5 Years

         This Friday will mark the 5th year of business for Risen Health.  It was shortly after my Kung Fu journey that I began my business.  It has been a whirlwind of emotions, ups, downs, setbacks, leaps forward, and everywhere in-between.  Did I love every moment of it?  No; but I do appreciate every moment, and am so grateful for all the lessons and growth that I have experienced.

        The parallel between my Kung Fu and my business has been something at the forefront of my mind.  There was a time at the beginning where I was a poor student of the Martial Arts, giving my time and energy towards my business and skipping my morning lessons.  Conversely, there was also a time where I neglected my duties as a business owner and chose to focus more on my Kung Fu.  The reality that I've learned, is that the two are both intertwined and independent of one another.  Sounds familiar doesn't it?  Kind of like the six harmonies.  There has been a direct correlation in growth of my business because of my Kung Fu, and I have become a better practitioner of the martial arts, because of my practice as an acupuncturist and a business owner.

        Tumultuous at times, especially when the business was only a year and a half in when the pandemic happened.  It was a time filled with uncertainty, stress (both emotionally and financially), and there were times I wanted nothing more than to walk away from it all and start over.  I persevered and continued to see growth in my professional and personal life.  A big moment of clarity came from changing my attitude and perspective on things.  Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of what was going on, the ones that kept me up at night, I turned to gratitude and acts of kindness.  I performed small acts of kindness for my staff and contractors, writing them cards letting them know how much I appreciated them, and I began to gratitude journal.  The more I did this, the more good days I had.  Is that not to say I still don't get stressed or have bad days?  I for sure do, I'm only human; but I have far less, and am quicker to shift my focus.

        Opening a business was no easy task.  It was spawned from a desire to make an industry better, and to also prove something to myself.  I may be the name on all the legal documents, but Risen doesn't just belong to me.  It belongs to everyone who works there.  My staff, practitioners, and patients are the product.  They're the business.  I'm just there to pay the bills and make sure they all have what they need to continue to work comfortably.  I am extremely proud of what I've built, but also acknowledge I have a lot of work left to do.