It leaves a mark on every interaction we have with others, every decision we make and every thought that drives us.
At this stage of my life, after much time and effort spent on self-reflection and growth, I have a better understanding of who I am. I no longer spend countless hours second guessing my instincts and judgment. It is a joy to fully and successfully integrate my inner values into my personal life and my professional life. I operate with the same goals, objectives and game plan in every arena of my life.
You would think that by becoming more certain of who I am and what I stand for I would miss out on becoming more open and vulnerable to people and life situations. The opposite has occurred. The consistency and merge of my inner and outer life has given me the freedom to follow my natural curiosity with confidence and excitement and allows me to learn and grow from the experience, wisdom and knowledge of others. It has also increased my patience and desire to understand another person's point of view
I recently led a team exercise at my practice. The question asked around the table was,
WHO ARE YOU?
We all got only 10 minutes to answer this question and had a maximum of 15 words that we could use to describe ourselves. Here is what I wrote,
I am a powerful, insightful, brilliant, beautiful, positive and ambitious human being who cares deeply about growing and helping others grow.
At our dental practice in Westfield, NJ, my passion and commitment to help others grow manifests itself in many ways that makes being a member of the 229 Charles Street family a very special thing.
For my patients- Nothing less than your optimal health and wellness is an acceptable result for us
For my team- Nothing less than providing the best environment and opportunity for you to continue to grow as compassionate and competent professionals is an acceptable goal for me
For myself- Nothing less than a daily effort to live by my values, philosophy and mission to the best of my abilities is acceptable to me
At the end of the day, I take comfort and counsel in George Orwell's words-
The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection.
At 229 Charles Street, it is our endeavor to be the best of who we can be.
That is the big picture...
Be well, Do well, Live well,
Until next time,
Sunita Merriman, DDS
