Growth...

One of my best friends, Dr. Gary Oliver, says: "If a relationship is not growing, it's dying." He should know. He's Executive Director of The Center for Relationship Enrichment at John Brown University, and visiting associate professor of marriage and family counseling at Denver Seminary. Living things grow. When growth stops health crests and starts to decline; "life quotient" begins to ebb.

I think the same is true for most other aspects of life, including professional life. If I'm not growing professionally I am, in a very real sense, dying. In order to grow, I need to continue to learn. In fact, the "acquired habit of learning" is a lifelong habit that must be cultivated, fed, nurtured and exercised. Living beings learn. Learning is a vital sign of growth.

Where are you in life? It's never to late to learn. It's never time to stop growing in an area that interests you. If something has lost interest for you, rekindle your interest or move on.

My professional interest was definitely fanned into a hot flame when last Friday/Saturday my colleagues from The Center for Spine Pain (CSP) (6 of us in all) and I attended a spine conference in Breckenridge, Colorado. Always a small, intimate group with an incredible, high level of professional exchange, this conference has been a great way for us to grow relationally as CSP providers and grow professionally in our pursuit of excellence in conservative spine care.

Presenting at this conference were the current and 2 past presidents of the North American Spine Society, neurosurgeons, orthopedic spine surgeons, anesthesiologists, physiatrists, we chiropractors, and our acupuncturist. A very gracious group of people all trying to get a little better at what we do than we were last year. Sharpening one another. Challenging one another. Pretty neat stuff.

Then today Dr. Nguyen, Dr. Seeman and I attended a great event at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Remember Bob Beamon? He's the guy who jumped 29 feet 2.5 inches in Mexico City in 1968, shattering the world record by several feet (former record was 26 feet and some inches.) Bob's talk was inspiring because his feat embodied what the Olympic Spirit is all about -- striving for excellence in human achievement. Pushing farther, jumping higher (or in his case longer) and running faster. How good can we be, and how much better than we are now? How far can we reach? What are the limits? Bob said this: "Everyone in this room will jump 29 feet some day." He was speaking metaphorically, of course, about our own spheres of expertise and influence.

So, what are you reaching for? Are you growing? Do you have "the acquired habit of learning?" Not every week can be as incredible as this past one has been for me and my colleagues at CSP. Some weeks are average -- and some are downright below average. And that's OK. Even in the midst of a down rhythm of life, every week -- and every day -- can be marked by GROWTH.

~Dr. Joel Carmichael