The Why of
And of course , I also want to thank the many sponsors . We had 101 sponsors donate over $ 250,000 to our mission . Please go to mom-n-pa . com to see the full list of sponsors . We would like to give a special thanks to United Concordia Dental , Highmark Foundation , Dentsply Sirona , Delta Dental and the Pennsylvania Dental Foundation .
In his popular book , “ Start with Why ,” Simon Sinek argues that the most successful organizations are those that are able to clearly articulate their “ why .” I believe that our “ why ” can be illustrated by the “ Starfish Story ” by Loren Eiseley :
Once upon a time , there was a wise man who was walking along the shore . He looked down the beach and saw a young man reaching down and picking up small objects , and throwing them into the ocean . He came closer still and called out “ Good morning ! May I ask what it is that you are doing ?” The young man paused , looked up and replied , “ Throwing starfish into the ocean .” “ I must ask , then , why are you throwing starfish into the ocean ?” asked the somewhat startled wise man . To this , the young man replied , “ The sun is up and the tide is going out . If I don ’ t throw them in , they ’ ll die .” Upon hearing this , the wise man commented , “ But , young man , do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile ? You can ’ t possibly make a difference !” At this , the young man bent down , picked up yet another starfish , and threw it into the ocean . As it met the water , he said , “ It made a difference for that one .”
And that my friend is the “ Why ” of MOM-n-PA . Because deep down we all know that what really matters in life is helping others win , even if it means slowing down and changing our course !
26 JULY / AUGUST 2023 | PENNSYLVANIA DENTAL JOURNAL