Okay, I’m writing a book (of several individual stories). Isn’t everyone? It’s a book for children ages 1 to 99. I consider myself 12 even though chronologically you can add 50 years! Seriously, don’t we all think we’re about 18 even though some of us might be much older? I don’t think the “kid” spirit ever leaves us.

Back to my book: One of the stories in it is the story of a “miracle” of two ocean creatures who are very different yet become friends by dreaming like-minded dreams and helping one another. They each had a dream of leaving the ocean to see the rest of the world. The problem: they didn’t think they could breathe the air; but, as anything can happen in a story, they made it – leaving the ocean behind – for a spectacular adventure – because they believed in miracles.

I also recently watched a movie (chick-flick as you guys call it) called “Leaving Normal” with Meg Tilly and Christine Lahti. It is older, released in 1992. Again, about two very different types of people which somehow manage to bond on a long trip across the USA, ending up in Alaska. Sometimes by fate or accident, miracles do happen and people help one another by just being themselves – mistakes and all.

Miracles happen every day around us, in every way if we just look – in the air we breathe, the beauty on this fantastic planet – our ever changing sky, brilliant sun and twinkling stars – the variation and colors of our plants and flowers, animals and insects. Also in the miracle of birth, the way we love one another and react to each other on this home – our planet.

So why do we just seem to hear only the bad news most of the time? That sensationalism and fascination with crime and corruption are the mainstays of today. Why not choose to ignore the bad and only publish the “good” people do for one other? Why does it appear that we have lost our way?

Many say our moral compass has lost its “N”, “S”, “E” and “W” (Normalcy, Sensitivity, Ethics and Wisdom); that the compass needle only points to the letter “G” for Greed. Have our intrinsic values, morals and ethics been stripped away because we keep wanting more, more, and yet more? Are we now moving so fast due to technological advancements that we don’t have time to stop and think about what is really important in life? Missing the miracles happening in our own lives?

Some of us older folks point fingers at the younger ones at the lack of integrity we see. But it wasn’t too long ago that other older folks pointed fingers at us – the baby boomers – who shed the trappings of government and social mores for sex, drugs and rock’n’roll – so we were told. Well somehow, a heck of a lot of us out there made it through that time. So, I think you younger ones will, too.

Problem is you are destined to make the same mistakes we did. First, we gave it all up. Then we worked ourselves silly to try to get it all back and then some. But who are the ones who are remembered in our history? The one’s who “had a dream” like Martin Luther King. The one’s who helped the poor and lived without anything, like Mother Teresa. And yes, Jesus, who preached peace from within, love of one another, it’s better to give than receive, seek and find spirituality, not materiality.

In a society where FREEDOM is among the biggest blessings we have in our beloved country, how do we not get into the trappings of CAPITALISM that plays a huge part in our economic system? The tone has been set since we were all very young: One can have anything if we work hard enough, believe in it hard enough and sacrifice family, friends and peace of mind to work tirelessly behind the grindstone.

This is true of all of us. What does it mean for you, as a dentist – years of schooling, marriage, children, family, friends and now a practice and patients? All seemed quite the “American dream”. Small practice in the beginning, then more chairs, then a move to a new practice, maybe you bought a building – huge, shiny new office, more patients, more employees, bigger is better right?

Large dollars coming in, large dollars going out, a new home, vacation home, fancy cars, children’s education, boat, CE classes, specialized training, big expensive vacations – dollars getting stretched? Those larger dollars beginning to look like monopoly money? Do you feel like the conduit for receiving money and passing it on for bill payments, with nothing much going into your pocket or a savings plan and no quality time for family and loved ones?

Whoops! You’re on the fast track, or, what we like to call, the “fake” track. You’ve made your bed and you thought you were happy in it. Now, some years have gone by. You’ve missed special children’s events; a soccer or softball game, a play, maybe your child’s first baby steps, maybe even a divorce under your belt. And every day you have to go to work to feed that large monster you’ve created – your “American monster dream”. What on earth are you going to do now? You can’t think about retirement let alone plan for it. You’ve got too much debt, too many responsibilities. You’re not happy because you know you can do better dentistry and help you patients but you don’t have the time to apply what you’ve learned. It’s sitting on the shelf along with your life!

And what about your patients? Well, they lose out completely.

Maybe you hired a consultant or two to help you. They came in, assessed your needs, told you what to do, gave you a big fancy binder full of “how-to’s” and then drove off with their check. Where did you start? Oh, you didn’t – same old, same old?

If all of the above sounds pretty “right on” do you want a really true, honest to God answer on how to fix this mess? Are you willing to work as hard to get out of this mess as you were to get yourself into it? Are you ready to be honest with yourself and look at what really is important in your life? Are you willing to have your feet held to the fire by a coaching department who will do just that?

Are you willing to take back your life and this time enjoy it?

The answer: The Schuster Center.

We are a “business school for dentists”, but not only that. We are people who help people – all different kinds of people from all over the United States. We care and we guarantee your success. We have the numbers to prove it and the years behind us – all 32 of them. We’re a place with good people work for the benefit of others. We’re not working out of our car, using other people’s material – we’ve created our own.

How did I, a graphic artist and sometimes writer, get involved with Dr. Michael Schuster? By fate and accident – about 29 years ago he walked into my business office – two unlikely people who would probably never have crossed paths. Yet here we are, creating a better life for dentists each in our very different way and watching this process work for thousands of dentists who believed in miracles.

Yes, I’ve seen many miracles here. Want to be one?

We are told all of the time that we are the best kept secret out there. We don’t mean to be. We’re a small company who just cares about helping dentists. That’s Dr. Michael Schuster’s vision. He has a story and he wants you to hear it if you’re tired of the rat race and want to DOUBLE YOUR NET PROFIT while simplifying your life. Believe in miracles, be a kid – find your joie de vivre – again!

God Bless,
Happy New Life!
Vicki

P.S. Write me if you want more information about Dr. Michael Schuster and The Schuster Center. Or see our website at www.SchusterCenter.com and make up your own mind. Make sure you go to the testimonial section and listen to what others have said about us. We have to “toot” our own horn a lot of times, but it’s sure nice when others decide to do it for us! (vicki@cfpd.com)