Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Massage therapists and Psychotherapists: How to Harness the Power of Your Purpose to Make 2009 Your Best Year Ever

I personally believe that alternative health practitioners are some of the most evolved, intelligent, and wonderful people on this planet. That is why I enjoy working with this industry. Across the board, the coaching clients I've worked with and all of the practitioners who have contacted me over the years are outstanding people with a heartfelt commitment to bringing about positive change in this world.

Because of this, I believe that holistic practitioners are entitled to great success, from personal fulfillment, to financial rewards, to the joy of living with purpose and integrity. As a practitioner, you are in a unique and powerful position to influence people on profound levels. Your ability to do this stems from how connected you are with your own capacity for change. You will often see that your patients are a mirror for your own mind. To the extent that you are open, engaged, and willing to change, so are your patients. Have you noticed this?

When I work with coaching clients (as with patients in my acupuncture practice) I can often assess within seconds how much potential there is for positive transformation. Some practitioners are wide open and ready to grow and succeed no matter what, while others are deeply attached to their own cynicism, fear, or perceptions of scarcity and lack.

With all of the changes taking place in the economic and political landscape, 2009 will be a very interesting year for all of us. Some of you reading this are totally aligned internally and externally and are destined for great things. Others will buy into all of the external fear and stress and will shut down because of it. It is so easy to look at what is happening around us and make excuses as to why we can't be, do or have anything we genuinely desire.

The ones that prosper are the ones who are willing to honestly look at their limitations and see how illusory they really are. What beliefs, emotions, and states of mind do you get stuck in that prevent you from having the practice and living the life you want? I have heard so many practitioners say things like:

What was I thinking, trying to have an all-cash practice when insurance is so predominant?

There are too many other practitioners in my area to make it

In this economy, it's virtually impossible to have a successful business

$40 for a product to build my practice-- that seems like a lot of money

It never ceases to amaze me how incredibly powerful the human mind is in setting the stage for the circumstances we find ourselves in. Statements such as these reflect a disconnection from our essential purpose as practitioners. Yes, it is easy to buy into such beliefs, as there are messages of poverty and anxiety all around us. BUT, as a conscious practitioner, your mission is to renew your commitment to purpose each and every day so you are always aligned with WHY you are doing what you are doing. When your motivation is pure, you simply won't buy into these kinds of limiting beliefs and thoughts.

Look at these statements and see what happens when you reverse them:

There are plenty of other practitioners out there making a great living in all-cash practices. Why can't I?

There are a lot of other practitioners in my area, but nobody is offering the exact same service that I am. In fact, they never could!

People are more in need of stress reduction, emotional balance, and pain relief NOW than ever before. I'm going to use the down economy as an opportunity to help more people.

If I get even one great idea from this product, it's totally worth $40! That one idea or strategy could change my practice in dramatic ways. After all, successful business owners usually invest thousands of dollars in products and business development services.

Allow all of your energy to go into solution-oriented actions that will take you closer to the practice you really want. You will become more innovative, creative, and inspired. Your patients will sense this and you will exude a magnetic quality that is based on expansion and generosity.

Make Your Purpose a Daily Practice!

This is one of the most important pieces of advice I can offer you for 2009. Every single day, reaffirm your purpose for the work you are doing and for your life in general. Train your mind to be purpose-oriented instead of problem-oriented. Cultivate the awareness to know when you've become stuck in practice-deflating storylines and beliefs. This takes ruthless honesty because our thoughts about what is happening can feel so justified and real. If we aren't getting enough patients in the door, then the habitual reaction is to create a negative mental interpretation of why this is so, which only sets the stage for more of the same frustration.

When you focus on your purpose, you are training your mind to always see the fullness of present moment reality. Ultimately, you have all that you need right now. Nothing is missing. The more gratitude and humility you allow in for this, the more capable you become of cutting through all of the societal turmoil and fear that is currently escalating. My sense is that, to the extent that you choose to do this, you will likely have your best year ever in your practice. Why? Because everyone around you is starving for this right now! If you can be a resource of peace and sanity to your patients, then the word will spread about your services.

On the other hand, if you choose to buy into the same fear-based limitations that the society at large is, then 2009 is bound to be full of unwanted challenges and stresses. Staying attuned to your purpose is the foundation of your success. It is the basis of your unique attractor factor.

Of course, there is more to a successful practice than clarity of purpose (marketing, patient education, and so on), but there is simply no way to experience the success and fulfillment you desire without being closely attuned to this ultimate foundation.

This is the main intention I have personally set for this year. I can honestly say that training my mind in this way has been by far the main factor in all of my previous accomplishments as well, from owning a successful acupuncture clinic to Dream Practice Coaching to the books and products I've created. All of this has started in my own mind and is nothing more than a daily commitment to manifesting ideas in outer reality. The key is to keep myself (the clunky, ego-based self) out of the way so all of this can just flow naturally, almost effortlessly. When I make contact with this, there is nothing better. It is highly energizing and liberating.

The same is possible for you, even if the economy is tanking or you have other circumstances that seem to be obstacles to the manifestation of your vision. Make a commitment to surrounding yourself with others who can help you develop into a purposeful person. Don't allow in anything that distracts or blocks you from the natural expression of what you are most passionate about. If you do this, then 2009 will prove to be your best year ever.

Kevin Doherty, L.Ac., MS is a licensed acupuncturist in private practice in Superior, Colorado and a licensed business development consultant with a specialty in the holistic health professions. Be sure to opt in to his website to receive a FREE practice building kit with a free report and a valuable audio. Go to http://www.BuildYourDreamPractice.net to get a FREE conscious practitioner starter kit that will give you a variety of tools to create a lucrative holistic health practice that is based on awareness and integrity.

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