For the Believers, Dreamers, & Action-Takers

02 Aug For the Believers, Dreamers, & Action-Takers

Author’s Note: When you make it to the bottom of the post, leave a comment. I’m going to do the best I can to move one of your dreams a little bit closer to coming true.

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Sometimes the “obvious” reason isn’t the “real” reason.

Let’s say your friend goes to see their chiropractor for the 74th time (I can make jokes about chiropractors because I am one ;)):

• “Obvious” reason: She wants to be out of pain.
• “Real” reason: She wants to do something that seems healthy for her body, but deep-down, feels hopeless about her options given the relief doesn’t last.

When I started Barefoot Rehab in the summer of 2010, I told people that I wanted to be the best pain doctor in NJ.

If you’ve spent anytime recently with me in the office, you’ve probably heard how much of an impact ayahuasca has had on my self-development and growth since 2015 (the time Mother Earth saved me from falling or the time I pissed in the street in spite of the Matrix).

Well, I’ve drunk way more ayahuasca in 2017 than I had in the previous two years.

This psychedelic plant has taken what looks like the nicely rolled up cylinder of toilet paper that I call “my life” and thrown it up in the air, adorning my days with turbulent ups and downs that have taught me what beauty really is.

As I wait for the toilet paper to settle onto the ground, I’ve been processing previously unimaginable amounts of:

• anger
• depression
• suicidal ideation
• sadness
• jealousy
• shame

I’ve been remembering how depressed I was as a child and an adolescent.

How I used to:

• cry myself to sleep in middle school, punching the floor out of the misery of not knowing what to do with my enormous sadness.
• throw my body around at kids who weighed 100-200 pounds more than me on the football field without a 2nd thought.
• pray to whatever God existed to take my life.

As I give myself permission to feel the pain of living in this fast-paced, seemingly sick world, I remember what that loneliness felt like as a kid.

And …

I remember the “real” reason I became a pain doctor.

So you realize you don’t have to suffer alone.

Sure, I care about your physical suffering. That’s how we make money at Barefoot Rehab.

But I don’t really care about your physical pain.

I care about what’s down your rabbit hole.

What lies in the deepest, darkest depths of being.

I want to know:

When the bad days have been adding up and you’re not sure how you can make it through another day, it’s late at night, and you’re crying, alone …

Why are you crying?

What’s the greatest hurt among your hurts?

To recap:

• “Obvious” reason why I became a pain doctor: To stop physical suffering/pain.
• “Real” reason why I became a pain doctor: To stop emotional and spiritual suffering/pain. Or at least, to let you know, that you don’t have to suffer alone.

The cool thing about all of the patients who have come to see Barefoot Rehab to get out of physical pain is that:

You are all Believers, Dreamers, and Action-Takers.

Why?

When people in pain call our office and haven’t been to other chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, or other doctors, we push them away until they’re ready to get diagnosed and fixed.

When the pain has only been present for a few days or weeks, we push them to other doctors until they want the best.

We make it hard for them (as we made it hard for you).

We don’t want to waste our time with people who don’t want the best treatment. If you’re not sure if we’re the best, we’ll keep doing the best we can to accumulate these:

• 48 5-star reviews on Facebook.
• 28 5-star reviews on Google.
• and a few more written and video testimonials on our own site.

YOU did want the best treatment.

Barefoot Rehab is not an in-network participating practice.

We don’t want an insurance company, whose job it is to deny payments and make a lot of money, to dictate how we fix people. We didn’t sign a contract telling us how to treat you.

In reality, it doesn’t work.

Our higher prices for treatment warrant that you really need to know that you want the best care to be out of pain in a permanent way.

YOU were willing to pay the most to get the best quality of service.

When you met me (Dr. Chris), you kept coming back for the care and our love even though:

• I no longer wear dress shirts at work.
• Illegal plant substances are the topic of most of my conversations of late.
• The smell of garlic, feet, and wet dog often accompany my body. Those are just my pheromones trying to seduce you to love me. LOL.

YOU still gave me hugs.

A day never goes by that I’m not ridiculously grateful for the people I get to spend my time with.

Zig Ziglar was right when he said:

You can have anything you want in life as long as you help as many other people get what they want in life.

I get to share this with you, as much as you want. (Seriously, if you want to hang out, our house is your house.  As long as I have enough introvert solitude, that is.)

I could die tomorrow and I’ll tell God at the pearly white gates:

Man, what’s up with that traffic in New Jersey?

Why didn’t you give us more roads?

Thank God (I mean), thank you for connecting me with the raw, real, magical people you found in New Jersey. I know they’re the minority, but I would’ve left New Jersey if it weren’t for them.

Next time you rain blessings down on them, can I help you shower them with awe-inspiring, beauty-filled moments like you’ve done for me?

God smiled:

Sure, you can help me rain down on them.

God knows (I mean), I know Jesus isn’t helping me anymore now that he’s rolling joints.

So … thank you.

And if you don’t mind, tell me below in the comments, what do you believe so deeply that it makes your heart feel like it’s going to explode? What do you dream so often that the child inside of you pounds at your temple walls? And … what are you doing (or going to do) about it?

Don’t forget the action-taking part. : )

I’m going to pick one of you to help you come a little bit closer to making your dreams come true.