I'd like to tap into the emotional/spiritual element of personal sustainability. As dental health care professionals we are bound to encounter many exhilarating as well as challenging emotional moments. Most recently someone very special entered my day and left a mark on my soul. A very courageous young person dealing with cancer showed me what living sustainably really meant. Stay with me. I promise this story will fill and sustain your "bucket" with hope.
While updating a young person's health history with his mom, it was shared that he was dealing with significant health challenges. His cancer diagnosis and treatments had been grueling. As Mom tried to steer the conversation towards a more joyful subject I eagerly listened as I gently helped this young person into my dental chair. It was revealed that the family would be going to Florida soon. Ah ha! My segue to safe conversation with this young person.
With barely skipping a breath, I began to recline the dental chair and asked the patient "So, where are you going?". Expecting to hear the word Florida come out of this young child's mouth, imagine my surprise when the word "backwards?" was uttered. Yes, this child, at that moment in time was just "going backwards". He was with his mom, he was safe in my dental chair, and he was truly living in a sustainable moment.
What a lesson learned. I didn't need to project out to his Florida vacation. I didn't need to project out to his next chemo treatment. All I needed to do was stay in the moment with this young child, also known as my hero.
So what about you? Any challenging emotional moments in your life that you could do a little "backwards" motion? Stay sustainable. Stay in your moment!
Sending you a smile,
Judy
