“Help others. Then you’ll realise you receive much more.” — Dr Gary Tho 

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I was fortunate to be invited for an interview and photo shoot a few days ago. It was a fun, somewhat off-the-cuff opportunity that arose. What was most revealing was that it really made me reflect on who I am as an individual, and what makes me different from other people.

I mentioned something briefly about changing the world, which perked up the interviewer. “What do you mean by that?”

I always ask people to imagine life without limitations, or imagine feeling great every day. And my wish is that I can impact more people to live better and happier. I shared with the interviewer that I want to help people, not just in my practice, but many others, in as many ways as possible – even if I’ve not met them. I shyly went on to explain a few ways I’m changing the world.

1. I recently donated five of my books, The Pain-Free Desk Warrior¹, Free Yourself From Aches And Pains to a Silent Auction event that supported Fight For Education², a group of martial artists who sponsor children’s education in Thailand, Indonesia, and Nepal (and teach children martial arts with the purpose of teaching them discipline, respect and humility), and Purnama Outreach³, which provides skills training such as bag weaving for women in Nepal. In donating these books, they raised $195. I know that one hundred percent of the $195 will go towards the women or children. I’ve seen (and I own!) the woven bag -which is fantastic! – and I can see the ability for woven bags to significantly impact these women’s lives, enrich the community, and increase the economy in Nepal. The more awareness of these bags leads to more bags bought. The more bags bought, the more money these women earn. The more orders for bags also leads to the ability to train more women, and make more bags, so more lives are impacted – and more business and money flows though Nepal. And I feel so happy to be a part of that process.

2. I support my friend Adeline, who is involved in Operation Shanti⁴, a movement that provides essential human services (food, shelter, educational and medical assistance) to kids in Mysore, India, because they believe that only after their basic needs are met can the destitute begin to help themselves. Adeline has been running an annual Sun Salutations from the heart, which I’ve supported over the last three years. Unfortunately this year, I couldn’t be there to do the hour-long Sun Salutation marathon, though I know my contributions will help these kids in wonderful ways. Adeline is in Mysore visiting Operation Shanti now.

3. I am now a lifetime member of B1G1: Buy1Give1 – Businesses For Good, who are creating tremendous amounts of giving impacts across the globe. Having met Masami and Paul in person, seeing their beliefs, values, and actions, I feel so empowered to be able to make significant contributions to others’ lives. The recipients of this consistent giving impacts will certainly make life better for them, and allow them to do more and be more than they ever imagined. I am in awe and so are my clients.

4. I am helping AugustMan Magazine, Singapore in a project for the Singapore FOODBANK, to raise funds for a fresh-food truck. This truck would enable fresh food to be easily delivered to the underprivileged. In return, the underprivileged would receive better nutrition and food, which would allow them to perform better at study and/or work – in turn, creating a better life for themselves. The fresh-food truck would be able to go to 50 locations around Singapore, and reach out to 50,000 underprivileged. It will also serve to provide education and fun facts on healthy eating, food nutrition and healthy cooking tips. The FOODBANK Singapore⁵ is fighting hunger and reducing food wastage in Singapore.

To help me help support the FoodBank and the underprivileged in Singapore, I’ve donated $5 of every book sold in November and December 2015 to the food bank.

5. I go to Cambodia to help provide chiropractic care for Cambodians. I head out to a small town a couple hours away from Phnom Penh called Kampong Trabek where I work out of the provincial hospital. I go there once or twice a year and stay from three to six days. I see as many people as I can while I’m there, and I am often requested to do house calls. People even show up at where I stay, first thing in the morning, to see me before I go to the hospital.

As I was conveying this to the interviewer, I suddenly felt small. I felt that it wasn’t enough. I questioned if raising $195 or going to Cambodia a few days a year is really, truly changing the world. Is what I’m doing a game-changer?

Yes, I worked with post-stroke patients while in Cambodia. They couldn’t walk, and I saw them walking, unaided, after three days. I saw one man, who was so amazed that chiropractic helped his chronic back pain heal that he drove for over two hours, picking up everyone he knew with any inkling of pain on the way to the hospital the following two days I was there. He had picked up 13 other people. Another man was overjoyed that he could go back to work on his family farm, as his back was so much better. Another older lady with neck pain and numbness down her arms had such relief and exclaimed she could finally sleep through the night for the first time. And there’s one lady I see every year, who lives near the house I stay in. Each time I arrive, she greets me with a big smile and asks if I remember her. She was the lady that three years ago, showed up at my accommodation at 6:30am waiting for me to wake up and treat her chronic knee pain – after which, till today, is still pain free. But was that all really changing the world?

This plagued my mind for hours, until I leafed through a book, The Me Myth by Andrew Griffiths, and chanced on “Chapter 16: If You Truly Want To Grow, Give Your Greatest Asset.” Andrew believes we can all give something. The key is to work out what our most valuable asset and then give it away to make a difference.

This caused a huge shift in my thoughts. My greatest asset is my love and ability to help heal. Another of my greatest assets is my book. My book is a compilation of my best thoughts, beliefs, and solutions to being pain-free and living a life feeling great every day. It is taken from my personal experiences, my family and friends’ experiences, my nine years of private clinical practice, the 400 + health talks and workshops I’ve delivered, and all the people I’ve met along the way. Though it seems that donating five books is a small order, I not only made a difference of $195 for the women of Nepal, but also positively impacted the lives of at least 5 people who will read my book, and potentially their friends, family and colleagues that the book may be passed on to.

Another passage in Andrew’s book said, “No one has enough time – all the more reason to give up some of yours. The more we value something, such as our precious time, the more important it is to give it away.” This is exactly why I go to Cambodia. I am amazed by the people there – their selflessness,genuine love and care of each other, and peaceful, willing nature. Observing and receiving all of their actions was inspiring, and constantly nourished me to be a better person.

I’m a little shy to say this publicly, though I will: I now realise why I’m trying to change the world. I’m doing so because I want people to know that others care. That there is hope. And that our actions can really change the world. The bonus is that I feel so good about it. When I see their smile, my heart warms. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing my contributions giving birth to a genuine smile. When I know that children get education, I am so grateful that they can have opportunities I took for granted as a child. If families in Kenya or India get access to life-saving clean drinking water for a year, I feel myself going,”Wow.”  We expect clean water to come out of our taps; for them, it’s a blessing. When I receive a letter in the mail describing how I’ve contributed to changing their life, I can’t comprehend the amount of joy beaming through me and my watery eyes. What I gave as part and parcel of my daily life had such a great impact.

I may be going to Cambodia to help Cambodians. I’m giving. And yet, I am also on the receiving end – receiving so much joy from the act of giving itself.So to all who are contributing to the world, to others lives, in any meaningful way: Thank you for showing people that WE care and that there IS hope.

We can change the world. There’s no small giving. Every gift is BIG!

KEEP GIVING!!!