3 Lessons Chiropractors Could Learn From Farmers 👨‍🌾

In today's fast-paced and competitive world, it's easy to forget the importance of humility, hard work, and community.

However, these values are still alive and well in one particular profession: farming. In this insightful blog post, Dr. Tony Ebel shares some lessons he's learned from growing up on a farm and how they've influenced his life as a family chiropractor.

From the importance of supporting one's community to the value of hard work and the need to remain patient and calm in the face of adversity, there's much to be gained from the wisdom of farmers.

1. Humility and Community 

There is no need for competition, recognition, or ego in farming. Everyone cheers their neighbor on and wants nothing but the best for their entire community. 

If one farmer has a great yield or prices (demand) for their product is going up, they celebrate 🎉 and are excited that so many other families in the community get the good that comes from it as well! 

There is no “how many do you see per week?” sort of constant conversation in the farming community, but there is constant discussion and support with each other as to what’s working best and how each neighbor can help the other. 

In fact, that’s where a lot of the work that gets done actually comes from — each other. I spent as much time working on my neighbors or uncle’s farm, helping them grow up as I did on our own. My childhood not only had hundreds and hundreds of hours rocking some free labor on our family farm, but also helping and supporting other families. 

So now that I’m a family chiropractor, community-focused servant leadership is something I need to learn from a seminar or podcast episode — it’s built into me. 

2. Fortitude and Work Ethic 

Farmers don’t wake up in the morning, spend 20 minutes meditating 🧘‍♀️ and speaking affirmations into a mirror, take a cold plunge 🧊 , and then throw down some avocado 🥑 toast spread over the organic sourdough they spent all weekend baking themselves.  Instead, farmers get up way earlier than everyone else, drink some black coffee ☕️ , and go do their chores.  

A farmer knows full well that if they want to build something significant for their family and their community, 17-21 hours a week isn’t going to cut it. But at the same time, don’t get it twisted — no one makes more time and commitment to their family than farmers. While they may not need 3 days a week off for paddle boarding and acroyoga 🧘‍♀️ , or a quarterly weeks-long retreat in Sedona to hold space for their self care… they rarely miss a game 🏈 , band concert 🎶 , or 2nd cousin’s graduation party. 

 They know that you can have both as long as you don’t overthink it and try and be overly fancy (ego) — you can work hard, do big things, and build a big, incredible, joyful life with your family every step of the way at the same time. 

Don’t be afraid of hard work my chiropractic homies. It does NOT cancel out your personal health, family time, vacations, or building an incredible life with your spouse and kids!  

PRO TIP — BRING YOUR KIDS WITH YOU! 

One other absolutely legendary work + family life hack or tip we can take from farmers is this — bring your kids with you! When I look back on my childhood today I absolutely remember all the fun I had with friends and playing sports ⚾️ , but I also remember all the times baling hay, working cattle 🐄 , and working on the farm with my dad and family. We were legit together 24/7, and to say that was quality time would be a drastic understatement. Yes we were working hard, but we were also talking (learning life’s lessons for me without even knowing it), laughing, and having fun being together. 

My wife and I have now brought this mentality and strategy into our chiropractic life. We take the kids to the office with us all the time on the weekends when expansion projects or systems improvements are happening, and that incredible part of our life called our practice and business… is not woven into the fabric of their life too. They’re with us. They’re not just hearing us talk about working hard and loving ❤️ what we do, they are experiencing it firsthand. 

3. They Know That All Storms 🌧️ Eventually Pass 

Despite having a far tougher job in terms of manual labor, hours required to accomplish something, and also the absolute unpredictability of the weather being in control of their success + outcomes every year… you don’t see farmers whining and needing to attend a Tony Robbins retreat to be happy.

Farmers are never happy when the weather is crap 💩 and a tornado 🌪️ or hail storm takes out their entire crop, but they also know that each storm ⛈️ will eventually pass, the community will support them as they rebuild, and the sun ☀️ will come out once again. 

They are patient. They remain calm in storms. And they don’t live in the past. 

Way too many chiropractors experience a season or two of struggle, big or small… and stay stuck there forever because instead of getting up the next day (and every day after that) and doing their chores 💪 and the work that’s required to move forward, they spend every minute of every day complaining and telling anyone who will listen about how hard they have it and all the bad things that happened to them. 

 So whether it’s Covid shutdowns, a cranky CA, or an Associate Doctor who left and stole patients from you — keep smiling 😊 and keep serving 🙌 . I personally will never give more power or attention to tough seasons, situational challenges, or crappy 💩 people. Because I leave my attention stuck on them, I miss out on all the awesomeness and opportunity God is going to send our way tomorrow. You know, when the sun ☀️ comes up again.  

Forward + Onward 💪 Always, 

Dr. Tony Ebel + Team PX