A lesson taught to me by my good friend and exceptional clinician from No9 Dental Practice in Edinburgh, Peter Buchan. It was a conversation we had, I can’t remember when, which has stuck with me forever; “Are they stroking your cat?”
Pete recounts a phrase that is used in his house when he is asked to provide work outside of his normal sphere. The discussion between him and his wife would be “Are they stroking your cat?” This is to mean “Is this just tickling your ego to get you to do something because you are cheap or available”
We all get caught up in this, whatever sphere of life or work we have. I have watched it happen to myself more times than I care to remember (it continues to happen regularly) and more recently I have seen it happen to my wife; I never thought I would see that.
It is where ego says yes where rational mind is screaming ‘no that’s ridiculous’.
For me it usually means time away from home for no real value whatsoever to me or even the people who are asking me to go but my ego tells me to do it.
Something to work on constantly. Always ask yourself “Are they stroking my cat?”
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