W01.03 Why Does Making Money Have Such A Complicated Image?

Paul Lemberg is the new consultant for BodyChance, and me personally. He is a hugely energetic person, bubbling with intelligence, experience and sage advice. Spending a lot of time with him can be exhausting for a person that doesn’t match his speed.

Last year we spent a week together - by the end of that time, I started to understand how people felt about me. I had often heard the complaint - starting with my Mum: she admitted she got tired being around me too long. I felt hurt, but after being with Paul for a week I realized “Oh, that’s what Mum meant!” Paul is a brilliant guy, and I highly recommend him as a business consultant, but strap yourself in for the ride when he comes! Both Paul and have no trouble being motivated.

It’s not energy I seek, it’s focus. In my case, for 32 years I was driving this car called Alexander Technique all over the countryside, looking for a road to follow, wondering what destination to head for…

Ironically, when I decided upon the destination “make more money” BodyChance evoled into becoming the best it has ever been. Amazing how what first appears as a selfish focus, actually does wonders in improving your service.

How clear are you about this? How clear are you in knowing that the only way you can continue to offer Alexander Technique to others is to make money from it? This needs to be a primary or secondary motivation driving your success - that is how I achieved focus, and I never looked back.

Of course just “making money” by itself gets dirty if there isn’t a parallel motivation to offer something of value to others: a wish to better the world. People who lack that second motivation end up using other people in an ugly way. Money itself was never the problem - it was always what motivated people to get that money. That is why it is so important that there is another motivation aside from just making money.

In my case, Alexander's discoveries created a strong primary motivation for me, and I think you are the same. That is not our problem! My guess is that you are lacking a clear motivation to make money. That somehow it feels dirty, immoral or impolite to express it so abruptly…

In some industries, they like to pretend that making money is not important - Alexander Technique is one of those. Well, the simple truth I discovered is that when I focused on BodyChance making more money, BodyChance started helping more people. And that fills me with great satisfaction. I like the fact that BodyChance is now the largest college of Alexander Technique Teacher Education in a century of history - and very solid too. If I fell under a bus tomorrow, BodyChance wouldn’t miss a beat. I also love that my kids are overseas on holidays with me, because I can afford to do that. Both feed me, both are necessary.

If you feel caught in a hamster wheel - running and working and getting no where fast - then my guess is that you do not have making money as a clear focus in your work? So you keep making the wrong decisions, decisions that keep costing you money that you can ill afford to be giving up.

To solve this one means undoing something else - after your primary motivation of sharing Alexander's discoveries with others, you have a second priority that does not involve financial success. It is most likely so obvious that it is hidden to you. Do you know what that is? Ask your friends - they will tell you. Most likely it is in the area of wanting to be liked, wanting to have fun, be creative or wanting security. Something like that. A simple way to investigate on your own is to put “making money teaching Alexander Technique” as your first or second priority, then start noticing the thoughts that distract you from following that…

To make a difference in this world you need influence, and money is one tool that empowers influence. If you want to engage society by demonstrating the veracity of Alexander's discoveries, you can show it by making money. Money talks - it tells people that you have something of value. It also gives you economic muscle in the marketplace, something I am finally, after 13 years, coming to appreciate and enjoy with BodyChance

TOMORROW: 9 Ways to Distract Your Self, Verses 1 Way to Propel Your Self.

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