ALUMNI UPDATES
LIFEforce Tribe Member
SPOTLIGHT
Dr . Ricardo Álvarez felt like his journey to become a chiropractor in Puerto Rico and run his own practice was divinely guided and provided for each step of the way . Dr . Álvarez ’ s quality of life was changed when he first went to a chiropractor , and this inspired him to want to become one as well .
When looking at schools , Dr . Álvarez and his wife Yadimar Cabrera originally thought that every school must be the same , so they looked for the closest one to Puerto Rico with similar weather . They chose a school in Florida and asked their chiropractor for a letter of recommendation . The chiropractor said he could write a letter of recommendation , but they must go to LIFE or not go anywhere at all . They were told that “ LIFE is vitalistic and believes in innate healing and wellness , and it is the best . If you go to any other school , they tend to focus on the symptoms but not the whole picture .” This really resonated with their core values .
Becoming a LIFEforce Doctor Before joining LIFEforce , Dr . Álvarez was working in Puerto Rico as an associate , alongside another doctor . At the time , LIFE had another representative on the island but still needed help with outreach . Even though he ’ d never done so before , Dr . Álvarez volunteered to talk to people about Chiropractic as an opportunity to serve others . He presented a lecture at a clinic , and 50-60 people showed up to hear him share the chiropractic story and the profession ’ s purpose . The audience loved it ; most of them wanted more information . From there , Dr . Alvarez was on his way to being a LIFEforce Tribe member .
There is a lot of benefit to uniting with a force greater than yourself , Dr . Álvarez explains . “ Joining LIFEforce helps grow your office . It gives you the tools and structure to follow to better serve your purpose in life .”
Dr . Álvarez believes everyone on the planet should have access to chiropractic care and a chiropractic education if they so choose because chiropractic care is a service to humanity . “ If all people in the world were connected by Chiropractic , the collective soul would flow better and be more congruent with our innate nature . It helps us both physically and spiritually .” This is why he is a LIFEforce Doctor .
“ We have to serve more and more people . Different chiropractors choose to do different things , but ultimately , as long as we all serve with the mantra of Lasting Purpose , we will get so much back and will want to keep serving more and more .”
Starting his Own Practice The only reason Dr . Álvarez didn ’ t open his own practice at first was fear of failure and not having the resources . However , he quickly learned how to manage a business through working for other chiropractors .
Once Dr . Álvarez told the person he was studying under that he was ready to leave and start his own practice , looking for an office location became the most difficult task . Ironically , a medical doctor had a 600 square foot space to rent out , and the two struck a deal . For the first three months he didn ’ t have to pay rent and got his practice up and running . He had a student portable table , a printer he had at home , chairs from a sale ( that he still has today ) and the laptop he used to study at LIFE ; friends and family donated basic office stuff like a phone . “ We opened without an air conditioner . The first two months we were sweating like crazy . We also had to pay some friends back , as well as the government for a permit to open .” According to Dr . Álvarez , when you are in line with your purpose and doing what you are meant to do , the universe will provide what you need when you need it .
Dr . Álvarez believes Chiropractic still has a long way to go . “ We have to serve more and more people . Different chiropractors choose to do different things , but ultimately , as long as we all serve with the mantra of Lasting Purpose , we will get so much back and will want to keep serving more and more .”
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Dr . Ricardo Álvarez and his wife Yadimar Cabrera pose with President Dr . Rob Scott ( far left ), Director of LIFEforce Magi Rodgers ( right of Dr . Scott ) and Chancellor Dr . Guy Riekeman ( far right ).
22 Alumni . LIFE . edu | 2019