Question:
I noticed the following comment on an internet message board:

"You're either a person who cares about people and are willing to take humblerewards or after the fast buck. You're either a healer or a hustler. There'sno middle ground."

I have a friend who started a healing business. She took "humble rewards."She refused to charge her friends, and charged her clients minimal fees.Hence, her business failed. Now she's not healing anyone.

The prevalent view in this culture is that if you're in business to helppeople, you should be willing to live at the poverty level. We seem tobelieve that accepting money for services somehow makes the work a healerdoes less valuable. This attitude is unrealistic and is hindering thedevelopment of the Holistic Health Industry. I'd like to see a culture wherethe people who help and support others the most are those that make the mostmoney. Why does that seem so strange?

I don't believe it's a "bad" thing to accept fair compensation for healingservices. I prefer to look at money as a form of "good" energy, as does JohnDavidson in his book "Subtle Energy." "With money perceived as just one ofthe energies that pass between us in our relationships with other humans, ourapproach to it takes on a different flavor. We will not take too much forservices, neither will we take too little."

John uses the analogy of the flow of money being a river. Being stingy andhoarding money is damming up the river after it reaches us. Refusing toaccept fair compensation is damming up the river before it reaches us. Bothof these have the same result: obstructing the natural flow of money. Viewedmetaphysically, both obstruct the natural flow of energy. The analogyillustrates the belief that some of us have that it is just as unhealthy toask too little for services as it is to ask too much.

Someone who says "You're either a healer or a hustler" sounds like someonewho's trying to get something for nothing. Unlike drugs, which workregardless of the emotional state and intention of the patient, many holistichealth modalities require that the client make a personal committment totheir own healing, and offering a fair exchange (whether monetary orotherwise) can be symbolic of that committment. If someone won't payanything for healing services, it's possible that they don't value theservice enough, and it's also possible that they're not willing to investtheir own energy as well.

Answer: I have been very wary of posting responseswhich include my business URL.

I am in business, and for this I offer no apology. I am sensitive however,to the attitude of website purists about advertising, or anything that evenresembles advertising. Where it is not appropriate, I will leave my URL offof my posts, but if I believe that I can help someone with a specific issue,I see no reason not to include my web address.

The fact of the matter is, that we are all trying to make a living inwhatever way we see fit. I have chosen to offer my products through a website. They are high quality nutritionals, and can truly be beneficial tothose striving to improve their health. Do I intend to make money helpingpeople improve their health?...ABSOLUTELY! I enjoy the prospect of actuallyimpacting peoples lives in a positive way. Making money (even lots of it) isno crime. Making money unethically is more than a crime, it is a shame. Ihope that others can enjoy making a living, and helping others, in whatevercapacity.

I will not include my URL here, if there is an interest, I am sure you canfind it if you look.