I've been captivated by the past two weeks of watching the world’s best compete in Paris. The Olympic Games exemplify what happens when you keep showing up, even when it’s hard. In the Olympics, we get to see the G.O.A.T.s: The Greatest Of All Time.
Olympic athletes personify unwavering devotion, dedication, and sacrifice. They show us what strength in adversity looks like and the resilience needed to stand on the podium and claim the gold.
Recently, I’ve been inspired by the same level of dedication I’ve seen in my patients. They’ve shown up on the hardest of days, when they didn’t want to leave the house or even get out of bed. Maybe they fell off their diet, stopped exercising, or were in so much pain they couldn’t exercise. Or maybe they had been doing great, and then the barometric pressure dropped, and pain gripped them all over again. It would have been so easy for them to quit.
Here’s what they all did instead. They stuck with it. They believed in themselves, and in this medicine that I practice. They showed up for their acupuncture sessions and followed their treatment plans, even when things seemed grim. Even when their pain was at a 9 out of 10. They did the hard thing, and the thing I could never do for them as their acupuncturist: they kept showing up.
Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.” He was right.
Is acupuncture magic?
I will never say that.
Can it be magical?
You bet it can.
And you are part of what makes it magical. Because if you don’t show up, 80% of the experience will never happen.
The remaining balance of the equation might involve a few things: genetics, diet, activity level, age, or stress levels, to name a few.
That remaining 20% will look different for everyone. But of this much I am sure: if there were an Olympics of acupuncture, the gold medal would go to the patients who consistently showed up and demonstrated their commitment to their goals.
As you work toward your own version of "Olympic gold," never forget that showing up is always the foundation of success. Thank you for your dedication and perseverance. Together, we can achieve extraordinary things.
In the spirit of triumph,
Maria Mandarino, MSEd, MSAc, DipAc (NCCAOM), BFCP, CSD
Maria Mandarino
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