Around 3.6 billion plastic toothbrushes are used across the globe every year, with the average person using 300 in their lifetime according to the Independent. A huge 80 per cent of these end up in the ocean, where they pose a risk to marine life and habitats.
With movements like the...
The Empowered Principal
Victor Frankl, the holocaust survivor and renowned psychiatrist wrote extensively about his experiences in Auschwitz. He made many profound statements but there is one that always stays in my mind.
"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom"
My own interpretation of this is:
" Between stimulus and response there is a space. Within that space lies your destiny"
I must have read this line hundreds of times. Each time, I revel in the simplicity of something so fundamental to the way we conduct ourselves on a daily basis. Just imagine. How many times have you made a quick decision which has changed the course of events in your life both in the short, medium and long term?
Is it worth taking the time to consider the "space" that governs your destiny?
Over 25 years, owning, growing and running my own group of private dental practices, I can think of countless times where this "space" has influenced my future. I remember my first Christmas Eve at our new practice. After a long day, I was about to pack my things away and run home to enjoy the festivities when the phone rang. The distraught gentleman pleaded with me to remain as he had just cracked a tooth. I decided to stay and sort his problem out. I also had to return between Christmas and New Year to complete his treatment . He was immensely grateful and has remained a lifelong patient, bringing along his family too.
He also happened to be the managing partner of one of the largest law firms in the world! After a little coaxing, he invited me to present my Corporate Dental Plan to his team. The proposal was successful and gave me the launch pad I so craved. The firm was my first corporate client and continues it's association to this day.
Looking back, my actions on Christmas Eve, opened up doors of opportunity I hadn't anticipated. This has been a common thread throughout my life.
Are you someone who feels like a hamster on the wheel? Do you feel the daily struggle of keeping your business afloat? Does the hammer of regulation bear down on you? Is the only option to sell out and lose your independence and identity?
Over the coming months I will be sharing stories from my journey and the lessons I have learnt with anyone who seeking to be an empowered principal in their business.