Turkey Day 2019! Friends-giving! Thanksgiving! Call it what you want - no matter how you slice it, we all know that the meaning of this holiday rests on the idea of people, places and things we are grateful for. But what allows us to feel grateful? The same concept that drives my passion to make a difference in the world of dentistry and pushes me to be dependable and accountable - consistency.
As you know, especially if you have been following me on my journey through this world of blogs and weekly stories since March of this year, I travel. A lot. Every day I realize how lucky I am to have the opportunity to share my thoughts and opinions on the dental industry. However, my thoughts and stories about my experiences in new cities don’t give my appreciation enough justice. Let me tell you how I realized I was short-changing myself…..after I ask you a quick question - have you ever watched a cow eat an apple?
I moved into my house a little over 3 years ago. It’s a quiet neighborhood, my husband and I are tucked back in the corner of a new development that hugs a pretty road in the day and an extremely dark road at night. Behind our house on this cozy corner is a large pasture with lots of trees, a few coyotes and more than enough strange noises when we’re not looking. But the most obscure, yet calming element of this piece of land is a single cow - Frodo Cow.
Frodo Cow patiently waiting for her dinner
I didn’t know I was a good cook when we moved until I experimented with the recipes I hid on top of the fridge. My confidence grew in parallel with my husband’s appetite. What dishes he didn’t like I threw over the fence in the backyard. After a few dud meals each week, ‘it’ started. I noticed Frodo Cow come a little closer - few glances here, a few steps forward there. I switched up the menu every now and then, with Caesar salad and banana peels and even dumped a spicy Indian dish over the barbed wire fence - she stuck around a little longer with each new taste.
Then one night I had an apple on my kitchen counter. I Google’d apples and cows and before the sun went down I had a new best friend. I’ve never witnessed such a large animal seem so light on her feet with excitement before eating. 2 years ago Frodo Cow was just part of a herd - now she’s a staple in our backyard at any given time of day - specifically dinner time. While I’d love to give credit to my cooking expertise, I understand that this relationship was formed through some basic fundamentals; trust, accountability - and you guessed it - consistency.
Like being out back with Frodo Cow, Design Ergonomic Reboot Practice Productivity Training has given me an opportunity to be there for my clients and I love taking advantage of that. They trust me. When called, emailed or texted, I respond - sometimes I’ll even physically show up! I provide information that is helpful because I work with a team that, like me, wants to make a difference in the world. We feed people with solid information and follow up with a real desire to help your practice be successful. There is a reason why our program hit an all-time high in 2019 - we lead the industry in dental practice clinical training!
I’m thankful for the basics this year. I didn’t even need to re-think the cliche of reasons to be thankful in November. Instead, I stopped and took the time to keep it simple and remind myself that what I do every day isn’t really “work”. It’s a lifelong commitment to building trust. If I’m consistent, it’s just another day in my life… with lessons to be learned and shared with every new post, city, or piece of fruit.
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