Choosing a Career

Choosing a career in massage or any career for that matter requires that you take a good look at yourself. So often we choose careers based on what is expected of us by our parents, family and spouses instead of what we truly want to be doing.

With the economy the way it is now, it is important to find work that brings you more meaning and purpose. In Sweden the word for business is "Naerings Liv" can be literally translated to mean "nourishment for life". The main purpose of business in Sweden is to provide creative, fulfilling work for the people who live in their country. In the US, the bottom line is usually how much money can you make. While it is necessary to make the money that you need to live, save for retirement and do the things that you desire, choosing something you are passionate about will help you make what you need more easily. When you follow your passion and focus on the solution rather than the problem of lack of money, you have a greater chance of being successful.

So when you are choosing a career in massage be sure to investigate what your motivations are. If you are just thinking about a massage therapy career because you want to get out of taking math classes or if you have never had a massage and don't know much about health and healing.

One of the things I recommend in my Ebook is going out there and get a few dozen massages and see if you like receiving massage. Talk to as many massage therapists as you can. Sit in on as many classes as you can. Be sure that you are passionate about becoming a massage therapist because that is what will sustain you through the challenges.

As a massage therapist you will be touching strangers in a safe and non-sexual manner but be sure you will be able to do that and like doing that. You will also be constantly learning about people and how they work both physically and emotionally so you will be constantly challenged in your own personal and professional growth work.

One of my favorite books by Parker Palmer is called"Let your life Speak"

He says "Before you tell your life what you intend to do with it, listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you represent."

Finding out what you want to do involves listening to your true self which is often buried within you. One must first uncover that wholeness, to truly find work that you love. No job or career can really bring fulfillment. We already have that within us. It is just a matter of uncovering it and changing careers to meet that self.

In choosing a career start asking yourself these 4 questions from Patrick Harubala author of The Magic of the Soul: Applying Spiritual Power to Daily Living:

1. What do you LOVE to do that makes the world a better place, or in some way contributes to the lives of others?

2. What is the most profound experience you would like someone to receive as a result of experiencing your service?

3. What is the most important quality of guidance that you did not receive enough of as a child?

4. How does it feel when you create or share that quality or guidance with someone else?"

To learn more about a choosing a career in massage therapy read my Ebook - Massage Therapy Careers- The Truth about Becoming a Massage Therapist and the rest of this site!

As a massage therapist your work will involve working with people who are injured or are under stress to help them deal with such issues. You will be learning about massage, anatomy and physiology and how to apply it to each situation. You will also have to know how to promote yourself to get and keep clients. You will have to learn how to actively listen to clients to discover their needs and learn to communicate with them to properly apply massage to get the best results. You will be the business manager, massage provider, marketing manager, bookkeeper, website designer and customer service provider even if you think you want a job in massage. Most massage jobs are subcontractor positions which basically means that you are self employed.

Some of the downside to massage is that your income will actually be limited by the number of massages you are able to do physically. Most people can only do about 25 max a week. Most massage therapists also start their own business and even have other jobs to support them while they are doing massage.

If you are still interested in massage there are also other ways of reaching more people so that you can make more money like writing about some aspect of massage and health like I do with this website. Since most people also have another job to support themselves while doing massage and even if you are really successful as a massage therapist it is always good to have another source of income. There are often up and down times for massage businesses.

If you are still not sure about what career to choose, you might want to do some further research on things that you do know and love talking about and look into other possibilities for making a living. Today one of the best careers is starting your own online business. You can take a class in how to learn how to start one through the online program that I use to create this site.

See also:Finding Your Calling

|| FAQ's  ||  Career Guides  || Websites  || Supervision || About Me ||

Visit My Other site : www.thebodyworker.com