MOVE: November 7, 2014

"We scare because we care"

Spoiler Summary: When it comes to Halloween, it's not only the kids in masks that will be doing the scaring this year and there's a good reason why - because what we hope will end in "prepared" (them) often starts as "cared" (us) and uses a dash of "scared" (all) to bring it all together.

I have a fond place in my heart for Monsters, Inc - the Disney/Pixar animated movie about the power-company who uses "human screams" to power their city. Sure it has the Disney magic that seems to pull you in regardless of age and, at the same time it strikes the delicate balance between amazing animations and smart wit that Pixar does so well. And as if that wasn't enough, it somehow has just the right mix of kid humor to keep the young ones laughing and sarcastic undertones to keep the adults amused.  Yet for me, it's the tagline that makes it a timeless classic: "We scare because we care" - a brand statement I can relate to and something that feels like my team's mantra now and again, as we often find ourselves talking about scary things like heart disease, injuries, illnesses and the like. Admittedly it's not our favorite scenario to be in the position to scare, but our commitment to care-enough to "tell it like it is" can easily put us in the tough spot of discussing some of the scariest stuff of all - the realities of injury, illness and disease.

There's no holiday dedicated for that kind of scare - but thankfully it is supported by the research on lifestyle change. If, for example, we cross paths with someone who is in, what the research calls, a "pre-contemplative" state in regards to their risk - meaning they are not yet thinking about their risk or the need to control it (a nice way of saying "denying it"?) one of the best approaches is to describe what the risk, if left unchecked, grows up to become....as scary as that might be.

Ever tell your kids they should not eat ANY Halloween candy before you check it first?  Ever tell them WHY you feel the need to check it?  If so, you know the scare I'm talking about. Maybe you've told them some horror story you heard (or saw on the news) about candy that was tampered with, or the infamous apple with a sinister object inside, just to drive the point home. It's so common there's even a wikipedia page dedicated to some of the more famous stories HERE.  I know I can remember getting that talk over the years.  But why do we do it, and why is this tradition as seemingly timeless as Disney movies or Halloween itself?  Was it simply for the fun of relaying scary stuff, or for shock-value?  Or was it for something more important? The answer is obvious of course - we do it because we want to prevent harm - we scare because we care.

It's true, some people like a good scare - this time of year it's big business - but that's not the same is it?  Rather, we hope that the person might advance from pre-contemplation to contemplation, from not even thinking about it to having the "jeez, that could happen to me?" moment when the wheels start to turn. We don't love talking about scary things like what happened to the kid who ate the tampered candy any more than as kids we loved hearing it, but sometimes, if they're old enough to handle it and the realities are enough to get the change in thinking (mindset) needed, we figure it's worth it.  We scare because we care. 

It's not all bad news of course, the vast majority of Halloween candy is safe to consume (in the safe doesn't necessarily mean good-for-you sort of way) and along the same lines, the vast majority of injuries and chronic diseases are preventable.  But the story doesn't end there, the better news is, after the scare, we're naturally primed for action.....and it's for those who are ready to move beyond the scare that we've got the best news of all....it's not a person in a mask waiting for you around that particular corner....it's achievement.....and it's you that gets to reach out and grab it. 

You won't hear us say the ELEMENTS are easy.....but, since MOVE -> FUEL -> RECOVER -> ENDURE -> CONNECT is definitely not complex.....for those who are ready, getting started can be the least scary thing of them all.

It's Halloween - have a piece of candy....do a little scaring and go do something extraordinary,

Mike Eisenhart, PT

Managing Partner, Pro-Activity