Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Two Things Remembered on the Raquetball Court

A quickie for you today, two lessons I remembered on the raquetball court today.

One - as my buddy/playing-partner asked "did you lose weight?" I automatically replied "I can't lose weight." I caught it quickly. I can't? Really? Great self-talk there. Thought and belief definitely manifesting into existence around my midline. 

The truth is I have not been losing weight. I haven't. I didn't. And you know what, maybe I won't. Maybe I haven't really tried very hard. But can't????? That's baloney.

If you are self-talking about your private practice this way, STOP! If you say "I can't have 20 clients a week by the end of April" - STOP! It's NOT TRUE!

I mean, maybe you won't have 20 clients then. Perhaps you don't want 20 clients. Heck, maybe you shouldn't have 20 clients then, but I will not sit with you and believe you can't. It's baloney. 

Two - I made some great plays today. I stretched for things I wasn't sure I could get. It reminded me of a lesson I learned playing tennis in college (for the Pace University Setters - yes, Pace Setters, ha ha ha). I learned to train my mind to keep my body moving for a ball, even when I thought it was out of my reach.

By doing this, it was amazing how many shots I got to, and how much more success I had. I definitely got to balls I never would have predicted I could get to. It was also very energizing and esteem-building when I reached them. 

The lesson is you likely underestimate what you are capable of. You can probably go farther than you think. And for most things, even if you don't make it, it won't be fatal (exception including open-ocean swimming, and hiking through snow - though usually not counseling). So keep reaching, keep reaching, keep going.

All the best, Your Grateful Guy


Sunday, March 29, 2009

When You Can't Hold the Vision of What You Want, Intend for What You Need

Hi folks,

Your Grateful Blogger hasn't really been all that grateful lately. I realize that because I've been getting feedback from the universe that has been ungrateful and anxious (that's the energy I've been getting back at me from more people than I care to number). Usually, this is not how it works for me. But I've felt pretty sapped with the baby. As my time and energy have been more divided, my spiritual practice has gotten lax.

A veteran father told me to just ask for, accept, pray for (and be prayed for) Energy. I think that is smart, so I put in a prayer request today at my spiritual center.

It reminded me that sometimes we aren't feeling strong enough, or faithful enough, or ready enough to envision or manifest that big thing we want (The Full Practice! The New Business! The Great Relationship!) and sometimes that means starting by intending, asking for, focusing on the first step towards that vision - the thing we NEED right now.

For me it is Energy. I think I need Energy so I can actually get back on track on the intentions side of things. (I also requested Time, as they seem quite linked for me right now).

For others, it might be Creativity (the ideas for the article/for the business) - or Wisdom (of what to do *right now*) - or Peace (to center myself in Spirit instead of worrying about the storm outside) - or Love (to feel Loved right now, so you don't feel desperate for it in someone else).

So if you don't feel like you can aim big right now, aim for whatever it is you need to aim big :-)

Happy Sunday everyone. So happy to see the sun staying longer in the sky.

Best, Your Grateful Guy

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

So, About That Recession...

So, fellow Spirits, fellow therapists, fellow businessmen and women, fellow Americans (how Presidential it feels to type that) - I want you to know I live in the real world with you. I can see and hear the news. The overall economy is having problems. The average therapist's business is down. But one thing I know is that overall numbers and averages are made up of individual cases, each of these varying WIDELY. You are an individual case.

We could ponder what the overall decline in counseling sessions will be in 2009 vs. 2008.  10%? 20%? More? We could imagine we will experience that same decline, or worse. But I tell you with full faith there will be people who have less of a drop in business than the average. There will be people who will have no drop in business. And there will be people who will actually build their business during this time.

You can believe in the Law of Averages, and it will deliver for you accordingly. Or you can focus on faith, delivering value, communicating value, helping people, gratitude, and finding creative ways to do all of it. We call it the Law of Grace. I'll pick the latter, thank you.

I was going to tackle the issues of fees in a separate post, but why not just do it here - as it seems relevant. Someone asked me my opinion about lowering fees in this economy. I said I thought it depended on the intention behind it. My opinion is that helping people is what we do. And if you want to offer lower-fee or pro-bono services for people who are out-of-work, or underemployed, or in foreclosure, so that they receive the help they need - I think it's a good thing. Fill the more fallow daytime slots with these clients. Run groups. Offer your help and your value to the people around you. Keep the faith that times will get better overall. Do it from an attitude of service, and compassion, and growth, and the future, and Abundance. Know that your referral engine will be running strong when your client's personal economies bounce back.

So yes, I think you truly can offer lower-fee services from an attitude of Abundance. Or, you may not feel moved to do so. That's OK too.

This is my two cents. Opinions may vary. I certainly wish you all the best in your individual journey.

Sincerely, from late-night babyland, your always Grateful Guy



Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Coming Back & Finding Strength

Hi folks,

It has been a while. The life of parenting a newborn is as all-encompassing as they say, and as tiring. That it is also happening while the overall economy is in turmoil, and the country's consciousness about what could happen is so shaky, well, that's an added stressor. Because a lack of sleep definitely impacts my psyche, and the lack of time has definitely impacted my spiritual practices.

But I can happily reporting that things are slowly returning to a new normal as my son gets over the 3-month-old mark and starts to sleep more at night - a new homeostasis.

And I had a month or two where I let all the worries and fears, especially about scarcity and separation (that there isn't enough, and that you and I and Spirit and I are disconnected) get to me a bit. Not good times. And when it got bad enough, I reached out to friends to help. And they reminded me of all the good, and they reminded me to turn into what I already knew. And holy moly, has that made the difference.

So, I guess the moral of the story for this post is that when you get scared, get worried, lose faith, or lose your way - turn to a friend. Turn to someone who can remind you of the good. Who will dust you off, and turn you around. I know you have them, I just do. And I bet you've done it for friends and colleagues in your life.

Finally, I have two posts I am working on - one about lowering fees during this time, and the other about scarcity and separation and fear (versus Abundance, Unity, and Faith). But those are for another night.

Until then, I wish you the best. Keep doing all the good you do - it is needed now more than ever.

Best, Your Grateful Guy

PS - and sleep is always the best thing to check when anyone's head is messed up. I was gifted with a full night's sleep on Sunday and I was a new man the next day.