Creating an Amazing Shift in Your Dental Practice and Life!
by Allison Watts, DDS
This is so exciting to me, I had to share it! I've heard so many times over the years: you create your own happiness. Happiness comes from inside… yet it seemed to elude me. I have done so much personal growth work and I get it, but it takes conscious effort. I believe we do create our own happiness–you and I can choose it.
If that's true, why don't we? What happens? For me, it's deeply hidden in my psyche. Either I was wired this way or I was taught by my family, culture, and environment growing up. I was taught or learned to figure out what's wrong so I can fix it. I think this may be a common characteristic in people drawn to dentistry. We are really good at figuring out what's wrong and "fixing" it. Maybe we grow up that way… we are also trained that way in dental school. Make a problem list… Make a diagnosis and then create a treatment plan.
Dental school continued a pattern I already had. It is so deeply engrained that even now that I'm conscious of it, I find myself still operating out of this old paradigm. My experience is that this is the mindset of a perfectionist. I have to find all the things that are wrong so I can fix them.
If we are constantly looking for what's wrong, what do we find?
That's right, we find what's wrong!
What about all that's right? We often don't see that because we are not looking for it. Many of us have been set up and/or set ourselves up to filter that out and focus on what's wrong.
If we only look for what's wrong and what's not working, it's hard to find happiness. Happiness may elude us much of the time. It seems hard to see what's working. It takes practice for me, but it is definitely something we can learn to do. I truly believe that there are many things that make me happpy and much of my life is good. It all depends on what I focus on. Do I ask myself, "What's wrong here? What's missing? What do I not have?" or do I ask myself, "What makes me happy? What in my life is good? What do I have to be happy for?"
This works in relationships, practice and all areas of life. Whatever we look for, we will find. What questions are we asking ourselves? Are they useful? Do they serve our true calling and purpose or are we asking questions out of old habits and paradigms?
If we can start to wake up and notice the results and feelings we experience, we will see our beliefs and the questions we are asking ourselves. Then we get to choose whether we want to continue to ask those questions or create new ones. I choose the new ones. I'm tired of the old ones. I know you will choose the ones that work for you.
Blessings to you for much happiness and here's to the ability for us to CHOOSE!