UpClose & Personal - Arlene Alpert

“Successful is the person who has lived well, laughed often and loved much, who has gained the respect of children, who leaves the world better than they found it, who has never lacked appreciation for the earth's beauty, who never fails to look for the best in others or give the best of themselves.”
Unknown

Some people are living a dichotomy—one part of striving for money, the other for peace. Many have not found a way to have both. As we look at our present situation and seek to see the future, some struggle to release themselves from the former, while not knowing, at all, how to achieve a serene lifestyle.

While they may come to you as a massage therapist for some relief, they may still think that in order to have a modicum of tranquility they would have to give up the quest for financial gain.

If they have lost the meaning of what money can bring and are unwittingly moving to a drummer that is not their music—sort of like a Pied Piper who has cast a spell that they feel compelled to follow, how can you as a body worker help them to find their center again, especially when to some of these people money represents great power, influence, status and boundless security? However, the result, for some, is a lack of meaning and high stress. Violence, crime, depression, heart problems, anxiety, apathy and other debilitating social, mental and physical and spiritual disturbances are also consequences.

If you are one of these people, I am not advocating a life of self-deprivation. I believe we can have both financial security and peace of mind. We just need to think about keeping a balance. Let us create a synergy between doing what we feel is our calling and our desire to make money. This synergy is more than the concept that was prevalent a few years ago that of doing what you love and the money will follow. I, for one, do not want to live with the inner manipulation that if I follow my passion, then I will have all the money I want.

In giving pleasure precedence, I have peace. In this self-possessed state of mind I have access to my creative, intuitive and analytical powers. With all this unlimited potential for handling challenges, for marketing my business, who knows how much money I can acquire, if I so choose.

I know some professionals who lean to one side or the other they are either so engrossed in the pleasure of their profession in terms of their healing hands and touch, that they are concerned about getting too involved in promoting themselves and their business for fear that their clients will perceive them as not caring or worse that they will lose their passion for helping and healing.

Nevertheless, I still believe the words of Napoleon Hill, “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” To me that translates into whatever I put my drive into the most I can accomplish. In other words I can have my cake and eat it too.

The words I find even more inspirational—that you certainly may be familiar with—come from the poet, Goethe who was born in the middle of the 18th century: He said:

The moment one definitely commits oneself, providence moves too.
All sorts of things occur to help one that would never otherwise have
occurred. A whole stream of events issue from the decision, raising
in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents and meetings
and material assistance which no man [or woman—my words]
could have dreamed would have come his [or her] way. Whatever
you can do or dream, you can begin it. Boldness has genius, power,
and magic in it. Begin it now.

So I say: Pleasure has creativity, intuition and wisdom in it. Begin moving toward pleasure AND profit now.

Please call or write the editor with specific questions and I will address them in another article.

Email Arlene Alpert