I realize this is the month of March and we're already a fourth of the way through the new year, but I'd like to talk a little bit about the theme of the 2020 Rose Parade, because it's a theme we can learn from all year round: the power of hope.
A Story of Hope Close to My Heart
I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (earlier last year). He called almost immediately and asked for a referral to an acupuncturist. He called the acupuncturist for an appointment and was told the practice was not taking new patients until December 2019.
To my friend, this did not seem to be an acceptable answer, so he decided to go to the acupuncture clinic the next Saturday morning. The person who was working the front desk gave him the same message: no new patients until December. My friend took his courage and told the person at the front desk that he might not be here by December. The front-desk person relayed that information to the acupuncturist, who saw him immediately.
Upon finishing the intake session, the acupuncturist said to my friend: "I cannot treat the cancer, but I can help you." For the first time in a long time, my friend received some hope. The acupuncturist gave hope when essentially (from my friend's perspective), all hope was lost.
I am happy to report that my friend is beating the cancer. There is no doubt that the relationship he has with his acupuncturist is playing a role by improving his outlook. As my friend told me, "It gave me hope to re-imagine my health." In this case, hope has helped to beat the odds.
Growing Acupuncture by Planting Seeds of Hope
Acupuncture is a conveyor of hope. By communicating to patients and your community the benefits of your medicine and then delivering it, you can give hope to those who need it. Here are some ways to plant those seeds and then nurture them into fruition:
- Sharing the almost limitless conditions that can be treated with acupuncture
- Making clear to every patient the number of hours it takes to be trained and become a licensed and nationally certified acupuncturist
- Sharing information about the terms and their meanings that are used in traditional medicine
- Explaining why everyone should use acupuncture throughout their lives to achieve a new level of health
- Emphasizing that acupuncture is more than just pain relief; this medicine helps to keep the entire body balanced so disease does not take root
- Helping patients achieve a newfound feeling of peace, manage their stress and yes, feel hope when they may have lost it
When a person plants a garden, the active planning is just the beginning. Planting a seed is essentially an act of believing in tomorrow. In the same way, sharing your medicine – both within the community with potential patients, and with each patient when you provide care – is a profound act of believing in a world of tomorrow where better health and hope prevail.
As a licensed and nationally certified acupuncturist, look at yourself as a gardener, trained in the skill of preparing the soil, choosing the best plan for the seeds you plant and then nourishing those seeds into the plants they are destined to become. A garden is Mother Nature's miracle. Acupuncture is health's miracle. Plant the seeds of hope for a better world in 2020.
Click here for more information about Marilyn Allen, Editor-at-Large.