By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

I am an odd fellow when it comes to numbers and dates. I’ll find a coffee can from 1895, and think about how it was made the same year DD Palmer discovered chiropractic. I will see a stone marked 1897 on the front of a building, and be reminded that was the year Palmer Chiropractic College was founded in Davenport Iowa. A magazine from 1911 reminds me of the year a Chiropractic College was established in Los Angeles. So it was only natural, that while hiking in the middle of nowhere (actually among 865,000+ acres of Joshua Tree National Park land) I’d come across this rock, the rock of faith.

The Rock of Faith – John Samuelson 1927

The rock reads (with spelling corrections)…

The Rock of Faith

And Truth

Nature is God

The Key to Life is Contact

Evolution is the Mother and Father of Mankind

Without Them We Be Nothing

John Samuelson 1927

While photographing the rock, I noticed the 1927 date, and my selectively historic memory reminded me that it was the same year Stephensen’s Chiropractic Textbook was published. Philosophical chiropractors know the text I’m speaking of, it’s the one that talks about universal intelligence in all matter, and the maintenance of that matters existence.

Perhaps it’s just me, but had that statement been introduced as a chiropractic principle, I don’t think I would’ve questioned it. It seems as much a truth today as it was when chiseled into the granite back in 1927. Samuelson wasn’t a chiropractor, he was a miner from Sweden, working a gold claim (on behalf of William Keys) in the Little San Bernardino Mountains, now part of Joshua Tree National Park (JTNP).

Likely beginning in 1927, John chiseled the flat surfaces of eight rocks in total, on land he was attempting to homestead, in the Quail Springs valley (now also part of JTNP). Samuelsson had built a home on top of the rocks (he never did get deed to the land) but the wood and canvas structure burned to the ground sometime in the 1930s. Thanks to laws regarding artifacts, historical trash, and other items of interest, the rusted folding spring mattress frame still sits where the house once stood.

The Subluxation Maker

I can’t confirm that the folding mattress frame shown here is from the 1920s, but it’s more likely than the possibility that it was brought into the desert years later, since Joshua Tree became a national monument in the 1930s, and the house had already burned by then, and Samuelson was long gone.

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

Something I have long loved about the New Beginnings chiropractic philosophy events taking place in New Jersey is their commitment to chiropractic students. While I was attending a speakers luncheon on Saturday, cards were handed out in support of the student fund. I grabbed a photo of the card, so that chiropractors wanting to participate in helping current and future chiropractic students get more chiropractic philosophy, could get info on becoming involved.

Help Support Chiropractic Students

The student committee helps support students to attend New Beginnings. This feed s the lifeblood of chiropractic and ensures that vitalistic principle based chiropractic will stay alive in our colleges. Supporters commit a minimum of one office visit per month between New Beginnings programs.

For those chiropractors or individuals interested in supporting students and the future of chiropractic, you can get more information about the New Beginnings Student Fund at 732-747-4646.

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

Postcard arrived today from Schofield Chiropractic Training in Phoenix, Arizona. It was a simple postcard with a quote from BJ Palmer, developer of Chiropractic. There is a poster with a drawing of BJ Palmer on it, with these same words. Great for any chiropractic office (will maybe not any chiropractic office, but those that are practicing chiropractic).

I will sell Chiropractic, serve Chiropractic, and save Chiropractic if it will take me 20 lifetimes to do it. I will promote it within the law, without the law, keeping with the law or against the law in order to get sick people well and keep the well from getting sick.

By Sharon Gorman, D.C.
Gorman Chiropractic Life Centers

The Holidays are on the way and people need a little more TLC and to discuss something other than the weather and their issues so here’s my idea. A Contest!!!! Done many, many before but haven’t done one in a while so I got one going since Monday in my office and I thought I’d share it with you in hope that it gets a little fire lit in your practice too. This a corny contest and for some reason most people love corny contests even if they wouldn’t admit it.

So here is what we are doing. We are giving away a really cool Ipod Docking System as first prize, a massage for second prize (3 actually) and 10 third prizes which are either a basket full of chocolate or a digital keychain. You pick the prizes you want to give out but make sure it is something that excites you and the staff- that is the key! The prizes will be drawn on Monday night before x-mas.

So here is how someone wins the raffle. Each time they come in to get adjusted they get a coupon to win along with a coupon for each family member who is getting adjusted too. The second way they can get tickets is by referring someone. If they refer someone they get 10 tickets and if they set me up with a talk at a club or organization they get 10 tickets too.

Every time a patient comes in the office the CA gives them their ticket and they fill it in and put it in the box. That is the perfect opportunity for the CA to talk to them about the contest and to plant the seed that we are hoping that they refer patients in our office. Very indirect yet very to the point.

We put all of the prizes on a small table decorated for the holidays and on the wall above the table we put up wrapping paper and every time someone refers we are putting their name on a decorated paper ball to acknowledge them for referring and so they can see how many people are participating as the number of ornaments grows each day.

Your patients get excited about your office and Chiropractic as a by-product of your excitement, so let them see who you are and that you are anxious and capable of seeing more patients and most of all – have fun and love what you are doing – the will be able to sense it and that is what will get them fired up and your staff fired up and then you will get even more fired up!

Focus Philosophy Meetings – December 6th
Focus Philosophy Meetings
Back Bigger And Better For The Fall – DECEMBER 6TH

Dr. PATTI GIULIANO – Her and her husband have a huge family practice in the Boston area and have been conducting monthly Philosophy Meetings for many years!

Dr. JIMMY GALGANO – He and his wife practice in New Jersey. Together they have a large practice and are mentor coach’s with Dr. John Madeira.

Howard Johnson Hotel
Route 611 Bartonsville, PA (exit 302 off I-80)
(570) 424-6100 for Reservations (ask for Focus Rate)
Contact Sharon Gorman at (570) 350-4091for more info.

COST – Suggested fee is the price of one office visit. We will be passing the hat to cover expenses.

Event sponsored by the Chiropractic Fellowship of PA. Check out our web-site at www.chirofellowpa.com. Don’t miss this awesome event – get back in the game and keep your eye on the ball! Whatever you put your energy on you will get more of- invest in your practice and your life!

Call Me If You Want To Join Us For Dinner Before The Meeting – We Will Not Always Be Eating At The Howard Johnson’s! Sharon (570) 350-4091

By Sharon Gorman, D.C.

Get quiet for a second. What do you hear? That voice keeps on talking. Feelings keep on coming up. For the flash of a second that you hear that or feel that you don’t get to choose it. It is there. Now what do you do with it. . . the thought. . . what do you do with it if it is negative. Do you let the negative in and start feeling bad about yourself? Do you start to doubt your abilities? Your previous choices? Your judgment? The answer to these questions shapes your life. These thoughts and feeling can take over if you are not in a good space. Do you let your mind and imagination romance the . . . what ifs? The what ifs can Kill you.

If I let my mind run with those negative thoughts then all of a sudden a lot of the same intense feelings return from when I had a real negative experience in the past. Even though the what ifs aren’t even close to happening I still feel those intense feelings as if those negative fantasies came true. This is a very, very dangerous place for you to allow yourself to stay because what you see and feel in your head will be manifested in your life unless you grab a hold and not let your mind go there.

The only reason I would allow myself to fall into that negative pattern and WORRY is because I am not nourishing my relationship with God. When I don’t feel the connection that always exists then I feel a big whole in my gut and I try to control my life and take back my will. When I try to be the pilot and not the co-pilot then the world all of a sudden seems real scary and my self talk becomes very destructive. My first instinct is to try to make these feelings go away by fixing the things in my life that I perceive to be negative. After I spin my wheels for a while (because there is always something negative to focus on when I am in this state of mind) I finally remember the obvious. For me I need to STOP and pray. I need to remember. I need to do it and do it quick because I’ve got a lot of people depending on me and a lot to lose.

I don’t deserve to stay there.. I’m too awesome. In those moments I forget that. In those moments I need to sit down with a piece of paper and write down all of the things that I have to be grateful for. As soon as I can move my mind to focusing on what’s right instead of what’s wrong the lock is broken immediately and reality returns. Reality is that my life is a reflection of what I allow to run me and my thoughts. This is where choice comes into play. Can I turn the corner? Sure can and each time I have turned the corner it has made it easier to turn the next corner in my life. Hope me sharing my thought can help you with yours.

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Focus Philosophy Night
August Sep. 15th, 2007 @ 7:00pm

Howard Johnson Hotel
Route 611 Bartonsville, PA (exit 302 off I-80)
(570) 424-6100 for Reservations (ask for Focus Rate)

Contact Sharon Gorman at (570) 350-4091
COST: Suggested fee is the price of one office visit. We will be passing the hat to cover expenses.
Future 2007 Dates: Oct. 20th, Nov. 10th, Dec. 1st

By Sharon Gorman, D.C.

Last Saturday afternoon Armand Rossi did a two hour training session for Chiropractors in my office between my Open House for the patients and our Philosophy Night at the Hotel. The entire day was awesome. At the end of his talk he asked us if we had any questions and I tried to think of a good question to have him continue thinking. I like the way he thinks. Some people are Chiropractors and some Chiropractors are Chiropractic through and through and Armand is one of those, so I love to hear how he thinks things through.

My question was about retention. My practice is a new patient machine. New patients hasn’t been an issue for us in many years. Retention is another story. I believe that people should get adjusted for their whole life but according to my stats many of my patients don’t agree. If I had the kind of retention that I would like to have then I would never have to increase my new patient volume and would be seeing as many people as I would like to see. I thought his answer would have something to do with the office’s capacity. I always seem to focus on the capacity because it doesn’t matter how much of a burst of new patients we have the practice seems to consistently grow slow steadily over the years. I’m looking for a spurt. I want a huge growth spurt. I’m happy with what I got yet I want to do more.

Armand’s answer went something like this. He asked me how long have I been getting adjusted. Most of my life I replied. He said that he has been too. After going back and forth for a few minutes, I told him that I felt like my patient education system was very good and I was confused to why my patients don’t stay. I mean my retention stats are better than most people’s but not where I would like them to be. I told him that I lay things out for the patients very logically and they seem to agree with what I am saying while they are there but then a month or two down the road they seem to disappear.

He told me that I need to do more than that. Of course Chiropractic seems logical to me because I have been doing it so long but to them the Chiropractic reality is not real. I need to show them the urgency. I need to talk to them about what happens to a spine and a person who stays subluxated. I try so hard to not use fear as a motivator but he explained to me that most of the patients that come to me are motivated by fear and maybe I need to appeal to them where they are at. I guess I haven’t taken it so seriously if they don’t “get it” because I know that whether they get it or not, I will continue getting adjusted myself. I wouldn’t live without Chiropractic and I assume that they will draw the same conclusions that I have and do what I do. They aren’t coming from where I came from. I need to appeal to them where they live. I need to appeal to more than their head, I need to appeal to their heart and also to their survival instinct. To me Chiropractic is about survival.. The nervous system is about adapting and adapting is about quality and quantity of life. I’ve got to understand that whether they get it or not is a matter of life or death. They have got to get it too. This is not a casual set of understandings we are trying to impart on them. This is about their life. Twenty three years into this game I am still trying to get better at it. I hope you are too. It’s not about your retention stats, it about their life.

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Focus Philosophy Night
August 18th, 2007 @ 7:00pm
Joe Cucci & Mel Rosenthal — Howard Johnson Hotel
Route 611 Bartonsville, PA (exit 302 off I-80)
(570) 424-6100 for Reservations (ask for Focus Rate)
Contact Sharon Gorman at (570) 350-4091
COST: Suggested fee is the price of one office visit. We will be passing the hat to cover expenses.
Future 2007 Dates: Sep. 15th, Oct. 20th, Nov. 10th, Dec. 1st

By Michael Dorausch, D.C.

If you’d been paying any attention to this blog during the past few days you may have noticed that I was in San Francisco for an Internet get together (I don’t dare call it conference) known as WordCamp.

I left my chiropractic office in Los Angeles on Friday night at 7 p.m. and we had just completed a spectacular week. Thanks to my extraordinary staff and worlds greatest patients, I was able to go straight from the office to LAX airport and get on an 8:15 p.m. flight for San Francisco. I love that feeling I get when a week in my chiropractic office just flows like a magnificent river, full of joy and excitement.

Things continued to flow as I was able to board right on the plane without ever having to sit and wait. The flight left early and my shuttle to the Hotel in San Francisco was right outside my arrival gate. The ride went smoothly and I was at the hotel within what seemed like a few minutes. First thing I did when getting into the room was check for an Internet connection and it was all good. I had time to grab a slice of pizza and take a stroll in San Francisco, enjoying the energy of the week.

Saturday came and I was at the event with nearly 400 other computer egghead’s. Some of these guys were serious nerds (I mean that in a good way). The weekend was focused on the continual support of an open-source project known as WordPress, the software that runs this chiropractic blog (originally authored by Matt Mullenweg). It was incredible to experience the amount of dedication, discipline, and camaraderie shared amongst those seeking to improve the WordPress experience, not only for themselves, but for everyone on the planet.

I couldn’t help but think that this event was like the old school chiropractic days of Dynamic Essentials, where people would gather for hours, staying up till 4 o’clock in the morning to discuss the philosophy behind what they do. At WordCamp, you had an event where hundreds of people showed up for no other reason than to support each other. I love sharing in those experiences.

Sunday night in the San Francisco airport was different as I had a few hours before my plane was leaving for Los Angeles. Fortunately I had my laptops, a secure wireless connection, and plenty to do in preparation for the upcoming week. I didn’t arrive home Sunday night until past midnight and I was to be back in the office first thing Monday morning.

I’ll be honest, when my eyes opened Monday morning I was feeling the effects of the weekend, and I practically mumbled through my morning affirmations. I didn’t start the morning out with a bang but I did not forget the plan… two in the morning – two in the afternoon that’s our daily goal for new chiropractic patients. I left for lunch a few minutes past 11:30 a.m. and we had seen three people that were new to our office that morning. During my lunch break I took a nap and did no computer work.

The afternoon came and things began to move like clockwork. It didn’t seem rushed, it didn’t seem calm, it didn’t really feel like anything other than a typical productive afternoon in our chiropractic office. When I was wrapping up for the day my front office manager said “great job Dr. Mike, nine new patients.” I couldn’t help but think that the energy from the weekend, while amongst a group other than chiropractors, had the same affect as a great philosophical chiropractic weekend does.

Energy is energy and dedicated, hard-working, passionate and productive people make use of that energy like no others. I love being a chiropractor!