I just received my holiday card from one of my favorite Chicago patients. Five years later and I still receive cards from my former patients — albeit in March. But I look forward to hers especially, because it’s not just a card. It’s a long, beautiful letter.
Her letters always send me down a rabbit hole, as one does. Her eldest is 29, then 27, and one still in college. I miss them all and can’t believe how grown they are. Then I can’t believe I’m 50.
This letter was about authenticity. And for someone who runs a social media based organization — I can tell you a whole lot about that.
To be authentic is to be truthful, vulnerable, pure, open. But social media can be deceiving at best. Experts will tell you that you’ll perform better if you just “show up authentically.” Share your life openly. Be real. But are we truly being authentic — or are we carefully choosing when to be authentic? Because there’s a word for that paradox: toxic positivity. Yes, it’s a thing.
So I ask myself — am I truly genuine, or am I only showing the world the moments that look good?
Because it is scary to show the rawness of daily living. When we doom scroll — as my kids call it — we can’t help but compare. We see the smiles at Disney. The gold medals at tournaments. We don’t see the barf bag on the plane. The tantrums before the trophy. The trauma behind the win. We only see the glory.
Same for us as dentists. We watch successful colleagues from behind our screens — busy offices, perfect teams, thriving practices. But we never see the tears, the toxic environments, the negative reviews. We hide.
But here’s the question that stopped me: are we hiding from each other — or are we hiding from ourselves?
When I look at my kids, I see people who are still brave enough to just be themselves. Pure. Honest. Unfiltered. And it makes me want to show up that way too — most of the time.
So this March, I’m going to try. I hope you will too.
There is real beauty in just being you.
And remember — honey isn’t made overnight. Neither is the life worth showing.
With love,
Dr. Grace Yum
Founder, Mommy Dentists in Business
