You Can Do It!

A friend and I recently went backpacking in Arkansas. My love for hiking, and the outdoors, has not left me since my Boy Scout years. Unfortunately, like most of my hobbies, I have not had time to do as much hiking as I would like, so I looked forward to this trip with great anticipation. The feeling of conquering this hike was rushing through my head, long before I actually conquered anything. This was a three day hike, with several peaks and rivers that would need to be climbed and crossed. We soon realized that our moderately sedentary life was not conducive for a 30 mile trek through Arkansas’ Ouchitta forest. The thing we looked forward to the previous weeks, was now some thing we dreaded with every step. Almost every muscle in the lower half of our bodies was completely sore and stiff every morning. Despite the physical strain we put on our bodies, we did have a lot of fun along the way. We saw some amazing views, met some great people, and had a lot of conversations about the mysteries of life. Despite all of that, the best part was when we finally finished the hike. Not only because our self inflicted torture was over, but there was a rewarding sense of accomplishment that came from persevering through a challenging task, and coming out victorious.  As I later sat and thought about the experience, I realized how similar it was to orthodontic treatment. 

I regularly have patients come to my office that are excited about getting braces. They’ve been thinking about which color they’re going to put on their braces, looking at videos of how to take care of them, and imagining what it will be like to show all of their friends. All that excitement usually comes to a conclusion about 12 hours after the braces are put on. As the soreness sets in, many patients begin to question the choice they’ve made, and all that excitement dissipates as they realize they have 18 more months of orthodontic treatment to go. Fortunately, after the first few days, most of the soreness is gone, but their excitement about getting braces shifts to being excited about getting them off. They look forward to the day when they can smile with confidence and reap the benefit of all the discomfort they endured. Like my hiking experience, it’s a glorious moment when the end finally comes. 

I think this demonstrates a greater principle in life that has broader application. Many of life‘s greatest rewards only come after we’ve persevered through significant challenges. If you’re going through something challenging right now, have confidence that greater things await you on the other side. To all of my orthodontic patients who are reading this, stay strong my friends. You can do it!