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My Walk Through BJ Palmer’s World

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Dr.  Martha’s Monday Morning Motivational

Monday, May 23,  2011

“Walk a mile in a man’s shoes and you will see what it is like to be him and you may shift your perspective”, my grandmother said this to me any time I began to judge another.  It was an awesome lesson to learn at such a young age and I have used it many times throughout my life.  This is simple lesson has allowed me to view the world with eyes wide open.

This weekend I attended the Winner’s Circle Weekend put on by The Masters Circle in Sarasota, Fl.   Knowing that BJ Palmer had a house there where he spent his last days and wrote many of his books, I had a hunch what one event of the “secret” weekend might be a visit there.  Little did I know the entire weekend I would be walking in BJ Palmer’s shoes?

Friday morning we started the day at BJ’s house.  As I exited the van, a silence swept over me as I realized I was about to walk through the house where BJ walked, slept, ate, had conversations with friends, wrote books, dreamed, passed on from his mortal life, and so much more.  I was overwhelmed with emotions and still at this time I don’t think I could fully list all the emotions I felt; it may take awhile or I may never delineate them.

My journey began walking up the driveway and past his dolphin fountain, his head cast, and his signature in cement I felt a sense of overwhelm realizing I was walking through a piece of history.  I walked up the vibrant, primary stone path that lead to the door and entered into the developer of chiropractic’s home and for the two hours I was allotted I would be slipping into his shoes and see the world as he saw it.  I’ve always loved seeing friends homes, in my opinion, it allows you to see who they really as our homes are expressions of who we are as individuals.

As I walked through his house it was eclectic to say the least, some said it was wild and I even heard “weird” to me it felt just right. I can honestly say it felt like home.  I’ve been through so many museums; my dad wanted us to know our history, and in all the museums I have been through I have never been to one that was so “real”.  Dr. Sid, who has a summer residence next door, did an awesome job preserving BJ’s home and in doing so has preserved BJ’s legacy.

BJ’s house was an expression of who he was a brilliant visionary and took the idea of his father and made it a household name.  Love him or hate him he believed in Innate and knew that’s expression was imperative for full expression of life. His house was much the same, an expression of his life.  The house was filled with history; I thoroughly walked each hallway making sure to absorb every bit of information possible.

I had several pivotal moments but want to share with you the three most pivotal.  As I stood in his bedroom at the foot of the bed in which he passed flipping through pictures and paperwork in plastic coverings.  In one of the plastic coverings was the death certificate of BJ and DD right next to each other.  On the back of the same plastic covering were photos of his funeral.  Even as I write this, I am overwhelmed with emotion. One photo was an image of him in his casket, as I looked at his face laying there tears filled my eyes.  At that time his death was so real and I quietly thanked him for the strength of his vision and for fulfilling his purpose regardless of what anyone thought and regardless of the opposition. BJ is truly a pioneer and he is a man of strength, dedication, and determination. We could all learn a lot from BJ Palmer and the foundation he laid so that chiropractic has its place. We MUST preserve our heritage.

My next pivotal moment was in the same room where I stepped into his giant wooden clogs, they were huge.  The moment I slid my feet into the clogs, I attempted to wrap myself around the realization of what big shoes I have to fill.  I have always thought that but this time my thought was a bit different.  This time I didn’t ask how I was going to get them to fit or wonder when I was going to “grow into them”. This time I just accepted these were my shoes and I would make them fit.  I was handed the shoes of BJ, DD, and many others the day I received my diploma and especially with the current state of chiropractic, I have no choice but to wear them even if I have to shove toilet paper into them to make them fit or wear two pairs of socks.  I also realized I wouldn’t have been given the shoes if I wasn’t prepared to wear them and that it was my own thoughts keeping them from fitting.  Regardless, since that day I have thought twice about the shoes I was called to step into and I have been wearing them with even more pride.

The last moment was extremely personal and hit me at a soul level.  There was a picture on the wall about leadership.  To sum it up, as I don’t have know it verbatim, leadership is lonely at times, the more opposition you face and more you are thought to be controversial the more you are leading.  Isn’t that the truth? I heard many times how “weird” or “strange” BJ was all throughout the day.   Was he “weird”? I guess. Define “weird”.  Personally, I have always been told I was “weird” and I guess just like anything in life its all perception.  In regards to BJ I will say he was eclectic, he was vibrant, he loved life and it’s expression regardless of what others thought, he dreamed big, he knew he knew the truth, wasn’t going to settle for current paradigms, saw a vision bigger than life, was determined to fulfill his purpose, and saw the world in the terms of what he knew could be rather than what won’t be.  Call it “weird” if you want BUT his “weird” got us where we are today. That day in Sarasota, I really resonated with who BJ was and were he came from and realized that “weird” means leader.  That day I realized that being “weird” means your vision is vast, that your purpose is intense, and that your convictions are deeply rooted and regardless of opposition you forge ahead.  In this case I am definitely “weird” and extremely proud.

After we left his house, we headed to the Ringing Brothers Circus Museum.  BJ loved the circus and spent a great deal of time at the circus. The circus was in fact why he moved to Sarasota.  Having heard before of BJ’s love of the circus and questioning it, after seeing his house I now knew why he loved the circus.  It goes back to being “weird”.  The circus is “weird” with the fat lady, the fire breathers, sword swallowers, and vast array of unique individuals; I guarantee none of them ever thought BJ was “weird”.  And as an added piece of info, there was an adjusting table in the Ringling Brothers home!

Saturday we were blessed to have Dr. Simon Senzon share with us even more history on BJ Palmer’s life.  He truly was an amazing man, some information was a refresher and other information was new both took my love and admiration for BJ to the next level.  Having walked through his house just 24 hours prior made me feel that much closer to the developer of our profession and even more grateful.

We could all stand to learn from BJ and realize that we must continually fulfill his vision, not for him, not for us, but for our future.  We are borrowing this profession from our future just as BJ borrowed from us.  May 27, 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of his death.  On May 27th, I encourage you to join me as I sit silently and get even more clear on my vision, mission, and purpose not for me but for chiropractic and as a thank you to BJ for borrowing from me and giving it back better than he found it.

Thank you DD and BJ Palmer you are true visionaries and I am eternally grateful for your strength and determination.

Love. Laugh. Adjust.
Dr. Martha Nessler, Innate Girl

Dennis Perman’s Message of the Week: April 25, 2011

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Thank you, Dennis an Honor!

Catapults or Anchors

Dear Doctor:
Death is perhaps the most difficult and uncomfortable of the human experiences – it’s typically beyond us to express our feelings, to cope, and to make some sense out of such losses. Spiritualists conjecture on it — life after death or not, karma or fate, in a better place or just gone, the debate rages on because no one can ever know.
That’s why it appeals to me when someone addresses this necessary part of life objectively, and this happened for me last week when I received a link to the blog of Innate Girl, otherwise known as Dr. Martha Nessler of Springfield, IL, the reigning TMC Winners Circle Chiropractor of the Year. I always read Martha’s writing, but this entry was especially poignant, describing the loss of her own mother when she was only two years old. Look over her shoulder for some profound insight:
“I was finally at a point where I was able to look at my mom’s death for what it really was — a catapult and not an anchor — A catapult propels and an anchor holds you back. All events in our lives have the ability to propel us or hold us back — we allow what we consider “positive” events to propel us, and “negative” events to anchor us. I have pledged to find the positive in all situations whether or not I “feel like it” because when your mother loses her life to cancer at twenty-nine and passes four months after her diagnosis you realize that life truly is too short — The day I began to see my mom’s life and death as a catapult was the day that “we” began to live.
For me I believe people only die if we allow them, while they physically die their spirit can live with us – After dealing with my mother’s death — I decided that I would live my life for my mother and since that day my mother has been my “why”. Her death — drives me to educate the world about living a wellness lifestyle. My mother did all things considered “healthy”. She ate right, took vitamins, exercised, and was a peaceful fun loving person. But, my mother never had her nervous system assessed; she had never been checked by a chiropractor. My “why” is strong and it is my hope that her death allows others to live. I want to make sure that everyone is given the opportunity to live their life full out and that they and their loved ones are not cut short — In my heart, each person I educate takes a little piece of her spirit with them and through their life she too lives.
Death is hard and if we are not careful we anchor to the loss of a loved one and with their death a part of us dies. I have chosen to use my mother’s death as a catapult and have allowed her death to propel me into the life I was meant to live. I have – chosen to live for us both by sharing her spirit and story with the world. Through my mother’s death I have chosen to live and will continue to allow her spirit to live.”
I never knew Pamela Jean Murphy Nessler, but I can say this – she will indeed live forever in the efforts of this powerful young chiropractor to spread the word of health and wellness, and the ripple effect of generations to come who receive the miraculous healing benefits chiropractic is famous for. Only you can choose if the events in your life are anchors or catapults – nothing has any meaning but the meaning you give it. Develop your “why,” tell your story, and live a life of significance.
Dennis Perman DC,
for The Masters Circle
PS One-day seminars with Bob and Dennis in Seattle and Chicago this week – practical material you can use every day to build your practice, patient education, report of findings, public speaking, all new classes – please call 1-800-451-4514, or go to www.themasterscircle.com. See you there!