Is it wrong to be abundant AND spiritual?
I was speaking to a client last week who said that she would love to give up her part-time job and focus fully on her healing practice. But, she didn’t think her healing practice would ever support her financially. When I asked her why, she shared that deep down, she felt that making a profit from the healing practice somehow tainted it… that she felt she could keep her practice pure if she received financial security from something else.
Why do we, as spiritually conscious business owners feel that it is somehow wrong to be abundant and remain spiritually centered? Why is money so wrong for us?
In this case, my client had been exposed to all sorts of horrid images. I mean, who wants to think of their practice as a “business” and be put into the same category as Enron, and all the other dishonest no-gooders that operate “businesses?”
And, who wants to think about “marketing” their business? We definitely don’t want to be out there being aggressive and doing all of those awful tactics just to get people to spend money with us.
For us, it’s not about the money. Money is nice - but it’s not our motivator. We, as spiritually conscious business owners, are motivated by something much deeper - being in service.
So, the question is - can we be abundant and be in service? Yes!
When you are in service, you are providing real value to someone. And I’m sure, in your practice, you’ve seen your clients go through big healings - you’ve seen the difference your services or products have made for them.
That difference is definitely worth an energy exchange. And that’s what money is. It’s an energy exchange.
When you are in service, you must receive - you can’t just give and give and give - you’ll deplete yourself. And if you deplete yourself, you’re no good to anyone… you may get sick, and you can’t be in the office for a few days… if you’re not financially secure, you worry and stress over your financial situation obsessively - and you can’t focus on your clients, let alone anything else.
You can have abundance through your spiritually-based business. Take the focus off of the actual money, and focus on the value you are providing to your clients. The money is the energetic exchange for that value.
How do you see money and abundance fitting into your business?
January 14th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Maybe this perspective would help? Do people how have problems with this mindset find a bartering system more comfortable? Would they happily exchange a massage with their friend for some babysitting? Money just facilitates a barter system. When things go wrong, it’s never about the money but about greed. So if you work at keeping your greed in check then the money will never be an issue. Ask a fair price for your services and people will be happy to pay you.
January 17th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
That’s right Katherine, and I think focusing on that value that you provide to others is also a key. When you’re thinking about truly what the other person needs, greed doesn’t even come into play because you’re not thinking about you… you’re thinking about them.
January 20th, 2008 at 4:33 am
This is a very valuable blog entry.
I come across this issue all the time with my students - at all levels.
Personally I hold an MBA from a leading US business school, and so I see ‘business’ as the “common sense surrounding someone’s contribution in life” - no more, no less.
One book I recommend to non-businessy healing professionals in my teaching workshops is: Attracting Perfect Customers. The book manages to convey ‘niche marketing’ concepts using holistic and healing language and methods that are pretty blissful as they are grounding.
Consider!
Astrid
http://www.therapeuticreiki.com
January 21st, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Astrid! I love your definition of business.
Thanks for the book - I’ll definitely check it out.
I just led a Mindful Marketing workshop this weekend and we talked about this idea of having a spiritually conscious business operating in a system that does not honor our core beliefs.
For example, so many examples of marketing are aggressive, dis-honest, and hype-ridden. We don’t want to put ourselves in the same category as any of that.
Really - marketing is about building relationships. It’s been distorted over time, I feel, because so many business owners come from a place of lack and fear… you know - the marketing messages you see that talk about how wonderful a product is and you simply must have it or you’ll just curl up in a ball and never be seen again.
When we come from a loving place - a place of fullness - we can create marketing messages that help us build and maintain relationships… rather than trying to pull as many people as possible to our business.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:24 pm
Jenn ~~ As a licensed clinical social worker and coach, I continue to struggle with this myself. I don’t have issues with other people being abundant and spiritual @ the same time. I have not been able to cancel the statements made from my childhood on, e.g. Rich people are greedy, but poor people are spiritual. It was implied that there was a trade off. So do you want to be rich or spiritual? Even this year my mother made a comment about “filthy lucre” in regards to something I was considering.
I will check into Astrid’s resource. I’ll also be on the lookout for any other comments germane to this topic.
For our best and highest good always, in all ways…..
Gini Diane
February 5th, 2008 at 5:30 am
Thank you
I haven’t done much professionally with my skills and talents. I’ve occasionally sold some of my herbal remedies, and a few other things. I don’t charge for my Reiki sessions (yet), because it’s often in exchange for something else, even if it’s only more experience and knowledge.
However, I’ve been thinking more and more lately about taking this to the next level and setting up a Reiki and natural healing business. I work extremely well with animals, and am thinking this will be the path I follow. I’m also considering working with others to overcome addictions. I don’t see either of these advertised locally, so perhaps it’s a niche I need to help fill.
I don’t see any problem with charging money (or bartering) for my services. I’ve always understood the idea of an energy exchange, and I see money as a distillation of somebody’s energy, provided it’s honestly earned.
Besides, if you aren’t able to house yourself, and feed your body and mind, then what good will you be to your clients?
February 5th, 2008 at 12:39 pm
Ariel - beautifully said. I take that same stance… we must fill up before we can give to anyone else. It’s like the example they give on air planes - put on your own oxygen mask first before trying to help someone else.
Same is true in life. If you are not financially secure, it can be really stressful, frustrating, and draining. When you are operating from that place (a place of lack), it’s really hard to give to others or be in service to them.
Gini Diane - I see so many people with those old thought patterns coming through.
At it’s core - money is energy. And, just like everything else, it can be used for bad, and it can be used for good.
February 15th, 2008 at 1:40 pm
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