The Unlikely Place Where I Had a Breakthrough
We have to rest and recharge. Subtle reminders are all around us.
The left side of my face felt like it was sliding off my head into another universe.
My tongue was fat in my mouth. My body felt heavy in the ergonomic dentist’s chair, and my eyes welled up with tears behind those weird sunglasses they make you wear. The ones that leave marks on your face for two hours after you leave.
My legs were propped up, Ugg boots elevated. My feet were still cold.
Dental assistants worked quickly behind me as my body relented to three shots of novocaine.
I swallowed my tears. Thank God for these hideous glasses. They would at least hide the salty water pooling in the corners of my eyes.
Sit. Wait. Breathe.
No one needed to see my tears. Nothing was wrong. Not in the dental arena, anyway.
As I waited for my cavity to be filled and the other half of my tooth to be replaced that they’d drilled away, I realized that the only thing I had to do was sit there.
No grabbing for my phone or checking email.
All I could do was sit and breathe and stare at the wall. Look at all the people in the posters with gleaming smiles. Re-read the sign about gum disease.
That’s it.
In a moment, I realized how hard I was on myself most of the time. I don’t allow myself to do nothing. As a solo entrepreneur,
I’m constantly
pushing
doing
learning
planning.
I had a breakthrough here in a dentist’s office at nine in the morning. I really suck at doing nothing.
I’m Such a Fool
What a fool I was. How embarrassing that it took a trip to the dentist to make me realize what I’ve known intellectually all along.
That time away from work equates to more productivity and more creativity.
Yeah, I know. I write about it all the time. It doesn’t mean I’m good at it. Let’s call it an aspirational goal.
I decided that I’d do nothing for the rest of the day.
Is a Donut After a Dentist Visit Allowed?
I headed out to my car in the rain after the appointment. My jaw was still numb, but I stopped to look at the donut shop next door.
A donut sounded terrific. I talked myself out of it. It felt wrong to eat a donut straight out of the dentist’s office; besides, I still couldn’t feel my face.
I put on my pajamas and crawled into bed when I got home. It was eleven in the morning. I didn’t care.
Nothing mattered.
Not my work.
Not my social media.
Not my writing.
None of it.
I slept. I ate what I could, and I went back to bed. It was just what I needed.
You’re allowed to recharge in whatever way you see fit.
Too often, we push ourselves to the brink and don’t even realize it. Some mundane trip to the dentist moves you to tears unexpectedly, and you end up re-evaluating your life under fluorescent lights.
Our society values hard work above all else.
Bow down to the all-mighty hustle.
But we don’t have to. Give yourself a break. Do it today — the heck with everyone. Take a walk. Listen to your surroundings, or maybe get back in bed.
You’re allowed to recharge in whatever way you see fit.
No one can do it for you. It will pay you back in ways you never saw coming. I promise.
