Life Changes

"Things change all the time—every day brings something new for all of us," says Dr. Phil Santiago, official chiropractor for the 1992 and 1996 U.S. Olympic track and field teams.

"These are usually small or gradual changes. But there are also two types of major changes that can happen in your life. The first is the change that you elect to make—from moving to a new home, to taking a new job, to separating from your spouse. These are all stressful circumstances, even though they're of your own making. Even good things that happen can create stress in your life.

"In 1992, I was chosen to be on the medical staff of the U.S. Olympic team. This is one of the highest honors you can attain in my field; it's like a lawyer going to the Supreme Court. When I came back, I was like an athlete who is forced to retire. I just kept thinking, 'Where do I go from here? I've hit the heights, now what?'

"I was still dealing with those thoughts when the second kind of change took place—both my parents were killed in a car crash. There are times when change is due to circumstances beyond your control; times when life presents us with something so unexpected and so devastating that you think you will never be the same again.

"The worst part of that kind of change is the fear. You lose your base, you lose your security, you lose your place in the world. Your life is like a nightmare where you're standing at the edge of a tall building and you're afraid of falling. Your comfort zone is gone in an instant. The challenge is that you have to establish a new base and a new comfort zone, and at first it doesn't seem possible.

"Of course, I went through all the stages of mourning, the anger, and the denial. But I knew I had to get back to my base, back to a positive mental attitude. I knew I had to surround myself with positive people. I started reading motivational and inspirational books. When you lose your base, it is possible to get it back again. It may not be exactly as it was before, but keeping positive influences around you helps you get grounded again.

"I had to get back to the positive side of life. I had to find new goals and a new focus. It didn't happen over night; in fact, it took several years. But it's the only way to deal with change. If you stay on a positive note, you can undergo any kind of change."

All change is a miracle to contemplate; but it is a miracle which is taking place every second.

—Henry David Thoreau,
philosopher and author