Being happy. What does that truly mean? I value Cheryl Thomas's article titled, "Is it time for a change?" on page 16 in the October issue of RDH magazine. I completely agree with the list of benefits for the "perfect dental office." I appreciate Cheryl's point that we sometimes have to separate the "gadgets" from the person/hygienist. If I had a magic wand, I would walk into my clinical practice tomorrow with a complete list of technologies and appropriate scheduling that would help me provide the ultimate hygiene care. Or would it?
Can it be said that there is a breed of hygienists who strive, no matter what their work conditions, to serve their patients to the utmost? Is it possible that the more we yearn for "things" to define who we are as professionals, the more excuses we have to say why we cannot serve our patients or be the oral care practitioners we know we can be?
Blaming the conditions of our work situation is a cop-out. We need to look inward to find the strength to perform at our highest level. It's easy to say, "I could be a better hygienist if I had XYZ instrument or ABC support in the office." By holding on to these convictions, we give ourselves an excuse to perform below standards. We need to move beyond "keeping up with the Joneses" in the areas of technology or practice settings. Rather than continually comparing ourselves to our colleagues or our dental offices to an imaginary perfect dental office, we should make a conscious decision before we seat each patient to provide the best care possible.
Do I practice with all the latest gadgets that hygiene has to offer? No. Do I have the sharpest or the newest instruments at my disposal? No. Do I have all the time in the world to provide the most comprehsive care? No. Should that stop me from digging deep (no pun intended) within myself to provide optimum care under the circumstances that I have chosen to work? No.
Yogi Berra, one of the most recognizable names in baseball who is also famous for his "yogi-isms," once said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it." Each day as clinical hygienists, as women and men, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, girlfriends and boyfriends, we make clinical, personal and professional choices. The underlying message is that we have a choice. The choice may be to do nothing, or to take the fork in the road. Either way, the decision to probe or not, to be nice to a co-worker or not, to return someone's call or not, though seemingly small at that time, will effective our lives, and ultimately, the people we choose to become.
Being happy is such an elusive description of life. What is happy? Being financially secure, being in a relationship because it is convenient, or staying in a work place because it is expected? Can we move beyond other's expectations and be brave? I recently attended the Academy of Dental Management Consultants meeting held prior to the ADA convention. The keynote speaker was Jana Stanfield, and her message was "If I were brave." She didn't assume that she knew what actions people would take if they were brave. But her message about staying brave made an impact.
Professionally or personally, we often blame others for the situation we are in, yet we forget that no matter where we are today, it is because of the decisions we made that brought us to this point. No matter at what point we are, Jana says, "We are not lost, we are exploring."
I hope that when you think about what makes you happy or what road to take, you will remember to be brave. It's not about what our employers or our association can do for us; it is about what we can do for ourselves. Listening to others can sometimes be deafening. Determining what will make you happy, and taking the necessary steps with bravery, will have a great influence on your life and profession.
The following message was sent to me from a close friend. I leave you with these words:
Beautifully said
As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let you down probably will. You will have your heart broken probably More than once and it's harder every time. You'll break hearts too, so remember how it felt when yours was broken. You'll fight with your best Friend. You'll blame a new love for things an old one did. You'll cry because time is passing too fast, and you'll eventually lose someone you Love. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, and love like you've never been hurt because every sixty seconds you spend upset is a minute of happiness you'll never get back.
Don't be afraid that your life will end,
be afraid that it will never begin.
Anonymous
Thank you for reading RDH eVillage
Kristine A. Hodsdon, RDH, BS
