A little perspective helps

Yesterday morning I dusted and vacuumed my office for the first half hour of the day because everything was covered in ash. All of Portland is covered in ash because of hard-burning wildfires in the Columbia River Gorge.

This is heartbreaking to me. (And we’re not the only place on fire.) On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is Harvey in the Southern US and the world-wide refugee crisis and increasing instability all over the world.

And in the midst of it all, here I’ve been, too scared to submit the NCBTMB application for the OWN Your Practice program in case they turn me down.

Now, these environmental and human crises might seem unconnected to my business, but really they’re not. (And not just because money from my business goes to help in some small way. Click here if you are curious about helping out.) When we run a business, we come up against our own inner fears over and over again. Everyone has something a little different that gets in their way from time to time, and that’s as it should be. Growing a practice is about growth, and growth is about working through the hard spots.

And it is so helpful to be forced (and let’s face it, we generally don’t do it unless forced) to look up from our work, see the world around us, and get some good old fashioned perspective on these “big,” “scary,” “looming,” things happening in our businesses.

Perspective, when we can get it, is essential to getting through the tough spots and blocks.

So, if NCBTMB does not approve my application, will I be forced from my house to watch it destroyed in a flood or fire? No. I also won’t be forced to find a new home in another country where I don’t even speak the language.

And now that the consequences of “failure” are in perspective for me, I’m (thankfully) free to submit that application and watch it crash and burn (doubtful) if that’s what happens, knowing that the consequences will be extremely manageable even in the worst-case scenario.

So if you’re struggling to get the courage to reach out to potential referral partners, follow up with a (possibly) prickly client, or get your prices where you want them to be . . . see if a little perspective-taking helps.

Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s always worth a try.

*If you can donate a few bucks to relief efforts, here are a few ideas.

Author Profile

Isabel Spradlin: Isabel Spradlin has owned her full-time practice since 2007. She has a deep drive to help other massage therapists and bodyworkers to create thriving businesses for themselves. For comprehensive programs to help you do just that, see the 'Programs' tab in the menu.