Don’t Steal My Stuff, Dude!

Posted on May 16, 2013 by

Did you know that content gets stolen all the time on the internet?ID-10064688

And I don’t just mean identity and credit card theft.  I’m talking about content.  A few years ago I was curious to find out how National Geographic Traveler magazine found my photo on my obscure little blog.  I did a search on Google for fish tacos, and sure enough, near the top of the Google images page was my photo… on someone else’s website!  I was shocked and immediately did a search on copyright infringement.  I learned that this is very common, and websites educating us on how to protect our intellectual property abound.  I also learned that not only are there rules and laws about it, but there is also etiquette.  Many of us are more than willing to share our content but only under certain conditions.DSCN3908Many people don’t even know they are stealing someone else’s intellectual property, Continue reading →

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Opportunities: From Scarcity to Abundance

Posted on May 12, 2013 by

In case you were still wondering… I didn’t win the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Competition.  If I had, you would have heard about it right away, over and over.  In fact, you’d probably be sick of me by now.

While I’ve summarized my journey into and out of dentistry on this blog, I realize I haven’t shared much of how life has been “post-retirement.”  It’s no secret that I believe it was the best decision I could have made for myself.  It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, but it was right.  I am finally content, and when I recall where I was 5 years ago, I get even happier, filling with gratitude for my life as it is (or isn’t) today.  However, it’s not just about what I’m not doing, but also what I am doing.

So what am I doing now? Continue reading →

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What’s on Your Bucket List?

Posted on April 9, 2013 by

I have a confession… I just entered the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Contest, and I don’t even have a bucket list.

 

Well, I have never recorded an official bucket list.  Here’s why:

  1. I do what I want when I want; I mean, when I can.  (I’m not that cool.)  In a way, it’s not unlike New Year’s resolutions for me.  Resolutions are really motivational for some people, but they can also put others under a lot of pressure.  When I’m under pressure to do something, I might resist doing it.  This is partly why resolutions just don’t resonate with me.  But more importantly, resolutions don’t resonate with me because I generally live my life the way I want– year-round.  If there is something I want to change, I usually obsess over it until it gets resolved.  It might be slow going, but it gets done.  I could say the same happens with goals on my unwritten bucket list.  If I want to do it, I do it.

    Ziplining in Costa Rica

    Ziplining in Costa Rica

  2. I’m a bit of a control freak.  Aw, come on, don’t give me that look.  I know you’re a control freak too.  Continue reading →
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The Amazing Race? Check.

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

In case you missed it, I submitted my entry for the Biggest Baddest Bucket List Contest last week.  It’s too late to vote now, but it’s never too late to check out my submission.  One of our tasks was to write a short blog post about one of our most memorable travel experiences.  Lolabees started out as a travel blog, and I’ve been so focused on the adventures of my career change that I haven’t written about my travels in a very long time.  So why not share the blog post about a fantastic adventure I had in Valparaiso, Chile here?

Also check out my video below.  If you’ve ever seen an episode of the Bachelor or Bachelorette, I think you will appreciate it.  If you haven’t, well then, just know that I was making a spoof of that cheesy show we all love to hate.

When it comes to travel are you a planner, or do you fly by the seat of your pants? Continue reading →

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Keeping the Dream Alive

Posted on March 30, 2013 by

Remember a few weeks ago, I wrote a post about a travel contest sponsored by mydestination.com called Biggest Baddest Bucket List?  I guess none of you ever get the Sunday Night Blues because as far as I know, you still have not entered!  The grand prize is a 6-month trip around the world with a $50,000 bonus awarded to you when you return home.  Ten finalists will be chosen to spend a week interviewing in London– 5 with the most votes and 5 chosen by the judging panel.

Vote for me

Of course I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

The first travel contest I entered a few years back changed my life.  I didn’t come close to winning “the prize,” but I did win big.  That contest was the catalyst for change in my life.  I was stuck, trapped in a career that created much anguish for me.  After years of wanting an escape and excuse after excuse to stay put, I knew I had to do something.

Anything.  Continue reading →

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10 Helpful Steps to Creating Change

Posted on March 14, 2013 by

If you’ve followed my blog over the past year, you’ve been able to see how I was able to make a huge and daunting career change.  If you are wanting a change, how can you apply some of these techniques to your own life?  I know we are all different, but sometimes things that work well for some of us can also serve others.  Here is what worked for me.  Maybe it can work for you.

  1. Know Yourself.  Ask yourself what you really want in life.  Take the time to assess what’s important to you.  Is it the big house, fancy car, and a lot of money?  Is it providing for your children and assuring they’ll get a college education?  Maybe it’s the freedom to pick up and take a week-long vacation every 3 months, or just have the weekends to train for your upcoming marathon?  Whatever it is, make sure that your career supports your life goals. Continue reading →
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Got the Sunday Night Blues?

Posted on March 3, 2013 by

Has it started already?  Are you dreading going to work tomorrow?  Do you feel stuck, and you can’t seem to figure out a way out of your job?

I have the answer for you.  Okay, so maybe it’s not the answer, but it could be an answer.  And if it’s not even that, it could lead to an answer.

Enter this travel contest.  It’s Mydestination.com‘s Biggest Baddest Bucket List Competition.  The prize is an all-expense paid trip around the world for 6 months plus a $50,000 cash prize when you get home.  Sure, it’s not for everyone.  If you own a business or have kids, 6 months away from home might be impossible.  But I can tell you from experience that winning the contest isn’t the real prize here.  I mean, yes, that is the prize, but you never know how one door can open another.  Just entering the contest is the best part of the journey.  If you don’t start exploring what options are available to you in the world, you may just end up staying right where you are.

So go for it.  Do something.  Do anything.  Just put it out there.  The more outrageous, the better!

Oh, and if you enter, let me know and we can get the Lolabees Community (if that even exists) to vote for you!

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10 Signs You Need a New Job

Posted on February 21, 2013 by

For years I ignored the fact that I was unhappy practicing dentistry.  A few times in my decade of practice, I seriously considered getting out.  But each time, I convinced myself to stay.  My biggest excuse was the economy.  As luck would have it, right when I concluded I wanted to change, things started to tank.  People were out of jobs, and I told myself I should have felt lucky to at least have one.  While that excuse was very real, it was just that– an excuse.  I don’t regret it because it forced me to stay in the career for 6 more years and determine if it was really the job or the career.  As the years went on though, I couldn’t live with myself anymore.  No more excuses.  Work was wearing me down, and I forced myself to stop and pay attention to what was really going on.  In case you are as distracted or in denial as I was to notice whether you should make a change in your life or not, here are some clues that helped me.  You can’t make the change until you know you want it.

10 Signs You Need a New Job… or Maybe Even a New Career Continue reading →

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The Pros and Cons of Dentistry

Posted on January 27, 2013 by

Contemplating a career in dentistry?

Métiers-Dentiste, humour-années 20

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If so, you’ll be happy to hear that US News and World Report recently crowned the dentist as the #1 best job of 2013.  But wait, not so fast.  Is this report sugar-coating the realities of the job?  Is dentistry really all about the great hours, reliable income, warm fuzzies, and constant demand?  If you’ve spent a day or two shadowing a dentist in his/her office, chances are good that it appeared as great as the US News article makes it seem.  It’s pretty hard to find a dentist to shadow that hates their job, and even if they did, would they tell you?  Continue reading →

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Escaping the Cult of Dentistry Part 2

Posted on December 20, 2012 by

In my last post I broached the oh-so-controversial topic of whether dentistry is like a cult or not, and luckily for me I didn’t even piss off any of those dentistry-loving dentists out there.  I was happy to see that it prompted some really good discussions from some of my fab readers.  I deliberately left my analogy open for interpretation because I was curious to see how you perceived that idea.  Just in case you didn’t really know what I meant by it, here you go: Continue reading →

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