There should be a song about it...'Expectations.' All stress begins with expectations that go unmet. Until we attach an outcome and have an expectation, we will not experience stress.

Outcomes such as, "If I do this (ie; make his dinner), then they will do that (ie; bring me flowers, make the bed, or even be nice to me)." Ouch! That is just asking for sadness, frustration, or disappointment. Any time we feel sad, depressed, upset, angry, or fearful, our expectations have gone unmet. Why is it we keep having these expectations when they lead to so much pain?

I have no idea! Why do you do it?

Okay, I'll give it a try. The one thing in life we are addicted to is power: The power to choose; The power to use our divinely-given right to make a choice. Each choice is an exercise in creation. We either choose right and create greater order in our lives, or we choose wrong and create greater disorder. By conventional terms, order is righteousness and disorder is unrighteousness, or sin.

Virtues are states of being that are attained by the persistent practice of creating order. Virtues are not based on the outcome of a situation. The virtues are states of being such as love, patience, peace, joy, gratitude, and faith. Think about it...Does a mother love her child only if it acts the way she wants? Of course not. She loves the child even if he has poopy pants...Unless the child is 16. Then the mother develops a new set of expectations. She will definitely not wipe him down and put clean underwear on him with a smile on her face. But what if that 16-year old was handicapped? The mother would have different expectations still, and would perhaps, even then, wear the smile that grows like a blossom on the branches of the love-filled heart.

Expectations not only make or break our hearts, but they will make or break your soul. An inner atmosphere of gratitude will annul the need for expectations and lead to a life of peace and love. Gratitude not only denies expectations, but engenders enjoying the current of life as it flows through and around us. This is the core product of a healthy, vibrant life.

Next time you get upset or frustrated, look at what your underlying expectations were. Drop them, and your anger will go away. I promise!

---"Finally! The long 'weight' is over! Thanks to modern science, you can now shed those unwanted pounds. We have taken Phentermine, a stimulant that acts as an appetite suppressant and combined it with Topiramate, an anticonvulsant. This combination is deadly...if you happen to be a fat cell! It's like shooting ducks in a barrel. Eat what you want, and never exercise again! Side effects are minimal.

--Ionic Foot Baths: Relax for 30-min as the foot bath pulls toxins out of your body...The proof is in the water! (see picture) Try one session for $25 (reg. $35!!), or purchase a package of 10 for ONLY $200! Schedule your session ASAP!

Please join us on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7PM for DIY: Acupressure, hosted by Dr. Johnson. This 1-hour workshop will teach location and stimulation of pressure points, giving you another First Aid tool for home use. Each attendee will receive a handy reference guide to keep.

WHEN: Thursday, October 15 at 7PM

WHERE: Olson Chiropractic
1360 Big Bend Sq.
Manchester, MO 63021
(located at Hwy 141 and Big Bend, 2 doors down from Nicoletti's Restaurant)

COST: $5 per person

Please register by calling 636-225-2121 ASAP because SEATING IS LIMITED!

>>Advanced Acupressure<<

You are invited to join us for Advanced Acupressure on Thursday, October 22nd at 7:00PM. This 90-min workshop, hosted by Dr. Olson, will take your basic knowledge further and explain more about why and how acupressure is a helpful, healing modality for your home use. You will also learn a few acupressure patterns to intensify your treatment of common disorders!

WHEN: THURSDAY, OCT. 22 at 7PM

WHERE: Olson Chiropractic
1360 Big Bend Square
Manchester, MO 63021
(located at Big Bend and Hwy 141, 2 doors down from Nicoletti's Restaurant)

COST: $10 per person

Seating for this event is limited, so call 636-225-2121 to reserve your spot ASAP!

>>Office News<<

--Here are five ways to find faith after it has been lost or shaken:

1. Realign with the Universe: Be open to the radical idea that your loss of faith is really a misalignment on your part. You play some kind of role in determining what shows up in your life, so begin to see everything as an alignment.

2. Make the Most of Your Situation: Make the declaration that you live in a friendly and supportive universe. It has been said that when the student is ready, the teachers will appear. The teachers are always there--however, the question is whether you're ready to take advantage of them and turn your situation into an opportunity.

3. Change Your Thinking: Instead of looking for occasions to be offended, start to look for occasions to be supported. Walt Whitman said, "To me, every cubic inch of space is a miracle." Take on that "miracle mindset." Begin to see the mystery and miraculousness of all things, and ask yourself where it all comes from. If creation is possible, then whatever it is you've lost faith in can be recreated if you believe in a supportive universe.

4. Help Others: Extend the peace that you want for yourself to someone else. Change your inner mantra from "What's in it for me?" to "How may I serve?" Almost instantly, when you shift attention off yourself and reach out to others, the thing that needs to be fixed, will be fixed.

--A new study in Japan suggests that eating meat at least every two days during middle age may help maintain independent daily activities when older.

--The study contained men and women ages 47-49. The team surmises that eating meat a few times a week may help the elderly better preserve muscle mass due to increased protein intake, which, in turn, may play a role in elders' ability to continue to perform daily activities.

>>Fruit and Veggie Intake in Pregnant Women Reduces Risk of Upper Respiratory Tract Infection<<

--It is unclear whether the CDC will rethink its advice on how long people with swine flu should hole up. Long breaks from school and work do not seem worth it for a virus that now seems to cause mostly mild illness, said the CDC's flu chief, Nancy Cox. Swine flu is spreading so widely now that confining the sick does less good, she said.

>>Walking Cuts Breast Cancer Risk by 40 Percent<<

--Dr. Carolyn Kaelin, a Harvard surgeon and breast cancer survivor, says, "Brisk walking--about 3.0 mph on a treadmill--for three to five hours per week, or about 30 minutes per day, can net big benefits for breast cancer survivors."