Be nice until it's it time to no longer be nice....

Be nice. If somebody gets in your face and calls you a cocksucker I want you to be nice. Ask him to walk, be nice, if he won’t walk, walk him but be nice. If you can’t walk him, one of the others will help you and you will both be nice….I want you to remember, that it’s the job, it’s nothing personal. I want you to be nice…until it’s time to not be nice. – Patrick Swayze as Dalton from Road House


I loved this movie. I loved Patrick Swayze – I loved Dalton.

I loved this movie so much I named my son Dalton.

I loved his philosophy and I have never forgotten the words above. Be nice until it is time to no longer be nice. This is the mantra we repeat in our office everyday however because we are not ‘coolers’ and we cannot throw kids out of the dental office I must add something to the end ….be nice until it’s time to no longer be nice – but then still be professional.

It has always amazed me that people think they can get 'what they want' by being nasty. I have never given someone what they wanted when they acted like a brat.

I think the greatest trait any person can possess is charisma.

Personal charm and magnetism –the ability to attract, inspire, and influence people.

How do you get it? No one really knows but if you are going to lead people or convince people to give you what you want you better figure it out...

I have been told I have charisma. My dental school professors told me I had it when I convinced them to let me stay in dental school while pregnant. My lenders told me I had it when I persuaded them to loan me money. The parents in my office tell me I have it when they entrust the most precious thing they love to my care. My staff tells me I have it when I inspire them to continue working with me when the kids scream, fight, vomit, spit and cuss.

Based on this I would define charisma as a belief. A belief that is so strong it comes through every fiber of your being. You speak it, strut it and live it. When you have something you believe so strongly in you will have charisma.


In college I took a speech class. I needed an A in the class to compete with the other students applying to dental school. We had to research and report on different topics each week and try to convince the audience to see our point of view. Problem was the teacher assigned the topics and sometimes we did not agree with the content.

Among the topics assigned were the legalization of marijuana and nitrous systems in automobiles.  I had no problem persuading the audience to agree with me when I explained why I believed medical marijuana should be legalized (I had a terminally ill parent) however I had a hard time convincing anyone that new cars should be equipped with nitrous systems as part of their standard package. I tried my best to pretend that I gave a crap about the nitrous because I HAD to get an A in the class and the only way to do that was to convince the audience to support me.  

I truly believed marijuana would give comfort to my mother and I was upset that the pain pills they gave made her so nauseated therefore I won sweeping support of the class.  However since I did not participate in drag racing on the weekends, cars equipped with nitrous off the lot did not really appeal to me. The guys in the class agreed with the NOS systems – but not because of anything I said.  I failed in my attempt to gain majority support of the nitrous system....

If you want people to follow, to be successful and to have your own way you must have charisma. To have charisma you must believe.