Get Up and Kick A$$
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” -Michael Jordan
I’ve gotten many messages from peers asking for advice. The questions usually come in one of two forms (I’ll paraphrase):
- I have an issue or problem and need some advice so I can take it on and succeed
- I have an issue or problem and want you to hear about how bad things are and all of the reasons why I can’t succeed
Anyone who really knows me also knows that I have great love for my fellow man and woman and want nothing more than to help people overcome their problems, so please don’t think of me as heartless for listing the second category of message. It’s a simple truth. And I have a huge problem with it. I’ll tell you why.
We all face big challenges in our lives, from single parents trying to balance their work and home lives to younger docs starting their practices with huge student debt to the experienced clinician who has three team members out sick during flu season. Each of us faces issues on a regular basis. Being a small business owner can often be challenging, and it’s very common for us to need a “shoulder to cry on”. I get it and I need it sometimes. It’s called being human, but at some point we need to either overcome and succeed or continue to lament and wallow in our misery.
Keep in mind the old serenity prayer: “Grant to us the serenity of mind to accept that which cannot be changed; courage to change that which can be changed, and wisdom to know the one from the other.” It’s basically a short and sweet way to say “$hit happens. Let’s do our best to deal with it.”
You’re a business owner and it’s not easy. You may remember me once writing that over the first 25 years of my practice life I realized that bad times never last forever…and neither do awesome times. Things have a life cycle, both good and bad. Try to get out of the bad as quickly as possible and try to stay in the good for as long as you can. Simple, right? Not really.
Life will throw you curveballs and you will strike out from time to time, and it IS OK to mourn your business losses. But move on at some point. If you’re having trouble, I’m always here for you and you have a network of peers in our Facebook group who can always help you. If you don’t think you can overcome your issues, seek professional help and again, I’m always here to listen and help in any way I can.
But, if you want to continuously use your past as an example of why you’re doomed in the future, keep in mind that only you can make the changes you need to have a better life and like Jordan after a missed game-winning shot, you can get up and become the 6 time world champion and MVP (of orthodontics).
You’ve got this. 😉
If you want to be a part of a geographically exclusive Facebook group (OrthopreneursRD) where we do deep dives into these discussions (and more) , please message me. To learn more about your region’s availability and what it’s all about, click HERE.
Wishing you all the best!!!
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