How long have you talked about change without really getting anywhere? That used to be me. All I did was talk, talk, talk about how I wanted to find a new career, or quit dentistry, or finally be happy and have fun in my life. I was all talk and no action. I didn’t know what to do or how to do it. No matter how often I googled “other jobs dentists can do,” it never led me anywhere. The problem was I was too scared to take even the tiniest baby step forward. Playing it safe kept me stuck...
If you’re ready to get into action and start your side gig once and for all, there’s no better way to do it than on a safari. You might be wondering what the heck I’m talking about. I mean, what does a safari and side gigs have in common? They both create the adventure of a lifetime, and that’s why I’ve decided to combine the two to bring you Safari N Side Gigs! I’ve partnered with Morris Mugo, founder of Safari N Smiles, to bring an epic event to dentistry specifically for people like you and me. Morris is a dental...
Sometimes life offers you so many opportunities that it’s hard to say no. How do you balance what you want to do with what you should do? Many times in my life I’ve chosen the responsible route. And other times, I pushed the boundaries to see what I could get away with. When I was really unhappy in dentistry, I decided to take four 1-week vacations in one year. I was so worried it would crush me financially, but it worked just fine! It had no impact on my finances. At other times, I’ve been so committed to my work,...
Limiting beliefs are so sneaky, we often don’t even know they’re there. It’s easy to walk through life believing that what we see is the absolute truth. We do it all the time, and it’s pretty easy to do. In fact, it’s much harder to challenge what we believe. We often don’t even know that limiting beliefs might be behind some of our most apparent truths. Truth ambiguity is everywhere. Take politics. How is it that 50% of the people can see an event one way, and the other 50% see a totally different story? Or, how is it that...
I originally wrote this blog post on November 15, 2013. It was 2 years after I had officially quit dentistry. After blogging for some time, I met the first of many other dentists who had also experienced life after dentistry. I was so excited to meet Rick, a dentist and fellow blogger. A lot has changed since then. I no longer hide behind the screen name, Lolabees, and Rick has also evolved his own career. That is the great thing about taking that leap the first time– once you do it, you never fear changing again. Check out his guest...
We all know the pressure to stay the course once we have made a huge commitment to something. Changing is hard work, and it’s inconvenient and uncomfortable. Plus, the unknown makes it scary. It is always easier to do nothing, and sometimes that little extra bit of inspiration is all we need to get us going. Over the years, I have had a few guest bloggers that shared their own stories of change on Lolabees. People loved reading about others’ experiences. Some of the remarks were: It is very refreshing to hear that you have done something else with your...
Most people are shocked to find out that as a dentist I’m a total germaphobe. They often ask, “how can you be in people’s mouths all day long if you hate germs?” Hmm, good point! Well, I’m not a dentist anymore, but if I were, remember that our whole existence as dentists is to fight germs. So actually, it may not be much of a stretch philosophically. When I did practice, I did all sorts of quirky things to avoid the little buggers. It only seemed fitting that I tackle the subject in my guest post for Amber at With...
I have a confession… I just entered the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Contest, and I don’t even have a bucket list. Well, I have never recorded an official bucket list. Here’s why: I do what I want when I want; I mean, when I can. (I’m not that cool.) In a way, it’s not unlike New Year’s resolutions for me. Resolutions are really motivational for some people, but they can also put others under a lot of pressure. When I’m under pressure to do something, I might resist doing it. This is partly why resolutions just don’t resonate with me. ...
In case you missed it, I submitted my entry for the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Contest last week. It’s too late to vote now, but it’s never too late to check out my submission. One of our tasks was to write a short blog post about one of our most memorable travel experiences. Lolabees started out as a travel blog, and I’ve been so focused on the adventures of my career change that I haven’t written about my travels in a very long time. So why not share the blog post about a fantastic adventure I had in Valparaiso, Chile...
While Lynn Drury rocked on stage at the French Quarter Festival… …I was lucky enough to get a double dose of entertainment. I had a front row seat watching a bunch of colors and lines become a painting. (more…)
