100 Reasons I Love Working for Evolution Chiropractic

1. I never feel held back or smothered.  At this job, I can go my fastest and give my all.  At previous jobs, I felt alone in my desires to work hard.
2. The whole Chrissy is loved and encouraged.  I don't have to be less spazzy or less passionate.
3. Innovation is embraced here and not feared.
4. I never need a sick day.  I can go to work in any state of health--with a migraine, with nausea, with panic, with extreme dizziness, with blurred vision--and know that as soon as the doctors show up I will be made well, or at least a TON better.
5. The doctors never give up on me: health wise or development wise.
6. This job taught me how to use a phone, which I seriously could not do gracefully before.
7. This job taught me how to talk slower, louder and clearer.
8. This job supports my need for order and for attacking piles of work and getting it done.
9. The health benefits to my family are amazing.  Doug and Tommy are so much healthier since I've come.  Doug is a whole new man, full of energy and spontaneity.  Tommy is so much calmer and happier.
10.  This job has been a big part of saving my life many times.  I had extreme panic with accompanying horrible thoughts and the purpose of this job, and the care received here, saved me.
11.  My team rocks.  I love them like family.
12. We do fun things with our patients.
13. We have extremely loyal patients.
14. I love the Christian radio stations we listen to.  Bad music was the bane of my existence at other jobs.
15. I feel needed here.
16. I feel appreciated here.
17. I love the bright office colors.
18. This job is dramatically changing my social shortcomings.  Through reading business books and patient coaching, I can now hold a conversation with anybody anywhere.
19. I love when my friends come to the office as patients and get better.  After the gospel and a few other forever-lasting gifts of love, giving your friend hope for physical health is one of the best presents you can give.
20.  I get to wear my favorite pretty scrubs and whatever earrings or fun hairdo I want.
21. I can show up early and play music if I want.
22. We do fun company lunches.
23. This is the first company I've worked for that truly embodies its mission statement.
24.  My bosses don't whine when I email them with ideas for improvement in the middle of the night.
25.  I've encountered some new favorite books--and some valuable new ideas from books I actually did not like--through our monthly reading requirements.
26. My bosses found out--through no confession or obvious under-performance of my own--that my vision is bad right now but they kept me.
27. I am honestly never bored.
28. Approaching this business from the West, I look at the sign and remember what a tender mercy it was to be given this job in the first place.  I couldn't believe how happy I was when Dr. Bench called and asked for my social security number early in February 2015.  I had just finished a meeting with Tommy's group home where I had cried from job searching stress and Dr. Bench called right as I got back in my car, giving me hope that I was being seriously considered for employment.  Then, I screamed for joy when I was officially hired.
29. This job pays well.  We were able to buy a second home to live closer to our son, replace our cars, take care of my eye needs, take care of my son's braces and afford some other life improving luxuries.  Also small joys, like lunches out and flowers for my yard.
30. My bosses, while loud and charismatic, are also some of the most humble bosses I've ever worked for.  They listen to our input.
31. Our office mission is to spread "hope" and hope is one of my favorite words.
32. We do fun company retreats and get to attend fun trainings and chiropractic conventions.
33.  We get to run booths at community festivals.
34. I've gotten to know myself better working here.
35. I've overcome huge obstacles through working here.
36. It is right for me to work here at this time.  I've received that confirmation countless times.
37. This job has given me excitement about life even when other parts of my life were crumby.
38.  We do birthdays and holidays well here.
39. We get to wear party hats for no apparent reason and get our patients to make funny faces at the desk.
40. We all have to pass a certain quirkiness level test to get this job.
41. I'm always proud to show off my work to applicants who shadow me to learn the job.
42. The doctors are 100% honest.
43. The care is the least expensive but the best quality in the entire area.
44. We network with other doctors instead of competing with them.  Our goal is truly to help the patient with no hidden agendas.
45. We make funny videos.
46. I laugh several times a day at work.
47. Nobody teases me harshly here, although I have PLENTY of silliness to be teased about.
48. My office truly feels like an extension of my home.  I eat here, nap here and do creative things here.
49. Our loyal tribe of patients is amazing to interact with.  I've never met more interesting and amazing people.
50. I'm allowed to put up inspiring/funny quotes all over my work area.
51. I get to hold sweet babies and play with adorable kids.
52. I learn new things about health every day.
53. My bosses are always learning and improving and challenging themselves.
54. We say "Thank you" to each other a lot at our job.
55. I've forged valuable friendships with the other techs here.
56. I wake up excited about work every day.
57. I'm very proud of my work.  I love seeing my name on clinical notes, on billing out notes, on call slips from insurance companies and on correspondence.
58. We give out high fives here.
59. I love doing dynaROMs, a special kind of scan that we do for car accident cases.
60. This job has improved my handwriting.
61. We love kids here and have toys in every room.
62. Because of working here, I can run.  My feet got straightened here.  I'd been pigeon toed my whole life.  Now I run 3 times a week.
63. Because of working here, I know what excellent customer focused service is.  I can have magical interactions with everybody.
64. Working here keeps me connected to good news in the world that I would miss otherwise, brought to us by optimistic people.
65. I love watching the miracles that happen here. People who come in bent over leave walking straight, people who come in limping leave walking better.  Babies poop who couldn't poop effectively before.  People in pain get rid of it.
66. We own and address and do our best to repair mistakes here.
67. This job has gotten me more involved in my community.  I love going to events and networking and learning about what other organizations do.
68. Family is a big priority and value at this company.
69. I get paid vacation!
70. I love working with Rock Tape.
71. I love our office Halloween Party.
72. I love the occasional opportunity to put in a few hours on a Saturday to catch up.
73. This job introduced me to Ahhhsome Spa, which I enjoy.
74. This job inroduced me to Emotion Code healing, which has been a huge blessing.
75. This job saved my left eyeball, twice.  I like to hit myself in the head and knock my left eye a little out of place.  In the first of those injuries, I actually had partially detached my retina.  Removing the pressure in the eye probably saved it from worse damage.
76. I got to play my accordion here for Patient Appreciation Day last year.
77. I love watching my team members grow and blossom as time goes on.
78. I love when my team says funny things over the radio or shares amusing moments over office text.
79. I love my bosses' families.  When the kids come scampering all over the office, I think, "This is what it's all about."
80. I love how I know who is coming in the side door just by the way they open it.
81. I love the personality profiles we learn here to serve patients in a way that helps them.
82.  I enjoy mopping the floor at the office.  It's therapeutic.
83. I love how working with insurance companies at this job taught me diplomacy.
84. I love stamping checks for big car accident or work comp cases.  I work hard for them!
85. I love teaching the "Grandma Stretch" and teaching the patients if they have a double chin, they are doing the stretch right.
86. I love warning the patients about the perils of pushing the head piece lever on the adjusting tables.
87. I am grateful how my bosses stew about how to accommodate my extensive food allergies.  They bought special food for me for our company retreat and always pick restaurants where I can find food.
88. I love how I learned--through a month of intense retraining--how to be whole and fully focused on the patients in the rooms.
89. This is my first full time job in years because I was afraid I didn't have the energy for a full time job.  I love proving to myself daily that I can do it!
90. I love overhearing the bosses talking positively about me to the patients and to others.
91. I love putting my initials on things.
92. I love how craziness and spontaneous dancing is encouraged here.
93. I love what this job has taught me about energy, intention and the power of thoughts.
94. I love Maren, the queen of our company and the one who is always there for me, like an invisible fairy of knowledge, via texting, for special office projects.
95.  I loved finding a band for Patient Appreciation Day.  Probably the best moment at my job so far was my bosses liking the band I'd stumbled across miraculously.
96. I love the culture of generosity at my office, especially supporting small family businesses.
97. I love how my happiness and satisfaction are a priority here.
98. I love what good listeners my bosses and team are.
99. I love how my very best is good enough here.
100. I love how I feel when I say I work for Evolution Chiropractic.  I'm proud to work here.

An Unexpectedly Magical Saturday

Yesterday should NOT have been one of the most magical days of my life.  But it was.

When I woke up, the house was already dancing to the rhythm of Doug's hammer.  We've been working on putting up siding on the back of the house.  This isn't your every day siding project either.  It's been done and redone and researched and stewed over by its very attentive founder for over a year.  I was tickled that Doug had finally decided to let other people work on his project with him.

I had invited tons of people.  I expected about two or three to show up.  So I prepared food for twenty.  I ran to Smiths for groceries, came home and set up the white tablecloth with peaches, nachos and donuts, using my fanciest glass and garnishing the table with pretty little vine ripened tomatoes.  Just because.  That's my party-hostess DNA from Mom trying to manifest itself.

Nobody came.

So I fretted and tried quickly to get rid of feelings of frustration and anger that only destroy.

Then I got to work.

I worked with Doug on that siding.  It was hard work, not because it was hard to lift but because I have an irrational fear of doing house projects wrong.  Which is silly.  I built bookshelves a few years ago, all by myself.  So that means I've got skills.

Throughout the day, I rotated between fussing over Doug's comfort, helping him, and recovering by doing indoor chores (I have a dizziness and fatigue problem that bites into my projects sometimes).  I set up a canopy for him and brought him snacks and water, played his favorite music and held things still while he worked.  Eventually, I learned how to make the process of siding more efficient by leading the way with the stud finder and pencil.  I enjoyed using the stud finder to find Doug, who's a total stud.  It goes off when I scan him with it.

The three cats and the dog supervised the siding project.  They love being close to us.

I went to pick up my repaired violin at 4:30 and got home at 5.  Doug was tired and dragging after 10 hours of siding.  I asked if we could find a stopping point and he said we could.  I proposed buying flowers for the front yard (I neglected my previous flower crop too much and it died) and getting groceries.  We did.  It was fun. Doug traipsed around Lowe's in a sun baked daze and said "You can buy whatever you want."  Being a responsible little wife, I stayed on budget with the flowers.  Buying groceries is a lot easier than ever because I have a list now.  Be so proud of me!  I printed three copies on neon green paper and I actually use them and have stuck with them for three weeks.  This whole shopping experience was full of satisfaction and fun. Doug thanked me for helping him with the house.

Our boy didn't want to come over yesterday.  One of his group home staff brought over a BMX bike for him to play with and when we called to invite him over he informed us that he was busy getting calluses.  We dropped by to watch him do his tricks which are actually quite impressive.  It's good to see him happy.

We set up the duck fountain in the front yard, then I started to work planting my beautiful new flowers.  Our next door neighbor, Brother Beck, came over.  "Hey!  I came to help you with the siding and you weren't here!" I love Brother Beck.  He's one of a kind.  Big, tough, gruff, extremely caring, very compassionate.  He adopted his granddaughter this year.  He brought her with him.  He talked with Doug about the project in the backyard while his little two year old granddaughter/daughter helped me plant flowers in the front yard.

She is the cutest little tyke you've ever met.  I lifted her over the 1 foot tall wire flower fence that was too tall for her to climb and showed her where to drop the begonias.  She was pretty good at planting the flower, but she also had a knack for burying the entire plant in dirt and stomping on it when she went to the next one.  When all my little flowers were planted, I sent a very dirty footed little girl back to her dad.  It was so nice, after the heat and hand cramps of the siding project, to sit in the cool front yard planting flowers with an adorable two year old.

Doug organized the sprinklers in the front yard to go off at a time in the morning when my repaired fountain will be try.  I loved how seriously he took the sprinkler project

We threw together some easy dinner and watched Scooby Do at the kitchen table.

I just love Doug.  I was sitting at the kitchen table with him this morning.  His hair was all ruffled and he was wearing his bathrobe and glasses and talking about sprinkler placement.  He looked like a mad scientist from Honey I Shrunk the Kids, only hotter.  I don't know how I got so lucky to be married to the world's most charming man.  But I did!

Sounds of Summer Mornings

This is my last morning waking up with all my blankets!  Tomorrow, I'll be waking up with either no blankets or all of my blankets piled Desdemona style on top of me plus Doug's blankets.  Doug's coming home tonight from Camp Rainbow Gold.

The first sound I hear on summer mornings is the frantic meowing of Callie, who loves to be outside at night but must be part vampire because she spazzes and starts wailing when the sun comes up.  She learned from Calvin and Charlie to peek in the window well to our downstairs bedroom and meow at us.  I learned to hide under my blankets or throw a pillow in the window; if she can't see me, she quits moaning.

Summer mornings are full quiet anticipation of upcoming possibilities.  At 5:00, when I finally tire of Callie and get our of bed for breakfast and (when I'm my best) study, I hear nothing but the sounds of my furry entourage: purring, a tail thumping happily on the carpet of my craft/study room.  Possibly joined by the sound of food boiling over on the stove.  Sometimes Callie gets her poofie and I hear her little bubble blowing noises as she waits for me to throw it again and again.  Callie, the cat, is a master fetch player.

Monday, Thursday and Saturdays, the first human voice I hear is the voice of Tawnya.  We enjoy talking all about kids and life.  Since there is a dog with us, our conversation goes like this, "That's the cutest!  Did you get a picture? HEEL TUG!!! Yes, it's a marvelous job.  I'm so blessed. TUG!!! FOR THE LOVE!! YOU'RE PULLING OFF MY ARM!!  MOMMY SAID HEEL!!  Yes, Doug said so too..."

Some mornings are spa mornings.  I play Christian music on my way to Ahhsome Spa.  At the spa, the background music is Jim Brickman, Debussy, David Lanz and some weird electronic mood music they find relaxing (the most obnoxious is synthesized singing monks... of ALL the music in the world, they had to pick that...).  All I can hear is the hum of other people's machines, the occasional sigh of comfort when a massage chair gets just the right spot, and the beeping of somebody changing the settings on their foot machine.  Occasionally I hear a snort when somebody wakes up from a fish tank and moves to a jade chair.  I hear the pages of my own book's pages turning and my own pen clicking as I scribble edits into my novel or add thoughts to my Sunday School lesson plan.

Some mornings are music mornings.  I usually practice in the basement at work, starting around 8:30.  I worry about practicing at home because if I get too sucked into my playing, I may lose track of time and be late.  At work, I hear the beeps of the keypad unlocking the door, the beeping of the security system, the "System Disarmed: Ready to Arm", then I run downstairs and make noises on my violin, or music on my accordion, until I hear the footsteps of my coworkers or the beep of the microwave heating up my second breakfast (always eat at 5:00 then again at 8:45ish).

Wednesdays are Gold's Gym mornings.  I hear techno versions of hymns in my head while I filter out the suggestive tracks in Body Pump class.  I enjoy the clean songs and the wordless ones.  I hear the clink of barbells and the voice of my spunky, instructor, Michelle.  I hear my muscles thanking me for using them.  Afterwards, I talk Rock Tape and chiropractic with the lady with the bunion who noticed my taped ankles.  I hear my clearest, slowest version of my speech.  After class, I run laps around the gym.  It takes ten laps, dodging treacherous obstacles (big men marinated in strong colognes carrying barbells), to run a mile.  I hear the sound of my own feet, and I hear my mind yelling gratitude for the day my chiropractor straightened my leg so I could run!

Some mornings are cleaning mornings, delicious with the thump thump of the unbalanced but amazing Bosch washer, and the hum of our first dishwasher, the roar of the vacuum and accompanying jingling collars of retreating kitties scared out of their wits when the broom comes out.

I think today feels like a swimming morning.  I'm off to the Aquatic Center.  I check Lindsey Stirling's pre-ordered album for new songs to download then rock out to her new song on repeat, singing along, on my way to the Aquatic Center.  I love the sound of the water rushing by my ears as I swim my laps.  I like how voices of the distant class of retirees echos off the walls.  After my laps and hot tub soak, I hear the refreshing shower in the locker room and the conversation of retirees discussing health concerns, civic activities and genealogy.

My three and a half hours of deliciously indulgent personal prep for the day end at the office.  Im the last few minutes before I clock in, I pick out whatever I'm craving musically on Pandora: traditional Turkish, Peruvian pan pipes, French accordion, Dvorak, Piano Guys... whatever suits me at the moment.  I answer the early bird phone calls and hear the voices of patients I love.  I recognize each team member by how she opens the door and how heavy she steps on the tile.  When the clock strikes 9, off goes my music and on comes Air 1,  The office bustles to life in preparation for a wonderful day of service.

We recently read a book with a chapter about being audio, visual or kinesthetic learners.  I'm an audio learner; words and sounds stick in my memory.  So it's important to fill my mind with words and sounds I love!  They are my fuel for the day.

Blessed are the Merciful

A few weeks ago, I really wanted an important blessing from God.  I didn't really think I deserved it, but I still desired it.  I started coming across opportunities to be merciful and the scripture kept coming to mind:

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."  -- Matt 5:7

Throughout that time of working and anxiously waiting for the desired blessing, I took the opportunities to be merciful.  If I was in a position of power, I used that power to bless those with less power around me.  As a result, when I reached the end of the waiting time, the blessing I wanted still really mattered to me, but I had plenty of back-up happiness and completeness stored up just in case it wasn't granted.

It was granted!

Another opportunity to be merciful came up yesterday.

It was the end of a day of extremely good and extremely bad news.  My heart was achy and tired.  (My heart literally aches in my ribs when my feelings are intense... kind of a cool early warning system that I need to take care of something.)  I opened my mailbox and saw a letter from the company that covers the driver at fault in a recent fender bender.

He was definitely 100% at fault, but I don't think the details will add to the message of my post.

And the letter said his company was placing me at fault!

I felt the nastiness of anger welling up.  Now anger doesn't do anything good for anybody.  It doesn't even make people run faster.  It just makes us hurt.

I started to think of dumb options for responding to being falsely accused.  Then I thought, "It's 7:00.  I need to eat dinner and visit my boy.  I CAN'T feel like this!"

I started to pray and used an emotion code response to draw out and get rid of all the anger, frustration, betrayal and other nasty things I felt.

I thought of my State Farm agent.  I know, from my work, that an agent doesn't work directly on the case, but I just wanted to ask him if my insurance rates would change because I was being placed at fault.

My agent is also a friend of the family and a mentor figure.

When he called back, he listened to the story of the accident and what the other driver had done afterward, and I said, "I don't want to penalize him or cause anybody any hurt.  I just want to not have my rates go up."

He assured me that they wouldn't. We caught up with each other's families and friends

Then my next thought was more Christlike and merciful.  I said truthfully, "I feel bad for him that he has to worry when he's falling asleep at night."  I had a wild desire to call the other driver and offer forgiveness, but I think life, or eternity, will give me a more appropriate opportunity when it is time.

It was amazing to me that through a small merciful choice to not be angry, I was given such peace and love and relief from my anxiety in just a short five minute call.  I had a whole, unworried heart to offer to my boy.  I took him out for Almond Dream Bites and a walk by the river and was even able to draw on this experience to help him get along with somebody he has conflicts with.

"Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy."

Renewal

Yesterday, Doug, Tommy and I went hiking at Hell's Half Acre, which I'm renaming "God's Spilled Cake Batter".  We enjoyed our beautiful hike together and I got brave about jumping over the deep crevices in the rock.  There really isn't a trail in this lava field, just markers along the way.  We'd get to one marker and search for the next.  I think God guides us more with the marker method than with the trail method.  He shows us our destination but lets us use our own limited human powers sometimes to try to reach it.

It has been a week of renewal for me.  

When I finally assigned a name to one of my problems, I was able to tackle it.  Depression. Everybody tastes it sooner or later.  I assume it's because I let grief and homesickness run amuck in my mind for too long.   Once I owned it, I was empowered to start getting rid of it with help from Heavenly Father and from Doug, from friends and from a trusted doctor.  I went outside and listened to Genera Conference last Saturday, while sitting with Doug on a cot under an umbrella (since both of us burn easily) and our cats and dog coming by every ten minutes for some lovin's.  My recovery continued with:

- doctor prescribed creative time (for me, music and writing)

- finishing the twelve step program and starting it over again (it is for EVERYBODY!! read more here) 

- getting my finances under control by cooking more homecooked meals

- being empowered, by getting my finances under control, to do more good

- planning my flowers for the front yard

- super enjoying my Wolf Scouts on Tuesday

- a wonderful Emotion Code session (read more here) 

- listening to K Love more

- continuing to go running and walking with my friend in the mornings and continuing to eat healthy

I experienced genuine excitement and joy!  I felt spunky and happy and shared positive news about patients with my team.  We have cool stuff happening at our office; people bouncing back from Bells Palsy and getting energy back after lung cancer.  That is thrilling!

Anyway, life is beautiful and good and worth fighting for.  I'm grateful to have mine back and to have tools under my belt or preventing, or at least fighting, my next battle.