As we reach the end of the year, my mind seems to continuously reflect on the events of the this year. Often, the initial focus seems to wallow on thoughts of what didn’t happen, what goals weren’t met. A feeling of sluggish sadness has followed me around the month of November and often into December for as many years as I can remember. This year I’ve resolved to intentionally resist the sadness and actively celebrate the holidays. This will take effort, but I trust it will be an activity worth the effort.

As I get older, actually after I turned 50, the notion that the number of future Thanksgivings, Christmas’s and New Years are in limited supply and shrinking with every January 1 becomes more real. Allowing melancholy to overshadow joy this time of year cannot continue, unless I want to deal with regret down the road. So this year, Joy is going to be front of mind and hopefully the thought and feeling that re-defines future ends of the years.

Isn’t it interesting how facts don’t change, but the way we interpret the facts can vary wildly. My training as an orthodontist has well equipped me to do my job by focusing on the facts. I diagnose and treat my patients with the worse case scenario in the back of my mind and take steps to ensure that the worse case scenario does NOT happen. Orthodontists are trained to scan to presenting situation, evaluate risks, evaluate unlikely risks, evaluate unknown risks and proceed. Good orthodonists are not just bold, but also contemplative and cautious when we sense lurking risks. Bold only actions can get you into trouble. Interpreting facts with prudent awareness of risks is one of the hallmark of a well trained professional.

Does my professional training bleed into how I evaluate my personal life? I think it does, and is partly to blame for my end of the year melancholy. Living life always with an eye always considering risks (known, unknown and unknowable) can sap the spontaneous joy out of otherwise joyful events. At least that is my working theory. Consequently, my self prescribed treatment for end of the year melancholy is to intentionally focus on joy. To put the nagging, negative thoughts of what was needs to be tweeked to improve in 2020 aside for the next 5 weeks.

I wish everyone a very Merry and Joyous Christmastime. Here’s to sending out 2019 with a smile!