Money and spirit can be a delicate balancing act. It can be difficult at any time to reoncile the two. And no time have I seen this more than I have in the last few weeks.
I have always heard - and been told emphatically - do what you love, follow your passion. When you do what you are meant to do, the money will follow. etc... A few weeks ago, I was doing my usual marketing thing, looking into presenting, showing at trade shows, etc. - both to promote my business and to reach close encounter experiencers. I do this to get my message out, bringing my healing work to as many people as possible, while also learning as much as possible about the unexplained realms through which my path travels.
Well, I inquired into working at one particular trade show and learned that another hypnotherapist was already booked to work a booth there. The person there is a dear friend of mine, and in my view, he was a perfect fit for the show. So in my view, great. It's his territory, let him have it. Time to move on. No problem, right? wrong....
A few weeks later, as I was tossing back a brew with him, I suddenly found out it actually wasn't 'no problem' - he was really pissed, but had never told me so. That evening, he suddenly looked at me with a sense of betrayal in his eyes. How could I...? I asked him what his issue was, and he told me that he saw an unwritten rule, peoples' geographic territories are sacrosanct. I told him that, now that I knew he felt that way, I would respect his wishes. Once he was mollified, the evening continued with business networking and social chit-chat. But the exchange left a metaphorical bad taste in my mouth. If he's doing what he loves, then why did he view me as competition. He had long ago told me that he felt there was enough business for everyone, and neither of us were hurting for clients from that segment of society, so what was he concerned about? I have seince let the matter pass, yet for me the quetion remains
Time passed. Good fences make good neighbors. We're still good friends. Then, a few months later, another event, with a totally different person, networking group and economic theatre got me to thinking the same questions once more. This time, in a particular networking organization where the rules are that once in, you have that market niche, somebody on the board of the organization decided that one of my self-hypnosis CD offerings stepped on the toes of someone else's business. While that was certainly not my intent, I can understand how one could conclude this. I agreed and again, good fences make good neighbors.
I wish both of the friends well. What they are doing is great and the last thing I want to do is step on their toes. Still, I was struck by the delicate balance between the world of business, money and economic competion, and the world of spirituality, healing and compassion. I try to live in the latter world. Each of us has our strengths, physically, spiritually and economically and I can live with that. Yet it so often brings us to a reality check where we find ourselves bumping into that wall, experiencing those flint-and-steel sparks as two peoples' paths unexpectedly and unintentionally collide..
Probably, the best advice I've heard is simply to proceed with the best of intentions. Try to do the right thing, for the right reasons. Ultimately, we are physical humans - spiritual beings living in a material realm. While we can be like the lillies of the fiels and trust in God, we still have to travel our paths, actively pursue our passions. These won't come to us while we sit on a log and wait. We have to actively pursue them. God helps people who help themselves. We just need to make sure we stay in integrity. If sparks fly for some reason, we just have to deal with whatever issues have come up.
Combining the spiritual and pragmatic sides is never easy. It's a delicate balancing act, this business of healing and spirit.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Monday, November 26, 2012
Thoughts on a long-neglected journal
This evening, as I was doing some internet research on another topic, I stumbled across Whitley's Journal, the semi-regular writings of Whitley Strieber on www.unknowncountry.com. I used to follow his column regularly - back when I lived in CubeWorld, and was frequently looking for a mental outlet from the world of corporate America. Now, since I am on my, own, a number of regular news columns dropped off the edge of the radar. Whitley's Journal was among them.
Whitley always has some powerful things to say. As I went back and read some of his writings over the last few months, I saw his commentaries on the election, the environmental tipping point, and related current events. To my relief, he did not endorse any candidate for president, or for any other office. Yet one comment he made was telling - and that was to point out one of the most critical decision factors. What will the current president do when push comes to shove in Iran?
He pointed out that confrontation with Persia has in many ways been a defining factor in the development of western civilization - from the Greco-Persian wars, to the wars fought between the Roman and Parthian empires, to the medieval battles between the Eurpoeans and the Muslim powers of the near east, to the travails of today. And now, as the west loses its nuclear monopoly, the conflict will only intensify. How will the president handle it?
As I write this, the election has come and gone. The result is decided - President Obama won re-election. Whether this is good or bad depends upon your point of view. But my own belief is that he will (and must) have a decisive role to play in the coming conflict - most likely for the better. Still, that is a guess. I'm not much of a prophet, so take that guess with a really big grain of salt.
Iran aside, we are at the tipping point in a multitude of other ways, as well. As another article in Whitley's Journal, Superstorm Sandy and the Future, pointed out, the drift toward the coming environmental change has now passed the point of no return. We spent too many years on meaningless debate on the reality of global warming - years when we should have been acting to address the issues. Now it's too late. The best we can do is to prepare for the consequences and try to minimize them as best we can.
To be fair, I've heard a number of commentaries on Whitley Strieber's writings over the years. A number of rationalist friends of mine have used rather non-positive adjectives. Many such objections have been around since the days Communion was first published. They are old, and to me, most don't hold a whole lot of merit. Still, each of us needs to exercise our own discernment. Each of us will believe what we will. But that belief needs to be tempered by the evidence behind what the articles I am describing have to say. We are now at the critical point.
There were several other articles in the backlog that I read this evening, but I thought the ones mentioned above were the most telling. Again, none of us can see the future, but Whitley has been pretty accurate on a number of things, and my guess is that this is probably in that league. Unfortunately, it is not a pleasant set of predictions. They are indeed, some of the darker thoughts in this particular long-neglected journal collection.
Whitley always has some powerful things to say. As I went back and read some of his writings over the last few months, I saw his commentaries on the election, the environmental tipping point, and related current events. To my relief, he did not endorse any candidate for president, or for any other office. Yet one comment he made was telling - and that was to point out one of the most critical decision factors. What will the current president do when push comes to shove in Iran?
He pointed out that confrontation with Persia has in many ways been a defining factor in the development of western civilization - from the Greco-Persian wars, to the wars fought between the Roman and Parthian empires, to the medieval battles between the Eurpoeans and the Muslim powers of the near east, to the travails of today. And now, as the west loses its nuclear monopoly, the conflict will only intensify. How will the president handle it?
As I write this, the election has come and gone. The result is decided - President Obama won re-election. Whether this is good or bad depends upon your point of view. But my own belief is that he will (and must) have a decisive role to play in the coming conflict - most likely for the better. Still, that is a guess. I'm not much of a prophet, so take that guess with a really big grain of salt.
Iran aside, we are at the tipping point in a multitude of other ways, as well. As another article in Whitley's Journal, Superstorm Sandy and the Future, pointed out, the drift toward the coming environmental change has now passed the point of no return. We spent too many years on meaningless debate on the reality of global warming - years when we should have been acting to address the issues. Now it's too late. The best we can do is to prepare for the consequences and try to minimize them as best we can.
To be fair, I've heard a number of commentaries on Whitley Strieber's writings over the years. A number of rationalist friends of mine have used rather non-positive adjectives. Many such objections have been around since the days Communion was first published. They are old, and to me, most don't hold a whole lot of merit. Still, each of us needs to exercise our own discernment. Each of us will believe what we will. But that belief needs to be tempered by the evidence behind what the articles I am describing have to say. We are now at the critical point.
There were several other articles in the backlog that I read this evening, but I thought the ones mentioned above were the most telling. Again, none of us can see the future, but Whitley has been pretty accurate on a number of things, and my guess is that this is probably in that league. Unfortunately, it is not a pleasant set of predictions. They are indeed, some of the darker thoughts in this particular long-neglected journal collection.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Catching up
Thanksgiving weekend. It's been nice to get away from home - and business, since they are pretty much the same thing - and spend some time just reading. It's given me a chance to read several of the books I've bought in the last couple of months, at the Paradigm symposium, on-line, and various forays to the local Barnes & Noble. But mostly, I've been buried in the Kindle app on my laptop.
A couple of days ago, as we were driving to Gwyn's mom's home for the family Thanksgiving celebration, the weather was gorgeous. Warm, sunny, it was a day more like September than late November. Today, that's all changed. As I sit here blogging, I can hear the wind whip around the corners of the house, a chill and lonely sound that makes me enjoy curling up with a book - or a laptop - in a warm room. It was a day to wake up late, a day to catch up.
Some things I have gotten interested in lately have been more on the geeky side. As I've studied reports of close encounters, UFO sightings, etc., I've again found myself wondering about the physics of it all. As I've heard the words 'quantum' and 'nonlocal' bandied about, I've wondered - where does all that come from? Where does the zero point field come from, the unified field, the idea of the holographic universe, etc. etc. etc.? So I decided to find a couple of books that would re-introduce me to the topic (I studied this a fair amount in undergrad - about thirty years ago).
One thing led to another and, before I know it, I pulled out a couple of books on quantum physics. In the process, I discovered I have forgotten a lot in the time since I studied physics in undergrad (the field has also advanced considerably in three decades), so I have had to re-learn a lot of material. As I read through one (inexpensive) book I bought on Kindle - 'Understanding Quantum Physics' - I discovered that I don't. The book was written at the PhD-plus level, and assumes that you thoroughly know the topic already. After only about twenty pages I fell off the mathematical train. So I went back on to the Kindle store and got the earlier book in the series (Introduction to Quantum Physics).
'Introduction to' appears to only assume that you have an advanced undergrad level of mathematical sophistication. But in that, it's a firebath and I found myself recalling a lot of the mathematics I learned in college. I guess I got what I was looking for, an intermediate level primer. And now we'll see just how 'intermediate' it really is. I have a lot of catching up to do.
There is a lot of other catching up to do as well. A lot of MUFON and business stuff still undone. Meanwhile I can hear the wind outside. Work can wait until I get home.
It's a chill November day, a good day to sit inside and curl up with a book. The math only holds my attention for so long. So for now, I'm setting the serious material aside and picking up a novel (yes, reading one, not writing one). I seldom have time for recreational reading, and I had started reading this one several months before, and then set it aside as I got busy with my business stuff. Now, I decided it was time to resume that.
As for the rest of the stuff, it's time to do some serious ignoring. I need to catch up on doing nothing, and I have a lot of work to do.
Monday, November 12, 2012
A new location
The studio location travels continue.
I have now made arrangements to see clients at a new location, north of the cities at:
This is about 1/2 hour north of the cities on I35 (north of where 35E and 35W come together).
I hope to hold classes there in the future on self hypnosis, stress management, past-life and Akashic record exploration, spirituality, meditation, etc.
Check out my ever-improving locations at: www.explore-with-hypnosis.com/location.html as I add additional locations to better serve my hypnotherapy clients.
I have now made arrangements to see clients at a new location, north of the cities at:
Joanie's Metaphysical,
26789 Forest Blvd (US Hwy 61).
Wyoming, MN.
This is about 1/2 hour north of the cities on I35 (north of where 35E and 35W come together).
I hope to hold classes there in the future on self hypnosis, stress management, past-life and Akashic record exploration, spirituality, meditation, etc.
Check out my ever-improving locations at: www.explore-with-hypnosis.com/location.html as I add additional locations to better serve my hypnotherapy clients.
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