Vehicles and Destinations

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It seems replies to blog posts are limited to a certain amount of words, I'll ramble on over here  ;)

This post is in reply to:  The Future of our Profession

Well, now that I'm on a tear, let me further this.  Perhaps it's off topic, but seems relevant to me.

IMHO, there are two issues here:  Vehicles and Destinations.

What is your vehicle and what is your destination?  As an example, let me provide an example off-topic, and then I'll bring massage into this.

I work with a lot of people in regards to religion, spirituality, enlightenment, etc., etc.  For many, religion or spirituality is the vehicle, enlightenment is the destination.  Many get this confused.  Many think the destination IS the vehicle, or more importantly, they think the vehicle is the destination.   

Same applies to massage.  Massage therapy is your tool.  What is your destination?  What do you want?  How do you define yourself as a successful massage therapist?  How do your clients define you, or define their success or their success with you?

For me, success is loving what I do, being happy, solving my client’s issues and making a living.  A great living.  I'm a businessman first and foremost.  Massage therapy is my current vehicle.  I've worked hard to point my vehicle in the right direction so that it leads me to what I define as success.

Many perform massage part time, for minimal money, make their clients happy and that is success to them.  Many want income along with previously mentioned; this, to them, is success. 

If you include income into the formula and are not generating the income you want, what do you do?  You find the vehicle that gets you there (to your destination.)  Perhaps the vehicle is medical massage.  Perhaps it's becoming a Lomi Lomi expert.  Perhaps it's moving on to becoming a PT or a DC.   

To tie this back around to what I see is the theme of the original post is this:  "Judgment of those who are not doing what I do."  An example would be, "I have 1,000 hours of medical massage training and you perform Swedish part time, so I'm better than you are."  They not only think this they express it!  ....and what's worse, they are forming these little sub-cults and promoting it!  Yes, I will call this a cult.  Blindly following someone or some teaching or some belief assuming it's the only 'way.'

Back to my previous post about many I work with that have much more training that I do.  They still hold this attitude even though I point out to them that Mary down the street, performing Swedish only, makes much more money than they do.  "But I'm so much more educated and have more experience!"  Sorry, doesn't work that way.  Again, how do you define yourself?  What's 'being a successful massage therapist' to you?  If adding 2,000 more hours to your resume floats your boat, great!  If working part-time pulls your trigger, good!   

Sorry folks, I just don't understand this, 'big fish in a small pond' attitude. 

Kris