Recently, in a smoky bar, where my band (shout out to The Vinyl Brothers!) was getting ready to play, the bar manager, who knew there were several doctors in the band, asked me what kind of doctor I was. When I replied that I was a dentist, he said, “So you work on people’s teeth?” Obviously, I said, “Yes.”
But…I lied. I don’t work on people’s teeth. Yes, it is true that I did that for many years—but not now.
After 18 years, “working on people’s teeth” is no reason to get out of bed. You can only do so many dental restorations before routine dentistry becomes…well, routine.
So, you have to move. Your mind.
To a higher purpose. Here’s how: Rolex will tell you they don’t sell watches—they sell luxury. Ritz-Carlton will tell you they are not a hotel chain—they are the gold standard of hospitality. I don’t “work on people’s teeth”—I enhance their quality of life.
A stretch? I don’t think so. And at 48, that’s about all that matters. And… it gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
Enhancing someone’s quality of life. That’s the kind of thing I can do for a long time.
What do you do for a living?