The holiday season is upon us once again and as far as I’m concerned it can’t come quick enough. We find ourselves in a place this season where some communities seem to be more divided than united and the holidays are a welcome reprieve and opportunity for healing and progress. Some time ago my family and I boiled down a fundamental goal to become what we described as “Good People” and it was to simply “expand our sphere of empathy.” We settled in on that mission because allowed for universal inclusive positive impact. This drives our community service, personal lives, and business philosophy. So with that in mind, we thought we’d suggest three simple, socially conscious/dental-oriented ideas that can help you start the promise of the year a bit early, and in good stead.
The Wish: A wish for good health is our first idea. With that in mind, we’d like to suggest taking some time to evaluate your dental health. We have listed some resources that have been developed with the health of you and your entire family: jonesfamilydental.net, ada.org, patientconnect365.com. Within these resources of knowledge lies a tremendous amount of information. These websites are certainly worthy of your time, but if you would like; you are always welcome to call our office and or make an appointment for a comprehensive exam or consultation to discuss your dental health more thoroughly. We’ve included an end of year promotion for you to do just that. This ties in well with the Gift portion of our article.
The Gift: Over the past few years, you may have become aware of charitable organizations or events that do a tremendous amount of good by relieving suffering and improving oral health. Organizations like 1000 smiles, Medical Teams International, and Mission of Mercy, to name a few, all do a tremendous amount of good by treating dental disease and promoting wellness for those disadvantaged or who lack access to care. During this season of giving, perhaps you might consider a donation to one of these charities, or a cause in which you believe, in exchange for something you might purchase for yourself or another.
As for non-dental charities I would like to suggest the Ashland Schools Foundation and the Ashland Food Bank. The Ashland Food Bank sponsors our free dental van location and does a tremendous amount of good in our community. Please consider helping someone or some charity you hold dear this season. The joy is in the giving of our time, talents, and excess resources. It is easy to feel united when we are able to serve or give to those in need.
The Goal: Goals are commonplace this time of year, and many times we don’t quite make it through to fulfilling most of them. As far as oral health is concerned, even something as simple as flossing nightly will go a long way for helping us to improving our wellness.
To fare a little better this year with our “Goals,” consider checking out a few books that offer great actionable advice that can help you stay on top of our commitments, reign in distractions and battle that ever weakening “muscle” named willpower. Here are two of our favorites to get you started: Getting Things Done, by David Allen; and, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength by Roy Baumeister and John Tierney. You may be interested in a more recent release The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan which is a great way to focus your life in an easily manageable yet inspiring way. There are tips and tricks in these books that could last a lifetime. Enjoy!
Here at Jones Family Dental we enter this holiday season with an attitude of gratitude for this amazing place in which we live, the fantastic people that we share our lives with and the opportunities that are before us. Our hope is that we all might expand our spheres of empathy to unite and understand each other in a way that promotes peace and wellbeing. Have a truly wonderful close to your year, and we wish you a pleasant, joyful, successful New Year to come.
