I had the opportunity a few day ago to do something that was really meaningful to me. I would like to share that with you. My web site advisors are probable cringing about now because I am not on a dental topic but since I pay the bills I will let them stew. In fact, I am my own webmaster and have written and designed virtually every word of this web site myself. I guess that makes me the boss.
A few days ago I had the honor and privilidge of speaking to one of my heroes Coach John Wooden. I don’t think any introduction is necessary. I would say he is the the greatest coach that ever lived, but I will not argue the point as there were many great coaches out there and everyone has their own opinion. A good part of my admiration comes from the fact that he was always a gentleman, on and off the court. In addition, I have great respect for his philosophy of human relations.
The Coach and I exchanged just a few words. Now at 99 years old I could see a sparkle in his eyes and an amazingly sharp mind. What a thrill that was. We spoke about some of his players but I could not get him to singe out any one as the greatist. Smart man. In those few brief moments you could tell that there was something special about this man.
Later in the day I did a Google search and discovered that the Coach has a web site and I checked it out. It didn’t take long to see that Coach Wooden is not only a world class coach but a very wise man. His philosophy is very impressive. Very briefly, he never chose to criticise, yell at or berate his players to get them to achieve. He chose to encouraged them. He built their self esteem and taught them how to put a situation into the best possible perspective and keep a positive attitude. How much wiser it was to built them up rather than tear them down. You can look at his results to see that he was right.
Each day I walk into the office and give each case my very best effort. I often see people that have neglected their mouths badly. Sometimes it is just terrible to look at the extent of the neglect. I have had a philosophy of “no guilt” for a long time and I always apply it no matter what the situation is.
Reading what the Coach has said and looking at his results reinforced for me that I have been doing the right thing all along. I always try to build up and never tear down. Funny thing, the results of that philosophy just keep getting better and better. We want to make relationships not just fill teeth. People seem to appreciate that attitude very much. Thanks Coach.
Best regards, AM
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Very well said. I had some drive time on Friday so I was listening to sports talk radio and every DJ said the same thing – he was a man of integrity. And particularly when you reach the age he was, that matters much more than the number of championships you won.