happier

December 8, 2016

Self-Differentiation (Staying Above the Fray)

Have you ever been in the situation where you were roped into a conflict without realizing it? This used to happen to me all the time. My son would be running late for school, unable to find his sneakers, for example, and meltdown. (He’s an adolescent.) The next thing I knew, I was arguing with him about putting his things where they belong and why he didn’t set them out the night before, etc. The argument escalates and you both part angry.

You know the script. You’ve probably done this routine many times. What had started out as a perfectly serene day for you is now full of conflict and irritation. Do you wonder why this happened? If you think it’s just because the other person is irresponsible, disorganized, (fill in your own adjective here), etc. think again. The problem is that you were drawn into the situation, seemingly against your will. Why and how did that happen?

November 10, 2016

United We Stand

Wow. What a week it’s been. Could anyone have predicted this election cycle, including the plot twists and turns that happened weekly during the past two years? Like many Americans, I can say that I have never experienced the divisiveness and hatred that I’ve witnessed during these past two years. Like most Americans, I can also say, “I’m glad that’s over.” But is it, really? Something ugly was stirred up in our collective reality. Can we ignore it? Can we afford to? I can tell you from painful experience that ignoring a festering wound by covering it with a Band-Aid just makes things worse.

January 21, 2016

Law of Attraction

Have you heard of the Law of Attraction? Wikipedia says:

“The law of attraction is the name given to the maxim “like attracts like” which in New Thought philosophy is used to sum up the idea that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts a person brings positive or negative experiences into their life.”

Is it possible? Is it true? Does it exist? Does it matter? What if it is, if it is, if it does, if it does? Can we act as though it is possible and true? What does that mean?

December 10, 2015

Hurry! Hurry!

Hurry! Hurry! Is it just that time of year or is it always that way? I find that when I rush, rush, rush, I enjoy life less. Is that true for everyone? How does it happen? Am I trying to pack too much in to one hour, one day, one week, one year? What if I just said, “No. I will do less today.” I’ve tried this and it requires quite a bit of self-discipline. What happens, though, when I do less, is that I’m less rushed. When I’m less rushed I can slow down, smell the flowers, and think. I’m freer to enjoy the moment.

If we’re all rushing around (and I’m making an assumption here that I’m not alone in this behavior) doing, doing, doing, then when do we stop to think and to enjoy? What are we rushing for? Does the person who accomplishes the most win? Is there a prize?

November 12, 2015

Meaning

Meaning. What gives meaning to our lives? As adults, I think it’s something we often search for, whether consciously or not. Some find meaning in religion, relationships, learning, challenging ourselves. By listing these, I don’t mean to minimize them. Each of them can be a profound source of meaning for individuals. Some of them are for me too.

I think that these items, though, are all related to one word: Values. I think that if we are clear about our values, we will be more likely to live according to them and to find our lives have meaning.

March 20, 2015

Upcoming Move

I want to tell you why I’m so excited about our upcoming move. At Advanced Dental we are all about giving our very best to each and every patient – one patient at a time. For years I’ve been dissatisfied because we have outgrown our current location. Because of that I feel like we’ve fallen short on delivering our very best to each patient. Space is limited, resources were unavailable, the waiting room cold in the winter.

In our new location, we will have everything we need in abundance to deliver on our mission: our best to each patient, one at a time. We will be expanding to 6 dental chairs with monitors in every operatory for patients to see images of their teeth, both from the digital x-rays and from the intraoral camera. There will be a dedicated sterilization area that, while visible to the patients, will be protected from traffic. We will have a private operatory for patients requiring extra privacy; sedation and implant patients, for example. The inside entrance will allow people to wait for loved ones in a comfortable setting with a coffee bar to treat themselves.