Audiobook I am hearing: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand This past week I started my most ambitious audiobook to date.  The 62-hour reading of Atlas Shrugged by author and philosopher Ayn Rand is a monster!  So far I have heard about 5 hours and have enjoyed getting to know the characters and the setting for this epic story.  I decided to listen to this one after a solid recommendation from a good friend.  He believes that the best-written description of the concept of money exists as a monologue in this book.  He also talks about how listening to its story gave him significant clarity as to the way the world works.  Accordingly, I am hoping to gain similar knowledge.  That being said, if you have a long road trip or flight (or series of flights

Project I am completing: DIY Compost Bin In excitement for a new law in California that requires composting, my boys and I made a wooden composting bin that will live on the side of our house.  The goal of the new law is to reduce organic waste by 75% by the year 2025.  In preparation for the build I watched a number of YouTube videos, including the one I linked above.  After careful consideration, I decided on a design that included an opening and closing lid, slated sides and a hinged lower door to allow access to the premium dirt at the bottom of the bin.  The materials were purchased from Home Depot (I only had to go back twice

Audiobook I am hearing: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel One of my goals this year is to further develop my understanding of the concept of money and to create some foundational principles for its use in my life.  This book was a good foundation for this pursuit.  Concepts such as how to utilize the concept of compounding interest, how to prepare for the unknown and how to prioritize where you place your hard earned dollars are all topics covered.  That being said, the majority of the wisdom from this text can be gleaned by listening purely to the last two chapters.  However, the advice given during the last 30 minutes of this audiobook is profound. If you are looking to improve your financial life this year, give this a listen! Method of transportation I am utilizing: Amtrak Train This past weekend I took the train from Solana Beach up to meet with my master mind group in Santa Barbara.  This choice to use the train rather than drive turned out to be a massive advantage.  To start, the round trip ticket was about $80 versus driving my truck would have cost about $250 for gas. I was also able to get about six extra hours of work done, I was relaxed upon arrival and enjoyed listening to music while watching the ocean most of the way up the coast.  If you have ever considered traveling up the coast of California you might think about using the train to help you get there in a very comfortable and cost effective way. Quote I am loving: “Nothing is as good or as bad as it seems.”~ Scott Galloway This is one of the concepts put forward by Housel in his book The Psychology of Money.  This idea can be applied to both stressful and seemingly beneficial situations to help avoid feeling too low or too high about your financial life.  The greater your ability to keep calm in either instance, the better your ability to make calm, rational decisions that will work in your favor in the long run.  This week try to apply this philosophy by running things through this filter! Have a kick ass week everyone! In Health, Dr. Devin Shea, DC

Movie I am recommending: The Biggest Little Farm Last week I had the pleasure of watching this documentary while on a flight.  In an awe inspiring fashion, a husband and wife filmed their journey starting a farm from scratch.  The interesting part about their project was that they focused on natural farming practices rather than on only one crop.  Their application of the principle that diversity is our biggest asset was enlightening.  I enjoyed it so much that when I got home, I watched it again, this time with my whole family.  After our viewing, we talked for an hour about how we can change our lives in order to live more in accordance with the principles that were so beautifully portrayed.  This film has a great message, is family friendly, thought provoking and inspiring.  Personally, it reminded me of why I got into chiropractic.  Seeing how things flourish when people understand and commit to a few simple principles and apply them over a period of time was fantastic.  As far as I am concerned, this is one you cannot afford to miss. Change I am making: Delete All Social Media On my vacation this past week I was reminded of what life was like without having access to social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook.  I found overwhelmingly that I was a better parent, spouse and human being.  Accordingly, I decided to delete these apps from my phone.  My team and I will still continue to produce content and post important reminders about practice events to these pages, however I will not be looking at these apps during non-business hours.  If you are finding yourself being more irritable, less focused, and spending time scrolling for no apparent reason often, I strongly encourage you to try one week without these applications.  At that point you can make your own decision whether to keep social media a part of your daily experience or not. Song lyrics I am repeating: "Make sure the fortune that you seek, is the fortune that you need."  ~ Ben Harper in the song "Diamonds On The Inside"One of my favorite things to do on vacation is to sit and listen to music.  One of the songs I was listening to had the aforementioned lyrics.  Harper's words struck me because I often find that I am desiring things that will actually not bring me fulfillment.  The one way I can reliably refocus on what really makes me content

Video I am recommending: Pain-Free Flying This week I am excited to embark on a vacation with my family during my boy's spring break.  We will be doing a red-eye flight out of San Diego.  One of the most common things I hear from patients is how they struggle to maintain their spine health on flights.  A few years ago I created a YouTube video that shows you a comprehensive list of the essential things to pack in order to make your travel experience worthwhile.  If you are planning to travel via car, train, or plane over the next year, give this one a watch before you go! Spine-health actions I am suggesting: Mirror Image Exercises While I will be out of town from April 7th to the 12 I strongly suggest paying special attention to your body position habits, doing your mirror image exercises (postural exercises), and spending time on your home traction device.  These spinal hygiene tasks are great for year-round use but are especially important this next week to minimize the likelihood of a flare-up while I am unavailable. If you have questions about how to do these movements or need a refresher on your setup with your home traction orthotic, please give us a call or speak with a team member when you are in the office this week.  Thank you for taking the extra steps to ensure your continued success in my absence.  I really appreciate it! Quote I am loving: "Collect moments, not things." ~ Anonymous I am three months into my year of "no personal purchases" and have been enjoying the process.  Every once in a while I catch myself daydreaming about buying a random item, but by asking myself a few simple questions, easily dismiss the notion.  Instead of buying things, I have been putting my resources towards experiences with my family.  This month we are headed to the Caribbean to a group of islands called Turks and Caicos.  This place holds a special place for my wife and I as this was the location of our honeymoon almost 17 years ago.  We have longed desired to take our kids to this place and are excited about the opportunity.  Thank you for being a part of helping make this dream a reality for us.  I am truly grateful.  I look forward to seeing you in the clinic on my first day back on Thursday, April 14th!   Have a kick ass week everyone! In Health, Dr. Devin

Misogi experience I am sharing: Misogi 2022 What an amazing day!  Thank you so much for the individuals and families that attended our Misogi hike last weekend.  I was so proud of all of you for showing up, giving it your best and enjoying the day with the Aligned Life Community!   I had a blast getting to sweat with each of you on a beautiful morning.  Each of the participating walked, jogged, ran or carried 2.8 miles over the experience.  We even had one person double up and do the course twice! The part that I enjoyed the most was seeing all of the different types of people participating; children, adults, grandparents, families, etc. It was truly a great example of the incredible caliber of people in our community.  If you weren't able to attend, be on the lookout next year for another opportunity to join us!   New class I am recommending: Body Maintenance Workshop at Aligned Life In association with our Quarter 2 theme (Movement) for 2022, I would like to invite you to learn how to do regular hygiene exercises for your body at our next community event on Saturday, April 30th at the Aligned Life facility!  I believe that everyone should know how to use a foam roller, a lacrosse ball, and do specific stretches to combat the typical problems we experience living in the modern world.  If you are looking to take further responsibility for your health, this class is a must.  This will be an interactive course, so please wear exercise clothing and be ready to work.  We will be accepting a $10 per person donation for the event.  One hundred of the proceeds will be placed towards the Ironman Foundation.  If you are interested in attending, please write your contact info on our sign-up sheet in the office at your next visit.  Guests and family are welcome! Quote I am loving: "Let the enthusiasm and energy of the group be your fuel!"  ~ Susan Trainor Getting up and going on a Saturday morning as an adult is a challenge.  Getting kids up and organized is an even bigger challenge.  That being said, seeing the faces of the children (and adults) as they participated in last weeks Misogi was so inspiring.  It really felt as if all of the participants were doing this event together, even though they were on their own independent journey.  It was great to watch people persevere and succeed.  I am proud to say that

Self-assessment tool I am using: CRIPES Today, my wife began asking a number of questions about how I felt, at the moment, about my life in general.  She told me she was doing a "CPIPES" assessment.  "CRIPES" is an acronym for the following; Career, Relationships, Intellectual, Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual.  Each area is scored on a zero to ten scale. Upon completion, divide your total score by 60 and see how you did.  To interpret your score, think about your grades in school.  60% or below is an F, 60-69% is a D, 70-79% is a C, 80-89% is a B, and 90% and higher is an A.  Most people score in the D and C range (I gave myself a D - today

Device I am using: Garmin Fenix 5 Plus Sports Watch This year for my birthday my family surprised me with a watch that I have been dreaming about for two years.  It has the ability to track all of my swimming, biking, and running as well as heart rate, stress levels (HRV = Heart Rate Variability) and steps.  Some other nifty features include being able to play songs from the watch to your AirPods without a phone, paying for items using the watch, and receiving text messages.  In a year in which I am not making any personal purchases, receiving a gift of such a generous nature was really exciting.  I am hoping that the new technology will help to get me excited again to begin my training for my race in June.  This week, consider investing in your hobbies and increase how you track the things that matter most to you.  The more you know, the better you will be able to make decisions to help you achieve your goals! Action I am requesting: Leave Us A Google and Yelp Review This year for the week of my birthday (March 10th) I have a request!  I would consider it the best present from you if you were kind enough to leave Aligned Life a 5-Star review.  In the modern world, social proof is one of the best forms of getting our name out to prospective patients.  It would mean the world to me if you would take a few minutes to click on the link HERE for Yelp or HERE for Google and tell the world about your experience with our facility.  Or better yet, copy and paste your review to both sites!  Thanks so much for your consideration. Quote I am pondering: "Today is the oldest you have been and the youngest you will be. Make the most of it!" ~ Nicky Gumbel Maybe it's because I am turning 42 this year, or maybe it is because of all the crazy things happening in the world, but I feel like the older I get, the less I think about myself.  These days I spend most of my time pondering how I can help the people around me achieve their goals.  I have found that this has helped improve my mood, lower my anxiety and create genuine excitement regularly.  It feels similar to when you have a great gift to give someone and you can't wait for

Gift I am giving: Closet Makeover Last week was my wife's birthday.  Her "One Thing" (most important goal for this year) for 2022 is organization.  To help her along her journey I decided to do a closet make-over for her present. After shopping the night before at The Container Store my boys and I spent most of Tuesday pulling everything out of her closet.  We then placed everything into categories such as shorts, pants, jackets, etc., color-coordinating everything from white to black and then placing them back in the space.  We also hung her hats on the wall, set up a shoe rack, and added a piece of art for visual interest.  All things considered, the end result was a shocking success.  Now, I understand that this topic does not have anything to do with health.  However, at Aligned Life, we focus on your daily behaviors and how they relate to your health.  We also believe wholeheartedly that your mental health impacts your overall health.  I feel that having a clean and organized space to work in is a huge part of maintaining efficiency and a positive state of mind.  If in doing a self-evaluation, find that your desk space is cluttered, your closet is untidy and your bathroom could use a deep cleaning, I encourage you to take the time this week to get organized!  You will be happier and healthier for your effort! Event I am encouraging: Misogi This is it!!! On Saturday March 26th from 9-11:30 Aligned Life will be hosting our first Misogi.  This community event will take place at Lake Hodges.  You will be encouraged to create your own adventure by either walking, jogging, running or adding a weight vest for as short or long as you would like.  To sign up and get all the details on this incredible opportunity, please click here!  I cannot wait to see you guys out on the hike and have a year-changing experience!  Quote I am repeating: "To get rid of what you no longer need is neither wasteful nor shameful." ~ Marie Kondo (organization expert and author of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up) Sometimes the most important and productive thing we can do is get rid of things that are no longer serving us.  I believe this concept can be utilized in any area of our lives from our relationships, our work, our time management, and in our homes.  Often, getting to the next

Date I am saving: Saturday, March 26th from 9 - 11 AM On the aforementioned date, I would love for you, your family, and friends to meet me at Lake Hodges to exercise together.  The name of this event is called "Misogi".  I will be providing the details of this experience over the next couple of weeks, but I wanted to send out a teaser and get on your calendars as soon as possible.  The team and I have been working on getting things organized for you to have a truly unique experience over the past month and I cannot wait for you to see what we have cooked up!  This is one you do not want to miss! Nutrition tracking I am using: Counting Macros For the past few years, I have not put a lot of deliberate attention on my nutrition.  This year, however, as a part of my goals for 2022, I am looking to improve how I fuel my body.  By tracking the amount of protein, fat and carbs, the macronutrients, I am hoping to find a more balanced approach.  For a more detailed understanding of how to count your macros, click on the link above.  So far, the one thing I have learned this year is that it is very difficult to get enough protein.  Unfortunately, my body does not tolerate dairy products very well so I am left to try and fill this need through meat, eggs, nuts and plant-based sources such as tofu and protein powder.  I am far from mastering this concept but in the end, I would like to have a general guide in my mind as to the approximate portion and ratio for each macronutrient.  This would hopefully lead to making better food choices without having to look up how much protein, fat or carb is in each food item and writing it down.  I believe this process may take the rest of the year, but I think it will be worth it in the end. Three quotes that help to define a Misogi: - "The notion around a misogi is, you do something so hard one time per year that it impacts the remaining 364 days of the year." ~ Jesse Itzler - "Take on challenges that radically expand your sense of what is possible.  There are just two rules: you have a fifty percent chance of success at best, and it does not kill you