One of the biggest hurdles I see people get stuck in is not realizing they have a choice for every circumstance presented to them. Much like Ace's $2 bill story, we are fortunate to live in a country where we have unprecedented freedom to make these choices. In each circumstance, we need to remind ourselves that we have two choices: change it if we can, or accept the unacceptable if we cannot, and be at peace with it.

Attitude is so important. Every day, I consciously ask myself what my attitude is going to be. I always choose to make it my best day.

Money may not always buy happiness. However, financial stability, financial freedom, does expand our choices to live more comfortably, with less stress, and with abundant opportunities we may not otherwise have been able to enjoy.

Through Ace's encouragement, I became debt-free thirteen years ago. As I reflect, I can see how that initial step affected my day-to-day life. In retrospect, it really was a turning point for me. The concern of making payments to virtually anything was no longer a burden, and it allowed me to expand my choices. It offered me the option of designing and creating my life schedule to enjoy life more fully. I could choose to work less, travel more, meet overhead, care for my team, spend more quality time with family, connect with friends that were meaningful, and be more adventurous.

Becoming debt-free took intention, and I was obsessed with achieving that freedom once I focused on a plan. Two of Dave Ramsey's quotes resonated with me: “debt is a slave to the lender,” and “live like no one else today, so you can live like no one else tomorrow.”

Upon being debt-free, I found that life's harder moments were much easier to process and walk through. I've also been able to make wiser financial decisions, purchasing and investing with cash rather than sharing that decision with a bank.

I see money as important. However, I value experiences as even more important. With the abundance endodontics can provide, we have the opportunity to choose our experiences without conflict or burden. This is one key to living life fully, and with choice.

Kendrick, a mentor of mine, once told me, “life is too important to make it important.”

Connections are important. I have a handful of friends who live throughout the U.S. and Canada who are like-minded, share these values, and are a joy to be together with. They are not critical, not negative, and are supportive, uplifting, and fun to be around. I treasure maintaining and nurturing those relationships, and I have an intention to keep them strong by staying in touch, and meeting, traveling, or sharing experiences annually when possible. This adds meaning to my life.

Another area of my life that's important is simplicity. Some may call this minimalism. Removing the physical and emotional clutter of life frees me up to live more spontaneously and fully. I keep my homes and belongings simple and defined, with only the things that matter to me. A maintained, simple house without clutter, and a tidy garage, are important to me. I don't ever need to worry about spending a weekend cleaning or organizing the house or garage. Instead, I can spend my weekend enjoying the things I really prefer to do.

Kendrick often said life is about preferences: ask yourself what you prefer to do. He also said, “if it doesn't add meaning to your life, throw it out,” whether that's material, conceptual, or personal.

If you'd like help building a plan to get there, a discovery call is a good first step. No obligation. No pressure. We promise.


Dr. Brian Hornberger Bio:
Dr. Brian Hornberger is one of Endo Mastery's longest-tenured clients. He owns East County Endodontics in Brentwood, California, and has been coaching with us since 2014.

His connection to Endo Mastery started even earlier. For years before formal coaching, he and his team attended Dr. Goerig's seminars once or twice a year and put what they learned to work, growing the practice from 4 cases a day to 8. He enrolled in coaching to build on that momentum. With a referral tracking system, a new scheduling template, and a trained clinical team in place, the practice went on to reach 10 to 12 cases a day, with collections up 55 percent over his pre-coaching baseline.

In 2022, his Antioch office burned down. He relocated temporarily, kept his team together, and rebuilt in Brentwood, where the practice returned to full production and has kept growing. Today he is an active Mastery Circle member, and this past June marked twelve years of coaching with Endo Mastery.