The Benefits of Change

I remember hearing a story when I was a child that has stuck with me to this day. The story really reinforces the idea that making changes and trying something different can lead to a more desirable outcome. When I am resisting change or having trouble leaving a comfortable situation to try something new, I think back to the following story and trust that whatever it is I am about to implement can bring about extraordinary results.

There once was a boy that came from a family of dentists. His great grandfather was a dentist and his grandfather was a dentist and his father was a dentist and he was planning to be a dentist. To say the least, oral hygene was very important to the entire family. In fact, the boy and his two brothers would often fight about who had the best teeth. In order to out do his brothers, the boy decided he would brush his teeth three times a day for at least five minutes per brushing always flossing before hand.

The boy was so proud of his dedication to having a perfect mouth full of the cleanest teeth. He could not wait to impress his dad during his next cleaning and check up. However during his checkup, the boy heard his dad moaning and groaning as he glared into his son's mouth. He continued to ask his son if he had been brushing his teeth and reported that he had four cavities. The boy could not believe it... he told his dad that he had been brushing his teeth at least 15 minutes per day and routinely flossed for the last six months.

Not doubting his son's claims, the father asked the boy to show him exactly how he went about brushing and flossing his teeth. After the boy finished, his dad immediately asked him to show him again. After completing it the second time, the boy said to his father, "I have brushed my teeth this well everyday since my last check up. How can I have four cavitities?!"

His dad sat his boy down and told him how proud he was that he had tried so hard to practice good oral hygene. However, his father explained that because he brushed and flossed his teeth the same exact way everytime he continually missed the same exact spots resulting in the four cavities!

The boy had the right attitude and dedication to succeed at having great teeth, but he failed because he was too consistent in his ways. If the boy had incorporated just a little change everyday to his brushing habits, he would have been able to cover all the surfaces that needed to be cleaned avoiding his embarrassing four cavities.