Late last year I got a last minute dentist appointment one Friday morning in hopes of alleviating the sharp pain I felt in a lower molar. Thinking it would be a quick needle and filling, I would be out of there in 20 minutes to enjoy my scheduled restaurant lunch date (with myself)… 3 hours later, out I walked/stumbled.

They had found a very infected and rotten tooth (yuck!) and I was in need of an immediate root canal procedure. I lay there, mouth open, not knowing how long it would take or at which second I would feel the flinch-worthy pain of an active nerve being hit. It was horrible. I believe at one point I asked with a slur ‘can’t you just knock me out?’

The nurse looked into my distressed eyes about half way through and simply said in a calm and assuring voice, ‘you’re doing great’.

Such a simple statement; however at that moment it felt so comforting – you’re doing great. You are doing a great job and every now and then it doesn’t hurt to remind YOURSELF that.

Our busy, ever-compounding life gets more and more complicated and it begins to feel like we are just treading water at the best of times to keep up. If, unfortunately, you do not have someone in your world reminding you of the fact; you’re doing great.