I just got home from 8 days in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where I completed my third mission trip.  Mission trips are very interesting for me.  They allow me to remove myself from the world of “what is” and escape to a place of complete service.  If you haven’t been on a mission let me explain…in our daily lives we fall into a routine.  We go through the motions over and over again.  Especially when we get our SYSTEMS done; we know what to say, what to do, etc… to convey the message to our communities as a whole.  But, when you are on a mission there are cultural variants, language barriers, time/scheduling, etc variables that come into play.  On a mission you can’t hide behind routine, scripting, scheduling, etc… it’s a free for all and you are forced to enter into a place of complete service.  You are forced to let go of all you know to be true and go with instinct.  Listening purely to your heart and your gut.  For some it’s scary and for others its re-assuring and for some it is the combo but when it is all said and done everyone sums it up to growth.  Because any time we leave our comfort zone we grow. 

Every time I re-enter into the life I let behind it takes a few days, well the second trip it took a week.  It takes some time to re-adapt back to life that you left behind.  Inevitably there are a few things I realize while on the mission…things I know I want changed for ever for the better, self-tweaking if you will.  It all takes time. Four to seven days on a mission seems like a lifetime because so much happens, especially in the area of growth.  That’s what really makes re-entry difficult.  On the mission you grow, well I do.  So, you feel so close to all those on the mission because they to are growing at the speed of light with you.  The part that makes re-entry hard is that while you are gone, it’s almost as if nothing changes.  So, you come back completely evolved and re-enter in to the same scenario you left, which is where the difficulty surfaces.

Having been on three missions I am able to see this growth and evolution as a blessing, a gift I bring back, so to speak.  I have come to realize that all I learn on the mission at both a worldly and soul level is a gift I get to bring back.  Mission trips aren’t for everyone but growth is a necessity for everyone.  So, when I re-enter I realize that I have the opportunity to share my growth with those whose lives I touch.  It’s like being the town crier, you have a really great message and a healing energy to share with your community.  It’s interesting because everyone expects a trinket when you return home on a trip but no one expects you to come home with life changing lessons that are priceless. 

I realize I need to do this a lot more and not just when I leave the country.  I know personally I have re-births all the time as I constantly evolve into the best version of myself.  I know that some times I can’t put them into words but when I can I need to share them.  This is an important thing for us as purpose driven chiropractors to remember each time we attend a seminar, read a book, or experience any growth.  It is part of our duty to help aid in the re-birth of our practice members, communities, and friends lives.

Love. Laugh. Adjust.

Dr. Martha’s Monday Morning Motivational