Freedom
Massage Therapists often choose a career in massage thinking that it will allow them the freedom to come and go as they please and find jobs wherever they go. It was one of the things that drew me to the profession. I didn't want to be working for someone else while they sailed around the world in their hand crafted sail boat. I didn't want to have to answer to anyone again.
You will often find that finding freedom often has two sides to it. Freedom to me is having the money I need to do what I want, when I want and that includes working. Nothing could be farther from the truth. While you may be able to choose your own schedule, the freedom a massage therapy career allows is often misleading. I really think it is part of the "caretakers syndrome" or what I am calling "The Code of the Caretaker". If you go on to start your own business, it will take more effort than working at any job you may have had in the past or even imagined in the future. You have to set up the office, find the clients, pay the taxes (more for self-employment tax), and keep the clients coming back...oh and did I mention find the clients? In some ways a career in massage often finds people who just think that the clients will just show up and your business will flourish.We find it difficult to market ourselves because of low self-esteem or beliefs about our own value. We find it difficult to charge what we need to make a decent living for our services. To be successful and find freedom in a massage therapy career is more about becoming free from the false beliefs that hold you back and keep you stuck - keeps you from getting what you need and want or asking for what you need and want.Finding freedom lies in uncovering your authentic self and being able to be present with clients throughout their process rather than always trying to fix them because we think we know better. While a career in massage may lead you to finding your true self and freedom, it does not necessarily the way to find freedom right from the start. Freedom also requires that you are able to make enough money to be able to do what you want at any time. Massage therapy careers are often a struggle but it is really because we make them that way and even the schools teach the same idea. Many start thinking that they have to live more simply and while there is nothing wrong with living that way, it is also reflecting deeper beliefs about yourself. The issues of money and making money are one that also come often in the massage profession. www.massagepracticebuilder.com
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