Yes, you deserve the money!

So many people in the healing profession have a block surrounding receiving payment, or even asking for it! The world is littered with powerful healers who have been unable to continue with their work because they haven’t been able to remain financially viable. What a shame.

On the flip-side, there are those who use the argument, “If you were a real healer you wouldn’t ask for payment for your work. It wouldn’t be about money.” (aka… you should give me healing work for free.) Also a shame.

I see a deeper pattern with both perspectives.

First is the inability for a healer to reconcile with the ability to receive. A person with a strong need to give, give, give, without the ability to truly receive will likely run out of gas before they’ve even gotten started. The receiving part goes much deeper than taking payment for their gifts. This pattern generally results in an inability to receive thanks, compliments, criticism, or gifts of any kind without turning away, shutting down, or deflecting. It’s uncomfortable!

Secondly, those who argue that healing work should be free are probably receiving a paycheck for whatever it is that they do for a living, right? The tendency to tell others they should give away their sacred work because it’s not spiritual to do otherwise isn’t in the least bit balanced. I’ll never forget when I worked for veterinary poison control, a fee-based service like any other form of veterinary medicine. On one particular phone call a man screamed at me like he wanted to kill me! His argument was that I obviously hated animals if I was going to charge for this consultation.  Emergency work for animals should be free. Of course, our tax dollars don’t fund veterinary toxicology, so if there was no fee-based service, there’d be no service, period. You can’t reason with this kind of mentality though. There are those who believe that everything should be free.

Receiving a paycheck for our living, no matter how altruistic or spiritual the work, is an exchange of energy that fuels our ability to serve and heal. It is required in our society, and money happens to be the primary currency. There are those who don’t need to charge for their services, but if you’re not one of them, ditch the guilt. You are fabulous at what you do- like your banker, or your lawyer, or your house-painter, or your dog groomer- and you deserve to receive as much as anyone else.

If you have a block to receiving, I invite you to begin a journey inward to discover the roots. Wouldn’t it feel amazing to be freed from such limiting beliefs?

Marianne Williamson recently published a great little book called, The Law of Divine Compensation. I highly recommend it. She includes little prayers within each chapter. This one struck me as particularly powerful for so many I work with:

“Dear God–  May this business idea be of service to the greater good of all. If it is not the best use of my talents, please cast it from my mind. If it is the best use of my talents, please pave the way for its success. Guide all my thinking and actions. May this business be a blessing on everyone who works here and everyone it serves. May it both bring and attract prosperity and love. ~ Amen”

(The image above is a tiny rock given to me by a hummingbird last summer. He hit my window and I sat with him in my hand for 15 minutes, warming him, while he recovered. He came to, and stayed with me for some time, seeming to enjoy the moment. When he finally flew away, he left a tiny stone in my palm that had been clutched in his talons. Precious! So I guess I should clarify. If you’re a hummingbird looking for my services, tiny rocks are accepted. 😉