I wanted to share a story of Thanksgiving which I found quite touching. Living in Portland, Oregon, it is not atypical to see people standing on the streets with signs asking for food, money or even alcohol, but the story I am about to write is a bit different from any of these!
A blind boy stood in front of a building in downtown Portland, Oregon with a hat at the bottom of his feet. He held a sign that said “I am blind, please help.”
I only saw a few coins in his hat.
Next I saw a middle aged woman walk by. She took a couple of one dollar bills from her purse and dropped them into the hat. This woman then took the boys sign, turned it around, and wrote a few words. This woman gave the sign back to the boy with the new words on it.
Surprising as it may sound, the boys hat began to fill up! Many more people began to fill the boy’s hat with coins, dollar bills and bigger bills!
Later that day the middle aged woman came walking back and inquired how the boy was doing.
The boy who couldn’t see the woman did however, recognize her gait and asked “Were you the lady who changed my sign this morning? What did you write on my sign?”
The woman told the boy, “I only wrote the truth. I wrote what you said but in a different way.” I wrote: “Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it.”
Both signs told people that the boy was blind. The first sign very simply said that the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
The Moral of This Story
Be thankful for what you have. Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively. When life gives you 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile. Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear. Keep the faith and drop the fear.
The most beautiful thing is to see a person smiling. And even more beautiful, is knowing that you are the reason behind it!
As dental professionals we are in the business of making people smile. I hope that if you are thinking this has not been a good year for your dental business (MANY of you have told me this is how you feel this year and even the past three years!), that you will plan to create your own economy!
As Dental Practice Management Consultants we are here to create a success plan for your dental practice. What are you thankful for this year?
I am so thankful that I have a great life and part of what makes it so great is the chance to serve all of you!
I am so thankful to all of you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
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