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Upcoming courses taught by Dr Chris...

2/28/2017

PEDO - ORTHO WEEKEND
March 23-26, 2017
Crowne Plaza Hotel - Nashua, NH
Space limited to 35 participants. Your enrollment reserves your space in the complete package. For further information, contact Dr. Nicholas Roy at toothdoc17@gmail.com

IAO NEW ENGLAND
Study Club

March 31 - April 2
Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Airport
Windsor Locks, CT
Contact: Dr. H. Michael Sefranek - IAO New England Section - 401.247.1777 - mike@smilesdr.com

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Is this holding you back?

2/27/2017

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REAL is Dr Chris' great little book on how
to live an incredibly GREAT life!

Two human needs are certainty, and uncertainty, or variety.

We need both.

Our routines provide the security of certainty. Fear of change and risks may keep us bound in certainty to a fault. It is in uncertainty that we grow and expand.

Our significant progress involves change, and change involves uncertainty.

“The quality of your life is in direct proportion to the amount of uncertainty with which you can live.” ~ Tony Robbins

Wayne Dyer   used to say that“fear is False Evidence Appearing Real.”

If you believe it will work out, you’ll see it as opportunities. if you believe it’s too scary, you will see it as an obstacle.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.” ~ Wayne Dyer

Why not?
Go for it!
Why not now?

To uncertainty!!!

In love,

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Rainy day in Abu Dhabi

2/27/2017

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Today was different. Rain. Real rain. Pouring at times. Huge puddles of standing water on the road, some four or more inches deep. This was Abu Dhabi today.

We surely did not expect that we could get drenched walking from the office to the car, or that there would be flooding on roads.

It was pretty. The overcast cloudy skies, reminiscent of Kentucky winter days, opened up in the desert, first damp air and walkways, then pitter-patter drops of rain, then lots more rain.

To walk out the back door of the office to the laboratory, feel the rain on my head and hear the rain thrumming on a metal surface out there was almost dizzying. It didn’t belong here in the desert, making music with the splatters.

As we drove home later, the roofs of the cars danced with spray and I enjoyed the murmuring of the rain through the window.

But then, of course it rained and rained. There have been prayers for rain for the last month or so.

And the skies answered with a day of sweet, clean rain filling the aquifers and oases, renewing the life-roots of the plants, and washing the large dusty leaves of the plumeria to a fresh moist, dark green.

The desert was bathed in sweetness today.

Much love,

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Make Practice Great Again

2/24/2017

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Find the Joy in Your Everyday Practice Life:
Part II - The Critical Elements

A classic book for improving your life and your business is Dr Norman Vincent Peale's "You Can If You Think You Can."

Though it was written for parents, Dr Chris Baker's book, "Your Child's Smile," has been used as a textbook for dentists who want to treat children.

Dr. Wayne Dyer's classic work, "You'll see it when you believe it," takes readers on a step-by-step path toward living and loving both life and career.

Critical element 1: Gratitude
As you drive in to your practice in the morning, spend the drive-time in gratitude, loving your life and yourself.

Think about your simple gratitude, and about your sacred gratitude. While you may have some current situational gratitude - the new car you are driving, your daughter’s amazing sports performance last night, also remember the simple gratitudes - your home, your work, your shower this morning, the way your staff makes your patients happy.

And, practice your sacred gratitudes: feeling grateful for everything in your life - even the hard stuff, the challenges, the grief in loss, knowing no matter how difficult, there is benefit to you to come.

There is no substitute for feeling grateful, happy, blessed.

By the time you get to your office, you will be ready for a fantastic day where things seem to turn “your way.” I love the story of the doctor whose staff knew what sort of day “they were in for,” when they noticed how the doctor got out of the car - slowly, slumped, low-energy, or, on some wonderful days, upright, with energy, smiling.

Before you walk through the door, take a nice slow breath through your nose. This engages the peace of your para-sympathetic nervous system. It changes your physiology immediately to one of peace. Then, you can walk in to your office and greet each team member by name.

We all love to hear our name. It has been said that your name is the most beautiful word in the whole world. Yes, greet with love and their name! And feel your gratitude for each one of them. Why not? - the alternative is not going to make you feel happier, and gratitude can make you remember all your joy.

Critical element 2: Your beliefs and thoughts
Decide to love your practice. Assuming you are continuing to practice dentistry, you don’t have to love your practice. Your choices would appear to be three: You can:

1. ...transition/sell your practice if you’re not happy with it,

2. ...keep trudging through your days and practice, facing the difficulties and challenges with dread at the worst, coping at the best, or...

Critical element 3: Decide to love the practice life, and do what you need to do to see it as joyous.

I know one general dentist in a small upper mid-western town who so loves his practice, patients, and staff! His life is full and his family reaps the benefits of a joyous husband and father.

Years ago he did not feel quite that way about his practice. It was much more work, not financially great, and he came to the fork in the road - toward joy? Or toward the "same old, same old"? His beliefs and thoughts had to change, and when they did, he ran smack into the knowledge and guidance he needed to transform his practice to GREAT, and with that, his life to GREAT.

You may think, “Dr. Chris, you have no idea…”, or “It’s just not that simple.”

Indeed, it’s not that simple. But it IS that worth it! And it gets easier and easier. You can turn your beliefs / perspectives of your daily “grind” to daily joy.

You can if you think you can.

Yes, it will take work. Work that has the magnificent outcome of bringing you to a joyous existence.

The work can be magnificently successful if you “get out of the way”, and get into the belief state as soon as possible. Nothing will change until you do.

How do you get out of the way? You might call this release, or surrender, or focusing on what is right in your life/practice. Dr Wayne Dyer liked to remind us, “You’ll see it WHEN YOU BELIEVE IT.”

Focus on what’s right. Act as if. Walk in that door in the morning and act as if your practice is the best place in the world to be. If it were, would you ignore the staff, or would you say a bright and cheery “Good morning, Claire” to each person you see, greeting them by name?

If your practice were such a happy place to be, would you look at the schedule with dread over the patients who are scheduled? Or would you think how lovely it will be to see each one? Act as if…

Believe it TIL you see it!
The change is in YOU.

Your belief, your trust, your joy will change everything, including your practice. And when that happens, you will truly be living your magical, miraculous, magnificent life of your dreams!

Just you wait!

Your staff will become wonderful (or you’ll find new staff who are wonderful and fit your new life well.) Your patients will be delightfully happy with your care (or the grumps will leave.) You will have created your great practice!

More critical elements to come next time!!

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Are you in life's PhD program?

2/20/2017

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When people describe your life, they'll use the word, "awesome." Find out how this can happen in Dr Chris' book, REAL.

Life’s school is structured to give each of us the lessons we need to keep growing. While one person is working on their second grade class, another is in their Master’s program.

The older we get, the higher our “degree” may be, and the tougher our classes become.

Your curriculum may be tough at times! All for your good, and you have the choice as to how to view your curriculum.

“God allows difficulties in our lives, so we can overcome them.” ~ Zig Ziglar

“Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though sometimes it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grievances which we endure, help us in our marching onward.”   ~ Henry Ford

“Life is a balanced system of learning and evolution. Whether pleasure or pain; every situation in your life serves a purpose. It is up to us to recognize what that purpose could be.”    ~ Steve Maraboli

Your curriculum is just what you need to learn and grow!

Are you in your PhD program? The higher your degree program, the more you’ll be questioned and criticized for what you’re doing. You may get a lot of unsolicited criticism. Remember, what people think of you is none of your business. There will also be people who admire you and support you.

“Let your setbacks become set-ups for your comeback .”    ~ Joel Osteen

When you’re misunderstood because other people don’t get that you “get it,” pay attention to the people who admire you. Don’t take them for granted. You’ll want to look for the more authentic people, because you don’t need to impress anyone!

As you become more authentic, you’ll stop caring about what is fair. Because, life isn’t fair. It’s a curriculum of what you need. When you leave fear and doubt behind, all of a sudden, you do things because they feel right, and because they benefit others, and because THAT benefits you!

Yes, Yes - Put Yourself Out There!!
Enjoy your classes!

Happy Studies and love,

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❤️ Will You?

2/14/2017

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This morning, Trey read his daily spiritual uplift to us, about spirit and truth. Each morning, we Skype with Trey and he gives us a blessing in sharing.

Today we pondered how we get so involved in our human issues, challenges, and experiences, that we may temporarily forget our spirits and their Divine connection to God.

Funny thing is, as Steve Maraboli has said, one of the most spiritual things you can do is to embrace your humanness. Connect with everyone you meet.

Give them love. Say, “You are great!”, “I love you,” “I am proud of you”, and give hugs and smiles, and support.

Give healing words and touches. Share compassion. Remember your oneness with each other soul. Give peace.

Even in your hardest times, keep going. “Your hardest times often lead to the greatest moments of your life. Keep going. Tough situations build strong people in the end.” — Roy Bennett

And you will be fuller, more at peace, more in love.

Happy Heart’s Day! Happy Valentine’s Day.

Love,

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Lessons from Trey

2/6/2017

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"Your Child's Smile" is the only book a parent needs to learn about her child's dental health.

A few years ago my mother-in-law, Polly, died. As we stood at her casket on a beautiful day at Lexington Cemetery, our son Trey, with tearful eyes ready to spill over, murmured, “Granny is gone. She has left her earth suit with us.”

The understanding and wisdom of his statement gives us understanding and reminder, of the precious time our souls spend in these earth suits, the human bodies in which we are cloaked for our time on earth.

Here I share a few of Trey’s and his sweet Granny’s lessons for us.

Lesson 1. Our lives in our earth suits are for limited time. How precious are our days – Spend each wisely in enjoyment, growth and happiness.
“Life is not just the passing of time, but rather a collection of experiences, their frequency, and their intensity.”    ~ Jim Rohn

Lesson 2. Our lives in our earth suits are a gift of the Divine, an opportunity to love and bond with other souls in their earth suits.

“Strange is our situation here upon earth. Each of us comes for a short visit, not knowing why, yet sometimes seeming to a divine purpose. From the standpoint of daily life, however, there is one thing we do know: That we are here for the sake of other men —above all for those upon whose smile and well-being our own happiness depends, for the countless unknown souls with whose fate we are connected by a bond of sympathy. Many times a day, I realize how much my outer and inner life is built upon the labors of people, both living and dead, and how earnestly I must exert myself in order to give in return as much as I have received and am still receiving.”    ~ Albert Einstein

Lesson 3. Our lives in our earth suits are a lesson in faith.

“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim, you don’t grab hold of the water because if you do, you will sink and drown. Instead you relax and float.”   ~ Alan Watts

Enjoy your day in your earth suit today, in love and in faith.

Love,

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Upcoming courses taught by Dr Chris...

IAO NEW ENGLAND​Study Club

﻿Is this holding you back?

Rainy day in Abu Dhabi

Make Practice Great Again

Are you in life's PhD program?

﻿❤️ Will You?

Lessons from Trey

Dr Chris Baker

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Is this holding you back?

❤️ Will You?