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Stepping Stones in The Journey of Life

Dr. Martha’s Monday Morning Motivation

Monday, June 6th, 2011

This past weekend I had the honor of standing in support of my brother, Jon Nessler, as he married the love of his life, Morgan Finley.  I have had the honor of standing up in many weddings, nineteen to be exact.  It is unexplainable to stand with a couple as they pledge their love and devotion to one another and begin their journey as one.

As Morgan walked down the aisle toward my brother, his face in awe as his bride approached him, my eyes filled with tears of joy.  As the oldest sibling I have always wanted the best for each of my brothers and my sister and the look on his face let me know that he had found that in Morgan.  I knew the day he met her something was different about her and as their solo journey continued, I knew they would share a joined journey in this life together.

Life really is all about the journey and not the destination; to me destination is too final.  Personally, I don’t know that there is a set destination but rather stepping stones at which we stop along the way.  Each stepping stone is an opportunity to reflect.

As we travel the journey of life we constantly evolve.  We grow from our experiences, the places we go, and the people we meet. At a stepping-stone it is a great time to evaluate all that you have picked up along the way and show gratitude for the person you have become.  It is also a great place to drop of excess baggage that is slowing your pace on your journey. Excess baggage is anything that is holding us back from being the best versions of ourselves.  Stepping-stones are necessary and pivotal. They are chapters in our book of life.

I am in the process of writing a book about my life, so I have been taking a detailed walk down memory lane.  I am so grateful for the journey that has brought me to the stepping-stone I stand today and I am eager to continue to the next.  Looking back over my life I can’t say that I regret any of my stops along the way.  I am grateful for each one, as it has contributed to the person I have become and am excited to watch myself grow as I reach the next.

I realized I haven’t always done the necessary house keeping at every stepping stone so at the one I am currently at I chose to assess the stepping stones that brought me to the stone I stand today.  House keeping to me is the same as tying up loose ends as to close one door before opening the next.  What an awesome process, while it was some what exhausting it was exilirating to know that I would be moving forward FREE.

Looking back over my journey has reminded me that we are all constantly evolving into better versions of the person we were just the minute before.  I have come so far in my thirty-one years and I can’t wait to see who I am in my next 31.  I think we all need to take a little time to reflect on where we have been, I think knowing where you have been gives you a better sense of where you want to go.

For Jon and Morgan this was a HUGE stepping-stone.  At this stone they joined together in each other’s journey, their two journeys became one.  Their next stepping stone will allow them to see how far they have come and give them a refreshed excitement of where they are headed.  The same holds true for all of us.  Take some time to reflect and give thanks, then sit back and enjoy the journey.

Dr. Martha Nessler

Love. Laugh. Adjust.

Principle #6 of the 33 Principles

Principle #6,  The Principle Of Time – “There Is No Process That Does Not Require Time.”

I have committed to take time each day to delve into the 33 Principles and really begin to comprehend each and every one of them individually.  I have made it a part of my “daily hour of power” and can say that each day I feel myself growing mentally and spiritually as I read on. All of the principles are very powerful and rich in insight but one that has really resonated with me lately  is Principle Six, “There Is No Process That Does Not Require Time”, the principle of patience.

Patience is an attribute I constantly strive towards better understanding and consciously practicing.   In hopes to expand the level to which I am currently patient so that I am continuously evolving into the best version of myself.

I have always been someone who moves quickly in my motions, thoughts, emotions, and in most areas of my life.  It’s how I am internally wired, how I function best.   This fast pace in which I have lived my life has served me well and I am thankful for my ability to assess  situations and do what is necessary to obtain the appropriate outcome; in a timely fashion. But, much like most of life it has its pro’s and con’s and deserves its  opposite for counterbalance.

Because I am able to quickly progress many areas of my life; it is hard to realize there are some arenas that just take time.  There are things that  simply shouldn’t be rushed; situations which require more time to unfold and mature much like a fine wine. Much like Principle #6 states, “There Is No Process That Does Not Require Time.”

I read this principle a few times before I really realized how many areas of life this principle applies to; much like the other thirty-two principles it can be applied to many more aspects of life outside of chiropractic.  For innate to reach proper balance and the body to regain proper function  such as it was at its creation, it takes time because the body is a combination of multiple processes.  Life is similar, it is full of processes and requires time.  Many times we look at a situation in life and want it to “pan out” the way we see that it should and in the time frame that we see fitting but we often fail to see all the other processes that concurrently occur.  It is often that we isolate the one event and forget that it is impossible to isolate a situation when so many things are happening simultaneously.  We don’t realize that everything has to happen in a well-balanced rhythm as to not upset the perfect balance that life “should happen” in for everything to simply be as it should.  This concept of “being as it should”, where by everything happens in a certain way and for a reason simply because it should happen that way and is “supposed” to happen that way; is a hard concept to accept and understand.  Frankly, because it doesn’t always happen the way that we want it to happen or saw it happening.  It’s then that we have to accept that we can’t control everything and much like the proverbial cliché, “Everything happens for a reason”, hether or not we want it to have that outcome, it simply “just is”.

Personally for me I know that I envision what I want to happen ultimately with the “proper outcome” and with tunnel vision I see that as the only way and want to get there as soon as possible.  I want to make the Greatest Possible Impact in the  Least Amount of Time.  But seeing the outcome in crystal clear clarity and owning it, in the way I see it and as I see it to be;  I forget all that must occur for me to get there; I forget the another proverbial cliché, “It’s not only about the destination but also the journey”.

My plan is to live my life full-out and experiencing every aspect, because I only have one life.  In order to do this I know that I have to not only understand but fully own Principle 6 of the 33 Principles, so that I don’t miss one aspect of this awesome life with which I have been blessed. Therefore I am focusing on letting go and letting God; letting life happen as it should.  I remind myself daily to pull from every situation and to not push.  While pushing has its benefits in some aspects of life, in situations and experiences we risk missing the finite details that tie it all together and give us the total experience we need to grow.

I just remind myself, “In due time, life it needs no rush.”



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