One of my biggest lessons this summer has been to realise what really motivates me, and I can tell you, it is simply not money. My business coach was floored when I said I couldn’t work with a money target in mind. What else, then, was there to aim for?
So as you probably know if you’ve seen my latest video blog , I set about asking myself ‘why’: if not for money then why was I doing all this? I got my answer which I explain below, but it didn’t fit neatly into all those sound bites that you hear on the internet, “a mouse click away from $1000”, or “simple changes to your site can double your income” – and one comment in particular that resonated in my head over and over came from one of these books on ‘getting rich quick’ that I’d tried to wade through earlier in the year. I read that those people who say that they’re not motivated by money are people who haven’t got any to shout about! Well, they’re right there! And for a while, I let a fear nestle inside me that this particular commentator had ‘seen straight through me’. Was I just making excuses to myself?
What really motivates most therapists?
It’s an interesting thought that in the therapy industry in particular, money is generally not a huge motivator to working. Of course, we all want to earn a living, and in particular, not have to worry about whether we’ll have clients next month or not, but money generally speaking, is a welcome and if not even, an essential by-product of our expertise but not our primary motivator.
According to Daniel Pink, author of ‘Drive’, the trend of current investigations into what motivates people to work, demonstrates that people in our industry, in particular, are more likely to have an intrinsic motivation to wanting to work that is based upon our personal values and ethics, our sense of mission, and our desire to live out our life’s purpose.
Valuing our own journey
Which is where my own realisation has been leading me. Through all the courses and all my activities to educate and support my fellow therapists over the years, I’d struggled inherently with my own self worth and, at times, how that equated with money. The fact that when students arrived and had a phenomenal learning experience and then went on to demand more from me never seemed to really translate into my own inner peace with what I was teaching. I really have felt in so many ways, that everything I have taught has been taught before, (was therefore not original or ‘valuable’) and, unless I made it extra special, I was in danger of just regurgitating other people’s ‘stuff’. This deeper fear has caused me to put my heart and soul into my work to make sure that students and colleagues get a first class training, supervision or learning experience. And the majority have given absolutely amazing feedback. And yet, really coming out and teaching my own personal lessons in life has been a huge block: How could my experiences and my personal processes be valuable? And yet, it was largely only the element of personal experiences, perspective and processes that I shared through my courses that made the lessons valuable. It was a paradox I was just too close to, to be able to tease apart the essential lesson from.
Becoming authentic needs self acceptance
So where does that lead me now? Though my integrity in my courses and classes is evident regardless of its content, I saw this summer, that I’ve even more to teach that I didn’t realise. It HAS all been taught by other people before. That is almost an inescapable truth. But now I feel I’m sharing my deeper experience of transformation and growth that, to some of you, will be absolutely vital to where you are now on your journey to becoming authentic. As it’s my personal growth experience I want to share, I’ve decided to accept exactly where I am and how I got here, precisely so that I can share the milestones in my journey with you. In sharing my journey, in allowing you to see my vulnerability, I’m realising what is of real worth and value is our common humanity and how we can support each other to more and more awakening and authenticity, not just for our clients, though that’s an important and significant by-product, but because we must walk our talk and learn too to find the self acceptance, peace of mind and a sense of belonging that we encourage our clients to live. And I would love to be part of the next stage in your journey.
Please join me on 28th September or 2ndNovember for one of my Discovery Days fortherapists, counsellors, hypnotherapists, psychologists and psychiatrists ondeveloping your authenticity as a therapist and we will explore our own hearts, minds and souls. Most of what you learn you will be able to translate to your client/patient work so bring your sense of adventure with you and your Open Mind so you can absorb as much as possible from the day to pass on. I have some exercises I have quietly developed as an adjunct to my Buddhist practice that I realise I use all the time to get me past my blocks, and I’ve been using them big time this summer. I’ll also share with you how this very process can turn around even physical issues as it did with me last autumn. I’ll also be sharing the wise words of some extremely enlightened authors whose insightful books promote and encourage healing at much deeper levels.
If you’re a Soul Member, this course is included in your subscription. In other words, you pay nothing extra for the course. You decide if you want to learn, assist or even co present. I’m happy to discuss that with you.
If you’re one of the first few to subscribe, then you may be in time to get one of the 4 places for only £37. The rest to 12 are at £57. Heart and Soul members can sign up for £37. Just email me and let me know.
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