep them on priority. All great endeavors require such feedback.
6. How do I do what I would love more effectively and efficiently?
This question helps you consistently think of more effective and efficient ways of accomplishing your meaningful dream or objective.
7. How did whatever I experienced today - whether positive or negative, serve me?
This question helps you realize that all great endeavors come with both supportive and challenging consequences both of which act as feedback mechanisms to assist you along your accomplishment journey.

Yes, there is a bit of thinking involved in asking and answering quality questions, but with a little effort and refinement you can certainly accomplish a great number of objectives and fulfill a greater number of dreams. Don't you deserve to live your dreams? Begin asking yourself the same quality questions and see what answers they lead you to. Be as specific and concise as you can. Watch how your creativity begins to soar. The quality of your life is based partly upon the quality of the questions you ask yourself daily and the quality of the actions you take for yourself daily. Begin to ask higher quality questions and begin to act on your dreams today.

Dr. Demartini

The Awesome Agave

Our modern diet often comes up short on nutrition, which is renewing interest in ancient, traditional foods. Agave is the fashionable rediscovered food of the moment. But is this fashionable food all hype? Your doctor at Nova Spinal Care investigates the ancient agave to determine if its storied benefits stand the test of time.





Advances in Food Production: For better or Worse?

Over the past 100 years, major advances in both food production and processing improved food safety and availability. However, your doctor at Nova Spinal Care is concerned that the overall nutritive values of plant foods have consequently been drastically reduced.

Modern, empty-calorie foods are strongly linked to the epidemic problem of obesity, as well as cardiovascular and degenerative diseases (Food Nutr Bull 2006;27:167-79). The situation has prodded people to reconsider many food choices.
Your doctor at Nova Spinal Care takes an in-depth look at agave, one of the standard foods eaten by indigenous, or native, peoples in the Americas. Today, this venerable food may be useful for a wider swath of the population.

Agave: The Century Plant

The ancient agave, known as the century plant, has been a cornerstone of native culture sin Mexico, Central America and the southwestern United States for generations. Though often misidentified as a cactus, agave is instead succulent, with thick, fleshy leaves that store water. It is slow growing and thrives in arid, desert areas, but it takes eight to then years - or more - to flower.

there are hundreds of agave species, all of which can be traced to a plant family that is at least 25 million years old (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2006;103:9124-9). Prized by the early Aztec civilization, the agave and its sacred juice, called nekutli, were considered gifts from the gods.

Both the Aztecs and Native Americans consumed fermented agave juice during religious ceremonies and special occasions. Through the years, the plant's sap has been the base for beer-like drinks, called pulque and maguey. Today, the sap of the blue agave (Agave tequilana) is the single variety allowed to be distilled into the popular liquor tequila.

Though it has many non-food uses, only the flowers, sap and juice of the agave are consumed, and their benefits have become legend.

Basic Health Benefits of Agave

The once-in-a-lifetime flower of the agave contains a plethora of valuable nutrients, including dietary protein and fiber. Agave flowers also hold high concentrations of protein-building amino acids, such as lysine and tryptophan, and potent organic molecules known as alkaloids (Plant Foods Hum Nutr 2007;62:133-8). While bloom seasons are short, plants like the agave can serve important nutritive and dietary roles.

Research shows that agave-derived beverages help ensure micronutrient nourishment, while alleviating maluntrition and contributing to the prevention of chronic disease (Nutr Rev 2004;62:439-42). These benefits are especially evident for people wit the expertise to harvest foods such as the agave from local ecosystems.

Peeling Away the Mystery of Agave

Scientists, especially in Mexico, have conducted intensive chemical analysis of a gave in recent years - attempting to learn more about the advantages of the primordial plant. One study found that pure agave extract exhibits antimicrobial function (J Ethnopharmacol 1996;52:175-7).

Another project determined that agave, and similar plants, manufacture natural steroid-like substances known as saponins. These steroidal agents exhibit powerful antifungal activity (Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2006;50:1710-14).

Agave's antifungal powers have yet to be tapped fully, but science suggests that they could be pressed into action against common complications of cancer drug treatment.

The Healthy Sweetener

Agave is frequently distilled into a sweetener because it is loaded with natural sugars (Bioresour Technol 2001;77:101-8). An article in the June 18, 2008 San Francisco Chronicle advises that just a few drops of agave syrup can easily replace a teaspoon or more of sugar. Darker, less-refined versions of agave syrup retain the plant's distinctive vanilla flavor and may also preserve some of its minerals and enzymes.

Agave is sweet, but its sugars are 90 percent fructose, or fruit sugar. Fructose has half the calories of most carbohydrates. It also has a lower "glycemic index". So, unlike conventional sugar, it does not promote dietary insluin production, or the subsequent problem of insulin resistance, in the body (J Pediatr Encdocrinol Metab 2008;21:225-35).

Weight Control, Diabetes and More

Agave sweetener could be good news for diabetics, though, like most sugary foods, it should be eaten in moderation. A new animal study examined the physical consequences of agave's fructose molecules, or fructans.

Scientists learned that agave fructans have promising effects on glucose, or sugar, metabolism, as well as on cholesterol levels (Br J Nutr 2008;99:254-61). Agave has other appealing nutritional and technological properties that can suppress appetite and lower body weight.

It seems counterintuitive that a super-sweet food, like agave, might be an efficient diet food. But additional animal research confirms that agave sugars protect against weight gain and fat mass development in the body (Obes Res 2005;13:1000-7). Again, appetite regulation is a bonus.

Another animal study suggests that the fermentable fiber in agave sugar, known as fructo-oligosaccharide (FOS), could ply a role in controlling obesity and the metabolic disorders that often accompany that condition (Life Sci 2006;79:1007-13). Agave's FOS content decreases energy intake, body weight gain and glycemia, or the concentration of sugar in the blood.

Agave is part of a growing trend among diabetics toward alternative diabetes care. People with diabetes often obtain superior preventative care through chiropractic and alternative medical sources (Diabetes Care 2006;29:15-9). Every year, more and more diabetics find support from chiropractic and similar modalities (J Altern Complement Med 2006;12:895-902).

Agave for the Gut

Probiotics are live, edible ingredients that help foster the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive system. They have become popular additives to cutting-edge food products. Research indicates that agave's FOS-based sugars have desirable probiotic properties (J Agric Food Chem 2008;56:3682-7).

FOS is well-tolerated and can lead to significant increases in favorable microflora, or bacteria, in the colon (Nutr J 2007;6:42). Since agave was customarily used for intestinal disturbances, it makes sense that today's researchers have uncovered that the plant's FOS has an effective, laxative-type quality.

Further proof of the agave's potential to assist digestion comes in the form of intensive chemical examination. These tests ensure that the "good" bacteria in agave products, including lactic acid, can live through the fermentation process and offer digestive benefits when consumed (Int J microbiol 2008;124:126-34).

If you suffer from digestion problems, probiotics plus chiropractic care may be an ideal solution. In comprehensive patient surveys, 27 percent of those reporting positive results from chiropractic care say they had improved digestion following chiropractic spinal adjustments (J Manipulative Physiol Ther2005;28:294-302).

Agave for Pain Relief?

Researchers describing agave varieties native to the Dominican Republic proved that the plant's extracts produce a powerful anti-inflammatory result when taken orally or applied topically (J Pham Pharmacology 2004;56:1185-9).

Of course, for relieving inflammation, chiropractic should be a top choice along with nutritional interventions, like agave. Studies show that, for spinal pain that has an inflammatory component, chiropractic adjustments produce early recovery and deliver better pain relief than oral medications (Spine 2003;28:1490-502).

Singing the Praises of Agave

The ancient agave is a healthy, natural food with distinct benefits. Lately, it has turned up as a sweetener in energy drinks and other trendy food items, verifying that interest in agave is surging .

When buying agave products, make sure to look for those that are minimally refined. These maintain the plant's naturally occurring chemicals and substances thought to be responsible for its medical characteristics. Also, look for 100 percent agave sweeteners. Just because a products has some agave, doesn't mean it isn't loaded with unhealthy sweeteners as well.

Live Well

Humans aren't born with a handbook. And unfortunately, our impulses about well-being frequently prove inaccurate. Many people learn the hard way that neither an extravagant shopping spree nor a piece of chocolate cake provides lasting satisfaction. But if well-being doesn't come from acquiring more of a fleetingly good thing, how can we attain it?

In his new book, Wellbeing: The Five Essential Elements, Gallup research leader Tom Rath reveals the truth about feeling good: Focusing on improving any one aspect of life will backfire. The reason for this is that the critical areas of our lives that contribute to well-being operates interdependently.

Rath, author of four international best-sellers, including Strengths Based Leadership, discovered the truth about the interdependent nature of well-being through a comprehensive Gallup study. Researchers asked participants from more than 150 countries questions regarding their personal health, wealth, relationships, jobs and communities. The responses indicate that to truly possess well-being, a person must thrive in five interconnected areas of life: career, social, financial, physical and community. But only 7 percent of people actually do.

The Mystery of Feeling Good

"The conventional wisdom is that being healthy and having a lot of money will buy you happiness," Rath says. "While those things certainly help, we found there are a couple of elements that are even more important in terms of the quality of your social relationships and how much you enjoy your career on a day-to-day basis."

Rath says we instinctively look for objective ways to evaluate the quality of our lives. Quantifiable measurements, such as our own net worth, income, or height, weight or BMI (body mass index), are the only ways we have to compare ourselves to our neighbors or friends. Yet that form of measurement can lead us in the wrong direction if we don't recognize the interdependence of all five areas.

For instance, money can't buy happiness. However, money does influence our well-being in a less overt way. Financial security can alleviate worry and stress and allow us to spend time with friends and loved ones. Lack of financial security strips us of that time freedom and can cause physical and emotional stress.

In the same way, paying attention to one's physical health is beneficial. But if a person obsesses about this (or any other) area of life to the point of neglecting social relationships, that singular focus can have a detrimental impact on his overall well-being.

The tendency to seek fulfillment in a single area of life is one of the reasons people believe happiness is elusive, when really what's missing is the interplay of various key elements. Here's a few of the ways these five areas overlap, and how you can work to bring them into harmony.

Career Well-Being

Rath notes there is an intrinsic and powerful link between a person's career and well-being. "Having some kind of occupation or pursuit in life that really gets you going each day might be the most fundamental element of well-being," he says. "The first lever you pull to boost your well-being is to wake up and actually look forward to using your strengths and talents that day."

Lack of career satisfaction is a weight that can sink a person's overall sense of well-being fast, even if the financial payoff is big.

Boost Your Sense of Career Well-Being: To boost career satisfaction, find ways to use your strengths every day. (If you're not sure what your strengths are, check out Rath's book StrengthsFinder 2.0.) Rath also recommends spending time daily with someone who shares your mission and encourages you to grow.

Social Well-Being

The relationship dynamics of well-being are also present in work situations. For example, if a person dislikes his supervisor, the negative relationship can dramatically impact that person socially and physically by making him or feel drained and irritable.

But social well-being isn't solely about our work relationships. In fact, it's detrimental to rely on any one person or any single area of life to provide all of your social needs. "Our research has found that people who have at least three or four very close friendships are healthier, have higher well-being and are more engaged in their jobs," writes Rath and Wellbeing co-author Jim Harter. "But the absence of any close friendships can lead to boredom, loneliness and depression."

Boost Your Sense of Social Well-Being: Rath recommends engaging in social interaction six hours every day, including socializing at work as well as e-mailing, talking on the phone, texting or spending time with family. The personal and professional connections you make will pay off in your sense of overall well-being.

Financial Well-Being

The degree to which money contributes to well-being does not necessarily correlate to income. Once basic needs are met, how people spend and manage their money determines their resulting emotions.

"The people who had the highest financial well-being weren't the people who had the most money, by any standard," Rath says. "They were the people who had paid off their debt and had managed their money very conservatively over the years. They didn't have to worry about the ups and downs." Not surprisingly, frugal-minded people experienced less financial stress than their debt-laden, but higher-earning, counterparts.

Rath describes one person he and his team interviewed who had some of the highest financial well-being they encountered. He was a former minister who had paid off all of his debts and loans and had learned to spend his money on experiences and time with family and friends. He purchased a camper and enjoyed life free of the discomfort of owing people money.

Boost Your Sense of Financial Well-Being: Buy experiences rather than material items. Vacations and classes offer more enduring rewards because you get to look forward to them in advance, enjoy them when they arrive and relive the memories. The temporary novelty of a new suit or designer bag just doesn't compare.

Giving to charity and spending money on others also offers a lasting emotional boost. In fact, studies show that the same regions of the brain that are activated when we receive money (based on MRI brain scans) glow even brighter when we donate money to community organizations.

Community Well-Being

An often forgotten element on many people's quest for happiness is philanthropy, which provides a far greater sense of happiness than exclusively seeking to fulfill our own needs. Rath calls community well-being "the differentiator between a good life and a great one."

Rath says the happiest person he met during his research for Wellbeing was a man in his 80s who spent significant time volunteering in his community. Although he had enjoyed a successful career, Rath notes one of the man's main priorities and sources of satisfaction had always been contributing to his community.

In addition to liking where you live, feeling safe and having basics, such as quality air and water, you should choose to live in a community that fits your personality and interests. After choosing the right place, the best predictor of how much people will enjoy their communities is whether they choose to get involved in groups and how they choose to give back.

Boost Your Sense of Community Well-Being: Identify ways you can contribute to individuals and groups within your community. The contact that comes from even a minimal commitment, such as signing up to host events or being included on lists to occasionally serve, can dramatically boost your sense of community well-being. You'll feel more connected and be in a position to impact others' lives.

Physical Well-Being

Finally, physical health can provide the foundation for the other areas of life. If a person exercises regularly, the subsequent boost in mood enables him or her to perform better at work, spend more time socializing and contributing to the community.

Rath cites several studies in Wellbeing that indicate sleeping well, exercising and choosing healthy foods can have an enormous impact on energy and alertness - all ingredients necessary to have a zestful life.

Boost Your Sense of Physical Well-Being: Exercise at least 20 minutes each day. Rath recommends exercising early to help improve your mood throughout the day. Additionally, strive for a nutritious diet that includes an abundance of natural foods.

Although the interdependence of five factors may make it seem difficult to achieve happiness, especially when each requires mastering a different set of skills, success can be measured in increments. Focus on what you can do today to improve your life for the long term. Doing so will yield a life that is rich, rewarding and others-focused -- the essence of well-being.


This article has been taken from the Success Magazine blog. Written by Holly La Fon.

Celebrating Healthy Child Month!

In February we are celebrating Healthy Child Month at Nova Spinal Care.

Your child will receive a FREE nervous system scan on their initial visit this month.

Above is a video from the ICPA (International Chiropractic Pediatric Association) about the importance of chiropractic care for children.

Designing the Life You Would Love

The clearer and more meaningful your purpose the greater will be your direction and feelings of inspiration for life. People who are inspired and committed to fulfilling their dreams grow, while those who do not, tend to decay mentally, emotionally, and physically. In other words, if you're not fulfilling your life's mission and doing what you love and loving what you do, then you are not really planning to live an inspired life. You are simply living a quiet life of desperation.

The first step towards discovering your purpose is making the decision of what you would to be, do and have in all areas of your life.

If you knew you couldn't fail, listened to your heart and soul, and wrote down what you would love to be, do and have in all areas of your life, what would they be? Take the time to write it all down. A short pencil is greater than a long memory. Any detail you leave out is a detail that others may determine. Assume you are the captain of your ship and the master architect of your destiny.

No matter what we decide to be, do and have in our lives, if it comes from a place of inspiration, it does in some way make a difference. Whether it is in business, the arts, at home or a spiritual quest, everything we do is another piece to the puzzle of life and if there are any pieces missing we do not have the whole picture.

The second step is the questions we ask ourselves on a daily basis. To live an inspired rather than a despired life there are skills to be mastered, and one such skill is the ability to ask yourself inspiring, quality questions. The quality of your life is determined by the quality of the questions you ask, so don't say to yourself, I'd like to do that, but do I have enough money? because it creates a mindset that assumes you can't. Ask yourself, "How can I do what I love and be magnificently paid for it?" Don't stop looking until you find the answer, and get an entirely different outcome. Just reframing the statements you make to yourself offers tremendous power. This allows your vacation to become your vocation.

Finally the third step is being grateful for everything in life. Those who count their blessings, who are grateful, have more blessings and fulfillment in life than those who do not. This is a simple principle. Yet it has the power to change your life. Gratitude is they key to growth and fulfillment. Imagine if you dedicated your life to your dream and let nothing stop you, and I mean nothing. If you let no person on the planet, any challenge, obstacles, fears, or emotions stop you from being exactly what you dream about, how could it not come true? There's nothing more inspiring in my life than to speak to people who are willing and receptive to discovering their magnificent potential.

The pain of regret far outweighs the pain of discipline, so don't spend your life on little dreams when you have something magnificent inside that is just waiting for expression. Start today to create your master plan for 2011 and beyond so you can live a purposeful and inspired life.

Dr. Demartini

What You May or May Not Know About WATER

We all know we should drink plenty of water on a regular basis, yet still, many of us do not seem to make it a priority in our day. Winter months seem to leave us more dehydrated... perhaps because that cool glass of water doesn't seem quite as quenching as it does during the hot humid summer months. The most vivid expression of the importance of water is watching two plants - one with water and one without. A watered plant stands taller, has more dramatic colors and frankly simply looks healthier. Two plants, of the same seed can appear dramatically different in health and age. How does this apply to us? Read on.

The majority of our body consists of water and it is required for many normal body and cell functions. Specifically, bones are 25%, muscles 75%, our brain is 76% and our blood is 82% water! For the body to have such a high portion of water, it must have some important role in health and survival. In fact, water is an essential component for digestion, nutrient absorption, has an important role in circulation, regulates body temerpature, lubricates and cushions joints, keeps skin healthy and removes toxins from the body (www.mercola.com).

Is there more to it than just drinking more water though? There are definitely a few considerations because too much of anything - even water - is not always a good thing. It has been recommended to drink water at room temperature or slightly chilled if that is more appealing to you. Drinking ice cold may alter digestion since it must be warmed in the digestive tract before it is absorbed,causing it to stay in the stomach longer. Drinking large portions of water at one time can also affect the digestive tract by overstraining our internal muscles, so to reach your daily water requirement, best to consume it moderately throughout the day. Remember, as a general rule of thumb, the formula for water intake is:

Body weight (lbs)/2= Daily Water Requirements (oz.)

It is recommended to drink water from a glass or stainless steel container when possible to reduce the amount of toxins you may consume from certain plastic containers. A good general rule of thumb is to look for the #7 on the bottom of a plastic bottle. Anything less than 7 should be avoided. The chemical of concern is known as Bisphenol A (BPA). It has been linked to changes in the reproductive system by mimicking effects of naturally occurring estrogen. Research findings have found a link with enlarged prostate, reduced testosterone, pre-cancerous breast cells, prostate cancer, early puberty onset in females and hyperactivity. It is still likely more beneficial to drink water out of plastic than not at all. If plastic water bottles are the only option for you at a given time, we recommend choosing a popular brand of water. Why? Because these water bottles are replenished more frequently, thus have spent a shorter amount of time bottled on the shelf.

Dr. Jason Plotsky