The Most Powerful Story You’ll Ever Tell… Is the One You Tell Yourself
By Dr. Jeffrey Ptak, DC, DSS, MSS, MA
Every day, we tell ourselves stories.
Some inspire us.
Some protect us.
And some quietly become the prison we never meant to build.
“I guess this is just part of getting older.”
“I’ve had surgery. Nothing else can help.”
“My MRI is terrible.”
“I’ve tried everything.”
“I’m too far gone.”
Over the past 40 years, I’ve heard every one of those stories.
Some were true.
Many were simply conclusions that had never been questioned.
Just today, a woman visited our office while waiting for a friend to finish her appointment.
We struck up a conversation.
She explained that chiropractic wasn’t for her.
She had undergone neck surgery.
Back surgery.
Abdominal surgery.
She had metal implants and was understandably concerned.
Then she said something I’ve heard many times over the years.
“I’m just too far gone.”
I didn’t tell her she was wrong.
The truth is, I don’t know what a thorough examination of her condition would reveal. Every person’s health history is unique, and no one should make promises without first understanding the whole picture.
But I couldn’t help wondering…
Who wrote that story?
Was it written by her surgeon?
By previous experiences?
By fear?
By disappointment?
Or had she slowly rewritten her own future without realizing it?
The stories we tell ourselves shape the lives we believe are possible.
Years ago, one of my patients, Charles B. Griffith—the screenwriter best known for The Little Shop of Horrors—gave me a gift I’ll never forget.
Instead of writing a thank-you note, he wrote me a poem.
It ended with these words:
He took away the years of pain.
And—just for good measure—
He took my cane.
I have treasured that poem ever since.
Not because it says anything extraordinary about me.
But because it reminds me what hope feels like.
Throughout my career, I’ve met people who crossed oceans searching for another opinion.
A woman traveled from the Seychelles, believing there might still be another path.
A husband and wife flew from Seoul every month for more than two years because they believed their health was worth the journey.
A woman arrived from England in a wheelchair after being told surgery was her next step. Before making assumptions, we carefully evaluated her, listened to her story, and looked at her as a whole person.
Each of these individuals had one thing in common.
They had not stopped asking questions.
Please don’t misunderstand me.
Not every story ends with someone throwing away a cane.
Not every wheelchair becomes unnecessary.
Not every condition can be reversed.
Healing doesn’t always look the way we hope it will.
But one lesson has stayed with me through four decades of practice.
The moment we become absolutely convinced that nothing can change…
…we often stop looking for what still can.
Maybe the most important question isn’t…
“Can I be fixed?”
Maybe it’s…
“Have I allowed one chapter of my life to become the entire story?”
We all have stories we’ve been telling ourselves for years.
Some deserve to be remembered.
Others deserve to be rewritten.
So before you decide you’re too old…
Too broken…
Too damaged…
Too far gone…
Pause for a moment.
Ask one more question.
Seek one more perspective.
Remain open to one more possibility.
Because sometimes the greatest healing begins long before an adjustment, a treatment, or a diagnosis.
Sometimes it begins the moment we decide to rewrite the story we’ve been telling ourselves.
At Ptak Family Chiropractic, we don’t promise miracles.
We don’t promise cures.
What we do promise is to listen carefully, evaluate thoroughly, and help you understand what possibilities may still exist.
After all…
No one should let fear write the final chapter of their story.
Ask the Doctor. Start the conversation. Rewrite the story.
3122 Santa Monica Blvd. Ste 102
Santa Monica, CA 90404
www.ptakfamilychiropractic.com
P: 310.473.7991