Second Innocence: Never Tire of Practicing Your Craft

As I was treating one of my patients the other day with a crown preparation, I reflected upon just how much I was enjoying this act of micro-sculpting. It reminded me of a passage from a book that I’m currently reading: Second Innocence-Rediscovering Joy and Wonder by John Izzo, Ph.D.

“Craft comes from a German word for power and strength; to be a craftsman is to let our inner power come forth into our outer work. A craftsman is never fully satisfied because the nature of a craft is to move toward perfection-and perfection is an ideal we cannot achieve. Paying attention to our craft is to look at something we have seen a thousand times and to see more possibilities…we are …explorers who like discovering better ways to do things.”

Just as an artist never tires of painting, I still get a thrill from practicing my craft of dentistry. The added wonder and joy is that my canvas is the person I am treating.

Here’s a link if you are interested in buying this book. I highly recommend it!