I don’t like going to the dentist. I’m really not sure why. I get a sufficient amount of Novocain to dull any pain that may occur. Maybe it’s the old magazines in the waiting room. Maybe it’s that distinct smell that hits you like a load of bricks when you walk in. Maybe it’s the thought of the bill. Or, maybe it’s because the thought that there may be pain is far worse than the actual discomfort. The problem is that I tend to suffer instead of making the appointment and getting done what needs to be done. I can medicate away the pain, but the problem is still there and too much acetaminophen is hard on the liver. Additionally, if it is let go too long, it can affect eating, which leads to nutritional problems and on and on and on. In other words, by not addressing the initial problem, it gets worse and causes problems elsewhere in the body. The answer is to make the appointment and get the problem taken care of.
Think about the toothache. What is causing the problem in the first place? A toothache seldom appears out of nowhere. It is a result of many choices. I’ll be the first to proclaim that there are serious healing powers in comfort food. Unfortunately, a lot of those comfort foods include things that aren’t good for us in large amounts. When I teach nutrition, I tell my students that aside from food safety issues, no food is bad. It’s all about moderation. It’s ok to have a piece of chocolate cake once in awhile. It’s not ok to eat the whole cake. No, really it’s not. In this respect, it’s not an issue of right and wrong. It’s an issue of recognizing those things in our lives that aren’t sin, but still cause problems. Just as a toothache is a result of a lot of choices, problems are usually the result of a lot of choices. What choices are you making that seem harmless, but are affecting those around you negatively?
I don’t have a cool little mirror like the dentist does. I can’t adequately look at the problem and assess the situation. I can try and sometimes I think I know what’s going on, but usually I’m wrong. I only see the surface issue. My dentist knows where to look, how to look, and what to look for. I need someone on the outside to point out the problem to me. Granted, that’s what I’m paying them to do, but I still don’t like what they have to say. When we are in the middle of a situation, we can’t always see what is so obvious to other people. We can dismiss them or get defensive. I won’t suggest that you always need to substitute someone else’s judgment for your own, but it’s worth stepping back from where you’re at and listening to what they have to say. They just might be able to see things a little more objectively. If someone, or several people, are trying to tell you something, it may be worth listening to. What are people trying to tell you that you have been reluctant to hear? Are they trying to make you understand something that you can’t see because you’re too close to the situation?
Going to the dentist can be scary. The anticipation of possible pain is far worse than what may happen in the dentist chair. The problem is that the fear accomplishes absolutely nothing, but the short-lived pain can solve the problem. It’s like that old rule about bandages. Rip it off quickly and it hurts less. It’s when the bandage is removed slowly because you’re afraid of the pain that it hurts more. There are many things that we avoid because we know there might be pain. We either prolong the process of doing what needs to be done which causes more pain or we avoid it all together and stay in a situation where we don’t belong. The problem is that by the time we get around to addressing it, the damage and pain are far worse, plus we’ve lost the time and energy that was wasted on avoidance. The eHarmony concept fascinates me. They match you up with people; you decide if you want to talk to them, and they allow you to progress through several steps before actually talking to the person. At any point you can decide to stop communication. You can make the decision based on rationality instead of just emotion. This is a pretty smart thing. The danger of staying in a relationship just because you’re afraid to face the pain of leaving it is minimized. You have a chance to make choices based on something besides fear. Unfortunately, most of our lives don’t offer us this luxury. We have to do things that are unpleasant or scary and may even cause ourselves or someone else pain, but it still has to be done. Hanging on to things that need to be let go robs us of what God really wants for us.
I was in a teaching position for 12 years. At the time, I enjoyed my job and loved the students, but there came a point where I had to recognize the toxicity of the situation and leave. It was scary. I was in a job that I was very confident in my abilities and going to a larger school where I had to deal with the mess that the former teacher had left. Additionally, I took a significant cut in pay. It was scary, but now I can see that it was the right thing to do. I cannot believe how different the last two years have been. The support and encouragement that I received in the darkest days of my life cannot be measured. I look forward to going to work and enjoy working with the students. I can’t change the fact that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself 3 years earlier. I do wonder how the choice to hang on to something that wasn’t the best for me affected other people. What are you avoiding or putting off because of fear?
I have a sign hanging in my living room that states “Let go of the life we have planned in order to accept the life we have waiting for us.” As a little girl, I never dreamed that this would be my life. I planned for the happy ever- after. I dreamed of the valiant prince. I got the valiant prince, but the happy ever-after was cut very short. Now I have to choose whether to hang on to the life I had planned, but can never have or accept the life that it waiting for me. I will never let go of the memories, but I have to let go of the life I had planned. It’s not going to happen and to stay in a state of hopelessness is going to rob me of what is waiting for me. I won’t lie. The process of letting go is painful, but there comes a time when you have to rip off the bandage. You have to take the first step and call the dentist. What are you hanging on to that is robbing you of the life that is waiting for you?
I don’t have a cool little mirror like the dentist does. I can’t adequately look at the problem and assess the situation. I can try and sometimes I think I know what’s going on, but usually I’m wrong. I only see the surface issue. My dentist knows where to look, how to look, and what to look for. I need someone on the outside to point out the problem to me. Granted, that’s what I’m paying them to do, but I still don’t like what they have to say. When we are in the middle of a situation, we can’t always see what is so obvious to other people. We can dismiss them or get defensive. I won’t suggest that you always need to substitute someone else’s judgment for your own, but it’s worth stepping back from where you’re at and listening to what they have to say. They just might be able to see things a little more objectively. If someone, or several people, are trying to tell you something, it may be worth listening to. What are people trying to tell you that you have been reluctant to hear? Are they trying to make you understand something that you can’t see because you’re too close to the situation?
Going to the dentist can be scary. The anticipation of possible pain is far worse than what may happen in the dentist chair. The problem is that the fear accomplishes absolutely nothing, but the short-lived pain can solve the problem. It’s like that old rule about bandages. Rip it off quickly and it hurts less. It’s when the bandage is removed slowly because you’re afraid of the pain that it hurts more. There are many things that we avoid because we know there might be pain. We either prolong the process of doing what needs to be done which causes more pain or we avoid it all together and stay in a situation where we don’t belong. The problem is that by the time we get around to addressing it, the damage and pain are far worse, plus we’ve lost the time and energy that was wasted on avoidance. The eHarmony concept fascinates me. They match you up with people; you decide if you want to talk to them, and they allow you to progress through several steps before actually talking to the person. At any point you can decide to stop communication. You can make the decision based on rationality instead of just emotion. This is a pretty smart thing. The danger of staying in a relationship just because you’re afraid to face the pain of leaving it is minimized. You have a chance to make choices based on something besides fear. Unfortunately, most of our lives don’t offer us this luxury. We have to do things that are unpleasant or scary and may even cause ourselves or someone else pain, but it still has to be done. Hanging on to things that need to be let go robs us of what God really wants for us.
I was in a teaching position for 12 years. At the time, I enjoyed my job and loved the students, but there came a point where I had to recognize the toxicity of the situation and leave. It was scary. I was in a job that I was very confident in my abilities and going to a larger school where I had to deal with the mess that the former teacher had left. Additionally, I took a significant cut in pay. It was scary, but now I can see that it was the right thing to do. I cannot believe how different the last two years have been. The support and encouragement that I received in the darkest days of my life cannot be measured. I look forward to going to work and enjoy working with the students. I can’t change the fact that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunity when it presented itself 3 years earlier. I do wonder how the choice to hang on to something that wasn’t the best for me affected other people. What are you avoiding or putting off because of fear?
I have a sign hanging in my living room that states “Let go of the life we have planned in order to accept the life we have waiting for us.” As a little girl, I never dreamed that this would be my life. I planned for the happy ever- after. I dreamed of the valiant prince. I got the valiant prince, but the happy ever-after was cut very short. Now I have to choose whether to hang on to the life I had planned, but can never have or accept the life that it waiting for me. I will never let go of the memories, but I have to let go of the life I had planned. It’s not going to happen and to stay in a state of hopelessness is going to rob me of what is waiting for me. I won’t lie. The process of letting go is painful, but there comes a time when you have to rip off the bandage. You have to take the first step and call the dentist. What are you hanging on to that is robbing you of the life that is waiting for you?
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