In my last post I marveled at how easily Nola is able to immediately let go of another dog’s aggression toward her. I even gave myself a little pat on the back for being so relaxed about it too… as if I’m always so calm, cool, and collected. It wasn’t until I read this comment from a reader, that he reminded me that I’m not always as skilled as I’d like to think I am at “shaking it off.” He said: If dentistry taught us something, its being able to move on after that last excruciating conversation with someone who’s...
Last week I wrote about the human decency that we can learn from (ironically) dogs. Later that same day 2 interesting things caught my attention. First, on a walk with Nola, we ran into her old acquaintance, Lady, whom we hadn’t seen in a while. Deep down Nola always wants to jump on everyone she sees, but somehow she has learned a little about how to greet other dogs. She usually knows to come in slowly for a more smooth greeting. She often cowers down, puts her bum on the ground, and sometimes even rolls over on her back. It...
Isn’t it great when small things make your day better? One of my favorites is seeing happy, friendly people when I’m out and about. I love it when someone thanks me for holding the door, holds the door for me, or even smiles as they walk by. Those simple gestures have the power to quickly lift my spirits. Life seems a little bit easier when we allow these small joys to help carry us through our days. Okay okay, I know I sound like a hippie, but it’s true. My Crazy Nolabees (yes, she’s Crazy with a capital C,) needs...
Adapting to life with Nolabees has been quite a crazy transition. She has been such a fun addition to our lives, and at the same time she is a lot of work. I’ve never really had a puppy of my own before. It’s different when you’re a kid and you don’t take much responsibility in the care of “your” puppy. Now that I’m on the hook for feeding her, cleaning up after her, taking her for walks and much more, I realize that it’s a bit like having a kid– except on a faster track. Of course that’s coming from...
You may have noticed I haven’t written any blog posts in a while… or maybe you haven’t. Either way, I’ve been a little distracted lately. I have been working on some really cool things, and one in particular has taken up a lot of my time. Her name is Nola, or as we sometimes call her… Nolabees! (more…)
We all loved reading about my friend, Ritu’s story about her decision to sell her practice and take a break from clinical dentistry for a little while. It was great to hear from several of you who have also made your own changes and are inspiring others! I’ve asked Ritu to write one more post. In the first one, she shared her story to let you know why she chose to sell her practice. Since she just wrote the amazing book, The Energy Shift: Increase Your Energy and Do More of What You Want Every Day, I asked her to...
With so many great holidays to celebrate this time of year, there is one holiday in the bunch that will forever be my favorite– my anniversary! It’s the anniversary of my farewell from a high intensity career in dentistry. It has been 4 years, and it is so hard to believe that so much time has already passed. It’s fitting that it all came to fruition around Thanksgiving, because gratitude is the one feeling that never wavers. I know I made the right decision, and I’m so thankful those days are behind me. What does waver, though, is my perception of...
Today’s post is a little different. Last week I had to say goodbye to my dog, and I’m crushed. Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a loved one. It’s so permanent. No matter how much you want to change things, you can’t. It just feels like a heavy weight crushing down on your chest. And you can’t think or focus. You just sit in silent disbelief replaying how it all went down.Ruby was my husband’s dog. I met her when she was 3, and I’ve always thought we had a cute little story. (more…)
Have you ever noticed how sometimes the most simple discussions can bring about the most unexpected moments of clarity? While hanging out with a friend a few weeks ago, he reminded me of an old memory we shared. He is a high school teacher, and several years ago he had a student in his class with very bad teeth and very little money. She needed serious help, and he felt so strongly about helping her, that he paid me to do her dental treatment for her. As we reminisced about how amazing that story was, I realized that I had...
Do you ever think that when things are going great in life, they are bound to take a turn for the worse? That you’re just waiting for the other shoe to drop? Or that things have been going way too smoothly, so surely it has to get difficult soon? I used to kind of worry about that. Whenever life seemed perfect without any challenges sprinkled in, I anticipated a storm was to follow. Not only did I believe that I shouldn’t expect things to continue getting even better, but I assumed that good times were absolutely destined to be followed by...
