Plugged Back In

We're baaaaaaack...

I'm still a little sluggish from the trip home (four-hour layover and a three-hour time change), but our trip to Vegas was a blast. The Four Freshmen are alive and well (I ran into one of my trombone heroes and founding members of the Frosh, Bob Flannagan in the elevator) and Ruth hit the 20,000 (penny) jackpot on the "Blazing 7" slot machine, which didn't exactly pay for the trip, but it paid for our entertainment. Carrot Top was in rare form, and Dirk Arthur the Extreme Magician (pronounced 'cheesey') made a helicopter appear on stage--and took the stripes right off his tiger!

What amazes me about Vegas, is how much cash is flowing. At any one table, there are thousands (maybe more!) of dollars changing hands each hour. Multiply that by hundreds of tables in each casino, and all those casinos...it's hard to imagine how much money they can make (take?) in 24 hours...seven days a week...365...

The most amazing thing about it, and what I learn the most from it, is that there is an unlimited supply of money. There are always people playing. There is no shortage of casinos. In fact, they are building more. Vegas is expanding, and squeezing out more room in the city limits as well. There is no thought of "well, there are already so many casinos, I couldn't build one, there's too much competition..." It's more like: "All these casinos have proven that you can make money in Vegas...let's open another one and join the fun!"

The Competitive Mind always limits your ability to succeed. Wallace Wattles describes it in his classic work "The Science of Getting Rich". He explains how the Cooperative Mind is the key to getting what you want. It's alive and well in Las Vegas. And it's in action anywhere you see someone succeeding. It's a natural law, kind of like gravity (and chiropractic).

It's sort of like the way that Lowe's always builds next to a Home Depot. But Lowe's doesn't take Homer's customers. In fact, having a Lowe's next door actually doubles Homer's business as well. It doesn't seem to make sense (and that's why most people aren't rich), but it's true.

I'm putting together a course based on Dr. Wattles' work that explains the competitive and cooperative mind, as well as how to make better decisions, how to make your faith invincible, how prayer can (and can't) help you get rich--even the very best thing you can do to help the world. When it's done, you can check it out at http://www.drvinceonline.com/scienceofgettingrich

Until then, remember that anything is possible...the only limits are those you acknowledge.

Live Enthused,

Dr. Vince

PS. I'm also working with a friend of mine on 'The Inside Scoop to Winning at Craps and Black Jack'. And it works. Even though I'm just learning these strategies, I doubled my money (but since I was still learning, I decided to keep playing anyway...and I still broke even and played for hours.) Knowing when to quit is just as important as knowing how to play...and that will definitely be part of the course, too. Stay tuned.

Unplugged

Ruth and I are going to Las Vegas in the morning for a long weekend. No internet. No work. No phone. OK, we’ll have our cell phones and we’ll check in with Grace each day, but we’ll be 'in communicato' for sure (my phone just rang…see what I mean?)

We’re going to see one of my favorite singing groups, the Four Freshmen. I discovered them back in 1981, when my mom let us listen to one of her albums (they were popular way back when). My brother and I nearly wore the record out that summer. What makes them unique is that they all play instruments as well as sing, so they are ‘self-accompanied’—but it sounds like there are eight or ten of them at times. And the trombone is featured prominently, so you gotta love that.

Anyway, back in October I put “Frosh in Vegas 2/16-19” on my Want List. I wasn’t sure how we were going to do it, but I put my subconscious mind to work. There were lots of hiccups along the way (including a vacation blackout at Ruth’s work), but long story short, we’re leaving in the morning—first class.

If you have a clear goal, write it down, and get to work, your mind can help you accomplish more than you ever thought possible. Your mind is the key to your success, the key to getting whatever you want: more money, more stuff, or even non-material things like time to relax, better relationships—whatever you want. But it all starts with what Stephen Covey calls the “first creation”—in your mind.

And it works ten times better if you have the attitude of gratitude. You can check it out in my new course coming out shortly called “The Hidden Power of Gratitude”. These exercises work almost like magic to change your energetic vibration to a more receptive state, making you more attractive and creative—and enthusiastic. If you’re tire of the same ol’ same ol’, then snag a copy a see for yourself.

My goal is to pay for my trip with my winnings...so, we'll see how far off target that is when I get back!

Live Enthused,

Dr. Vince

P.S. This trip was also supposed to be a celebration in honor of my website’s official grand opening. But evidently I’ve got a few more things to learn before I’m ready. That’s the beauty of having a target: you may not be getting there when you thought you would, but if you keep moving you’ll get there right on time. I used to say, “Engineers don’t make mistakes, they just change their plans.” But I learned a new one last night on the Olympic figure skating:

“Skaters don’t make mistakes, they just ‘change their program’.”

P.S.S. As soon as “The Hidden Power of Gratitude” is ready, you can check it out here:
http://www.drvinceonline.com/gratitude

How to Kill any Relationship--Fast

We left a little early for carpool this morning so I could stop by the auto repair shop. I had taken my vehicle there last night and put the key into the “early bird drop off”. The only trouble was, I forgot to put my recall notice in the envelope with the key. I had written a nice note on the drop-off envelope, “Recall notice inside”, but found it in my pocket this morning.

Oops.

I was going to just stuff it through the little slot and hope for the best, but my wife thought they’d probably be open at 7.

The lights were on, and the door was open (as usual, Ruth was right). I walked in the door, and the little chime rang, announcing my arrival but the guy in the next room didn’t even twitch. There was only a glass wall separating us, so I know he heard me.

I stood there for about a minute, and he finally disengaged from his computer and came to see what I wanted.

I always like to ‘share the love’ wherever I go, so I decided to bump up the energy a little. Just a little, though. I’ve learned that if you try to change too much at one time, you’ll drive them away further.

I know it's true, because I’ve experienced it plenty--on both sides. When I was in the hospital with pneumonia for 10 days in 11th grade, the nurses were WAY too perky for a kid lying in bed barely able to move. Once I started doing it correctly in my practice, my patients started getting much better results and seemed a lot happier.

Anyhoo, I said, “Hi...I dropped off my vehicle last night, and forgot to put this recall notice in the envelope, so I wanted to bring it in this morning…”

“I’ll put it right here.” No smile. No eye contact. No life.

So I tried again, a little softer. “Yeah, I was going to put it in the envelope last night, but when I got up this morning I found it still in my pocket (smile...laugh at self to break the tension)…”

Still nothing. Turn. Return to computer.

Oh, well. At least I tried.

As we pulled out of the parking lot, my daughter asked what happened. To sum it up, I shared my favorite quote from another “legendary for his enthusiasm” guy named Vince:

“If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you’ll be fired—with enthusiasm!”

This approach led Vince Lombardi to five championships in nine seasons at Green Bay, and cemented his legend status. Unfortunately, many folks don’t understand the connection between enthusiasm and success. In fact, if I didn’t know the shop owners personally, I might have ‘fired’ them based on that experience. Not because it was bad necessarily, but because it wasn’t good. There was no interest in the customer, no gratitude for me giving him money and keeping him employed. And it’s like that in more places than we’d like to admit.

Even though the boss might not fire you for lack of enthusiasm, the customer certainly can—and will. And you’re not immune just because you may be your own boss. If the customer “fires” you, you’re sunk. And this truth is not limited to business. It could be your significant other (how enthusiastic was your valentine?). Or your friends. Any relationship will suffer from lack of passion.

Enthusiasm is attractive. Dull is deadly.

So, put a little personality into your day today. Smile. Look someone in the eye. Be the first one to speak. Everyone appreciates a little enthusiasm, whether they thank you or not.

Live Enthused,

Dr. Vince

How Health Care makes you Sick

My friend Kevin came to get adjusted today (his wife is our Office Manager). Kevin is a mechanic, and is thinking about opening his own shop. That got us talking about the challenges of owning your own business, specifically health insurance.

“We’re basically socialized medicine right now”, he said. “The only difference is that the Insurance Companies are in control. The only thing worse would be if the government actually got a hold of it. What ever happened to the doctor and the patient being in charge of their own health care?” (Good question)

A medical doctor friend of his does some mission work (somewhere in Russia, I believe) where they have socialized medicine. “Everything is free”, Kevin said. “But Dr. Tom told me that everyone he examined over there was in such bad shape, that he’d have sent them straight to the ER if he were in the US. People have to wait until they’re at death’s door before they can get medical care—if they’re that lucky!”

What if our health care was like that here in America? Scary thought. But it could happen. And a lot sooner than you think. And most of us (unfortunately) would welcome it with open arms:

A new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll shows health care at the top of Americans' priority list, with 76% calling increased access and lower costs "an absolute priority" for 2006.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113866150512360250.html?mod=djemHL

What most people (at least 76% of them) don’t seem to realize, is that “increased access and lower costs” don’t always guarantee better health. In fact, they virtually guarantee failure.

You don’t have to look very far to find other socialized medicine failures (e.g. Canada). Nothing works better than free-market, fee-for-service, doctor-and-patient-in-charge-of-their-own-decsions health care.
But, the politicians are more than eager to push us down the “government knows best” rabbit hole (witness the recent Medicare Drug Plan debacle). Maybe if we’d sic the government on the Insurance industry, that would keep them both busy enough to stay out of the doctor/patient relationship and we’d all be better off!

The only real way out of this mess is to take responsibility for the choices we make every day that affect our health. Little things add up over time (just ask the camel). Health or sickness, success or failure, all come from lots of little choices, repeated over and over. The quality of your choices determines the quality of your life.

Let’s all say it together: Eat more fruits, vegetables and lean protein; be active and exercise; get plenty of rest; drink more water; take a good fish oil supplement and a vitamin every day; relax and de-stress your nervous system with chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, mediation, hypnosis, etc.

I know you’ve heard it before. But what are you doing about it?

Stress causes about 80% of all sickness; Omega-3, micronutrient and anti-oxidant deficiencies cause about 80% of our stress. Just because your insurance won't pay for these things doesn't mean you can't have them. Don't let someone else decide how healthy you're going to be. Making a few small changes in your lifestyle will make big changes in your life. And your family. And your community. And your country. And your planet.

Start small and make a big difference.

Dr. Vince

P.S. A good way to de-stress your body chemistry, and recharge your health from the Inside is to start supplementing with Concentrated Omega-3 Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil and AVED Multi-Vitamin/Mineral. Check them out at http://www.drvinceonline.com/core4.htm