Communal Motivation: Arcadia Doctor’s Passion is Her Fuel for Motivation

In this last installment of Communal Motivation, passion can be a fuel for motivation. – Courtesy photo

Part 2: Helping and serving others is a source of happiness

In my opinion, the best example of an entity that is constantly motivated is the sun. It’s a great ball of fire that burns every single second of its life until it eventually has to burn out one day. This 4.5 billion year old star has been burning with passion ever since.

On the other hand, the passion, drive and motivation experienced by humans can die out fairly quickly. This made me wonder, “How does one stay passionate, motivated, and burn just as long as the sun?”

That is why in this installment of Communal Motivation I decided to speak with Dr. Jonie Chung, a chiropractic doctor who resides in Arcadia and has been in the practice for 15 years in the cities of Diamond Bar and Monrovia.

Chung’s love for her family and her dedication and passion in serving others through her work is what keeps the fire alive and burning inside of her. Her work in helping others is what makes her happy.

“I just feel happy because … a person can come in with a lot of pain and tears in their eyes and leave the same day 60 to 80 percent better with one treatment. I like how I can see results right away,” Chung said. “It’s … to make someone’s pain go away, so it is very rewarding to at least go through the steps so I can see them coming in not even standing up and leaving like 30 minutes later walking out the door more straight and with less pain.”

Additionally, the expressions of joy the patients are left with on their faces also leave a lasting impression on Chung.

She works long hours from 8 a.m. – 7 p.m., and sometimes even closing later than that, but she still enjoys waking up in the morning and going to work. In addition to looking forward to work, she also has another reason as to why she looks forward to waking up in the morning.

She jokingly said, “As a parent you are kind of forced to [wake up].”

Regardless, Chung does feel exhaustion despite how rewarding and fulfilling her career is. “Sometimes it is like exercise all day long. Sometimes it can be non-stop; especially Saturday it could be four hours straight of seeing patients without sitting down once, but it goes fast because I like it.”

In times of exhaustion and reaching her limit, she has her ways of recuperating. One of the ways she recharges is by “taking a nap” – a simple, yet universal method that can be accessible by most people.

She also recuperates by spending time with her family and by spending alone time as well.

“I treasure the days where I am by myself, even if it is a couple of hours to myself. I feel happy and am not even lonely at all,” Chung said.

Although her career is rewarding now, she never thought it would be rewarding when she started out. It was not until she started her own practice that she realized how rewarding it was.

“It was when I had my own practice that I [could] absorb everything about the practice and the field and that’s when I decided it was the right thing for me,” she said.

In contrast to Chung’s rewarding career, she recalled a time where she was in a worrisome dilemma. She wanted to start a family, but was afraid that her career would prevent her from doing so. Chung had thought she would not be able to work if she was pregnant but, in spite of her thoughts, she worked through her entire pregnancy except for the last four days before giving birth.

That is why Chung says, “Look at the positive.”

She said a lot of times people think about the “what-ifs,” but she said it usually doesn’t.

“Like me having kids,” Chung said. “What if I was bedridden and the doctor said I can’t work for the whole nine months. Like what would I do? I’m like thinking these things but then it doesn’t happen.

“Of course make sure you know what can happen, but don’t really emphasize on it because it might not even be relevant to you.”

Chung’s practice, Better Health Chiropractic, is located at 1130 S. Diamond Bar Blvd., Diamond Bar, CA 91765 and 120 W. Olive Ave. Monrovia, CA 91016.