Do You Have a Clear Vision?

Today's date is significant for me. It was on this date in 2003 that I last practiced dentistry. I stopped due to chronic pain in my hand. This last day started a journey that has landed me here at Spear Education. Trust me, it wasn't easy.

I did not earn a regular income for over a year before I was offered a position at Americus Dental Lab – Clearwater, followed by a position with Vident, A VITA Company. There were some very bad days but the one thing that always kept me going was that I had a clear and unmistakable vision of what I wanted to do with my life.

My vision is simple: I want to stay within the profession that I love and help my dentist colleagues become better each and every day. This is what I chose to do with my life when I went to dental school and this tenet has not changed despite my physical limitations.

Do you have a clear vision? A clear vision does many things. I have found that the most powerful consequence of having a clear vision is that it takes the stress out of decision-making. It can reduce the stress of making both the everyday as well as the “important” decisions. If the matter at hand is consistent with your vision, the answer is yes. If the matter at hand is not consistent with your vision, the answer is no.

Having a clear vision both personally and professionally is a gift that you can give to yourself, your patients and your families. I can say today just as I said the day I started dental school: I am doing what I want to do with the people I want to do it with and it is consistent with what I want my life to be.

Can you make the same statement?