“A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge. The father was kind of scared so he asked his little daughter:
“Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don’t fall into the river.”
The little girl said:
“No, Dad. You hold my hand.”
“What’s the difference?” Asked the puzzled father.“There’s a big difference,” replied the little girl.
“If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go.”
In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in the bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours…
The bond between a parent and a child or between husband and wife is self evident. Trust is mandatory.
That trust also exists between a student and a mentor. I believe a dentist is lucky if he or she can find that relationship in life. It’s not always available and seems to be more difficult to find in these trying times.
As dentists, we too are mentors to our patients. Our role is to take our patients by the hand and lead them across a threshold from the world in which they live to a world of health. In the terminology of Joseph Campbell, the mentor guides the hero from their “ordinary world” to a “special world” by providing the lessons and the tools to make the journey easier.
Think about the relationship between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker. In order for the mentor to affect the hero to move him to another plane, the first threshold is to develop trust. Without it nothing happens. The mentor’s role is to push the hero through any resistance.
People really do want to change…as I have said so many times...they are begging to be lead. They are just looking for someone to trust.
In my new book I write about being a “transparent leader,” one who is all about helping his patients without having an agenda. Being transparent is the key.
Ultimately trusting your dentist will get the patient through any difficulty. Patients don’t have to understand how the “Force” works…just to trust it.
In my book I write a lot about persuasion and influence, storytelling and photography, but without trust—nothing matters.
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