Your Future Self Will Thank You
If you are like me, then you have a list. To be honest, if you are indeed like me you have multiple lists. Lists of activities and/or habits that will improve your life in a certain area. I'm talking about a physical health list, a career goal list, a relationship with your spouse list, a relationship with your children list, etc. Some of these lists are on paper while some are in your head. Maybe writing down your mental lists is on one of your other lists? You see, that's the point I'm trying to make. These are items that are not getting done even though we know that, without a doubt, our future would be better if we checked them off.
So why are we not doing them? What are the unseen forces that prevent us from a healthier, happier, easier, more fulfilled future? I'm not a psychologist so I'm not going to try and speak for the rest of you, but I think I can venture a hypothesis in the context of my own life. Let's call it the Comfortable/Lazy hypothesis.
What is the cliché lazy person activity? Sitting on the couch in their pajamas being COMFORTABLE. If aspects of our lives are too comfortable we consider them well-enough and we leave them alone. It's all good right? Right? Maybe. Maybe not. Famous author Jim Collins tells us that the enemy of great is not bad, the enemy of great is good. Specifically he says, "Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great... Few people attain great lives, in large part because it is just so easy to settle for a good life." There's nothing wrong with good. The majority of us are in a "good" place in life physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc. But let's take the occasional inventory and ask ourselves if the good life is keeping us comfortably resistant to realizing a great future.
This comfortable phenomenon is very problematic in my world. I have mentioned on several occasions in 406 Women that the pathology that targets the oral environment, namely tooth decay and gum disease, are painless processes early on. They are comfortable by default in that they do not cause discomfort. Also, these processes in their early phases are not easily detectable with the human eye even though they are causing irreversible damage and harm. That is the number one reason that your dental provider recommends annual x-rays. They give us a peek behind the curtains. The bedroom might look spotless but under the bed there is a mess brewing.
Dentistry however, can be uncomfortable right? On your wallet for sure. This keeps folks from visiting their dentist regularly. Especially those folks without dental insurance. I can empathize. Everything is feeling fine, no pain at all, maybe a little bleeding during our bi-weekly floss, maybe a little funky breath. Nothing that would warrant dropping some hard-earned cash at Smile Montana every six months for a tune-up with the hygienist right? These folks are living on the edge and they don't even know it.
I'm going to flip the script. This mentality in my opinion is Penny-Wise and Pound-Foolish. Meaning you are saving pennies now at the risk of sacrificing future pounds (a pound is the british equivalent of the american dollar with 1 pound = 1.27 dollars). What I'm going to say next I say so often that it could well be on my headstone. "If you are having a dental problem, it will never be easier or CHEAPER to fix than right now." This rings true for all of our "lists." If you are having a problem with your physical health, your mental health, your important relationships, the longer you let it go and take root, the more difficult it will be to remedy.
So if money is the major obstacle or discomfort keeping you from regular teeth cleanings and check-ups you need to change your thinking. Budgeting and setting aside the necessary funds for your basic oral health maintenance will keep you from larger, more painful expenses later...assuming you want to keep all of your teeth. If you find yourself without dental insurance ask your dental provider if they have any options for you. At my office we provide our own in-house Smile Montana Plan that covers 2 cleanings, all necessary x-rays and exams, with built-in discounts on any dental procedures you might require for a yearly flat fee.
Of all the lists that we might have, keeping our teeth healthy should be one of the simplest ones. It only requires 5 minutes per day. Don't get comfortable and lazy. Just do it. Feel the satisfaction of kicking that list's butt every day and let that build your confidence to dominate your other lists.
There is a contrast to my comfortably lazy hypothesis, and that is the uncomfortably busy version. Perhaps we find ourselves really talented in one aspect of our lives and we focus most or all of our capacity on that "list" leaving nothing left in our tank for much else. We can therefore justify falling short in one area because of how much success we are realizing in another. While it looks good it certain lighting there is an unhealthy imbalance behind the scenes.
This summer let us find balance as we take those small measures that will show large returns in our health and happiness. Keeping in mind always that your future self will thank you for your efforts. We are in Montana after all. Go ahead and check off the "Live in the Last Best Place on Earth" box with permanent marker. I'll see you out there. Show me your SMILES.
Read Your Future Self Will Thank You by Dr. John F. Miller, DDS in 406 Woman magazine.