“Be firm in your destination, but flexible in your path.” — Erik Qualman
Throughout 2021, one topic that’s been top of mind has been resilience. How do we create a resilient culture? For me, it’s embracing these four steps:
Develop the ability to bounce back after failure
Act on problems effectively
Emphasize relevance
Have fun!
Resilience is something the USANA Family’s shown time and again as we continue to navigate the pandemic together. As I think about resilience, I believe the above quote fits this notion perfectly.
Each of you sets an example for me about adapting to change. You routinely overcome challenges and obstacles in your path. Being teachable is so important, and in being teachable you’re also embracing the need to be flexible.
The past two years, to borrow from the Beatles, has been a long and winding road. But our destination has remained firm. We’re committed to helping create The Healthiest Family on Earth.
As I wrote last year at this time, the past 12 months have proven to be challenging and unkind for so many. Yet, I truly believe unique opportunities await us in 2022 as USANA embarks on its 30th anniversary (for more on that, I invite you to watch my full holiday message).
In the meantime, please accept my heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your dedication, determination, and resilience. I wish you peace and joy during this special time of year.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-12-27 09:00:102021-12-21 18:39:26Reflecting on 2021: Be Firm in Your Destination, Flexible in Your Path
Those who know me know that I’m always trying to better understand the world around me. It’s not uncommon for me to be flipping among three or four books at a time. Yin Yang You: Biohacking with Ancient Codes is one book that’s caught my attention recently.
Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Rob Sinnott on the set of The Dr. Oz Show to discuss Yin Yang You.
The breakthrough book, a collaboration between health experts in the U.S. and China, is a fascinating look at the centuries-old practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The art and science of TCM center on Qi (pronounced “chee”) — the life force that flows through your body.
“For much of the West, TCM remains a mystery,” says Dr. Mehmet Oz, the book’s co-author. “Thinking about health from a different approach feels more intimidating and unsettling than it does exciting and titillating.”
A primary mission for Yin Yang You is to “demystify the world of TCM. Not to replace Western thinking, treatments, and approaches, but to learn how East and West can work together,” Dr. Oz continues.
Dr. Oz collaborated with Dr. Anlong Xu, the president of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, on the book. Researchers and scientists across two continents — including USANA scientists — worked to better understand how TCM can optimize our health for today’s world.
“Our whole goal at USANA is to help people better their lives and teach the importance of health,” says Dr. Rob Sinnott, USANA’s chief scientific officer. “With our contribution to the book, our hope is to help practitioners in Eastern and Western methods work better together. Page after page, readers will discover ways holistic medicine can support health, strength, wellness, and longevity.”
East Meets West
Yin Yang You brings readers a unique and powerful literary and scientific collaboration. Nowhere before have such forces joined to build the bridge between Eastern and Western medicine in this way. Through humorous stories, down-to-earth examples, and unique recipes, this book guides you through traditional Chinese practices that open minds to true, global holistic medicine.
https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-12-14 10:15:322022-05-17 13:52:45Yin Yang You: A Collaboration 5,000 Years in the Making
Divine impressions, intuition, and instincts guide us. They help us avoid unnecessary pain… if we’re paying attention. But because we’re often busy, unaware, or inattentive, we miss many of them. It’s important to slow down and listen to our inner voice. That’s the Currant Bush Principle, which is Principle No. 11 in my book All the Right Reasons.
I believe there are things greater than us that influence our lives and influence the world around us. As you’re listening to your inner voice, the first thing you hear is usually what’s right. We should follow the first impression rather than talk ourselves out of heading in a different direction.
Hugh B. Brown tells the story of a farmer who purchased an unkempt farm where he found a currant bush that was at least six feet high, all going to wood. The overgrown tree couldn’t produce any fruit, so the farmer got his pruning shears and went to work clipping and cutting until there was nothing left of the bush but a little clump of stumps.
When the farmer gazed at the whittled-down tree, there seemed to be tears coming from the sheared branches and he could almost hear the currant bush weep.
“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. I was almost as large as the fruit tree and the shade tree, and now you have cut me down. All the other trees in the garden will look upon me with contempt and pity. How could you do it? I thought you were the gardener here. I thought you were my friend.”
The farmer looked on the little bush with compassion and replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. If I let you go the way you want to go, you will not be happy. But someday, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to think back and say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.'”
Listen to Your Inner Voice
Years ago, listening to an inner voice and following through on it — no matter how hard it was — changed the course of my life.
After making the decision to stop pursuing a professional music career, I focused on my video production business, which grew to the point where USANA bought it. I’m now the Chairman & CEO of a billion-dollar enterprise.
As a teenager, I never would have suspected anything could have made me give up a professional music career. Life is full of unexpected turns and crossroads. If we pay attention, we’ll always choose the right road.
Even though I chose to focus on business instead of music, my musical dreams have come full circle. I’ve had more experiences with some of the biggest music celebrities than most musicians in the business.
The second time I played at the Grand Ole Opry with Collin Raye’s band, I had the distinct impression I was being rewarded for that choice I had made years earlier.
“I am the gardener here,” a divine or inner voice seemed to say. “I know what I wanted you to be even if you didn’t. If I had let you grow the way you wanted, you wouldn’t have borne any fruit. But because you followed the path I laid out for you and did your part, this is my gift to you.”
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https://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svg00Kevin Guesthttps://www.kevinguest.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Kevin-Guest-Logo-White.svgKevin Guest2021-11-29 10:15:182021-11-29 10:26:00The Currant Bush Principle: Follow Your Inner Voice