On the surface it seems absurd. Of course it’s okay to have some money for yourself. It’s okay to take care of yourself. It’s okay to make a profit.
And yet when it comes time to actually collect enough money from your clients and customers, you balk. By “enough” I mean an amount that’s actually fun and full-feeling, instead of scrape-by-just-enough-ish. You give discounts. You give pro bono work. You give away the farm.
Because maybe it’s not okay to have more than just enough, when so many people have so very little.
What’s true about this whole profit thing?
Honoring Your Heart
I always like to start with acknowledging a truth: our global and local economies have tremendous injustices built into them. The power and reach of industrialized nations is built on wealth stolen from other parts of the world that remain impoverished and in debt. In our communities there are many people who have tremendous access to money living their lives side-by-side with folks who are homeless and having trouble keeping themselves fed and clothed.
My heart aches remembering these realities, as does yours, I’m sure. Your impulse to not want to profit off of other people’s pain is completely appropriate, and needs to be honored.
It becomes even more complicated when you enter the picture.
Life Is Expensive
In western culture our lives cost a lot. Owning a home, raising kids, and running a business runs the expenses up quickly. Add to that the rising costs of food and fuel over the last two years and bare minimum living expenses seems uncontrollably high.
The trouble of course is that there are some choices you can’t easily make. The way a city is designed effects whether your family needs a car or not. Doing the right thing and buying food that is sustainably grown costs a lot more than the commercial, non-organic version.
It’s a heart-tussle for sure. I remember back in college living on very little money, and I’m shocked at the difference twenty years of inflation and rising responsibilities and expectations cost.
And you want to pay for a yoga class on top of that? Oy…
Stop! Just Slow Down a Moment…
The chaotic, frenetic state that can start to spin when you try answering the ills of the world and your own financial needs is not helpful. First stop. Take a gentle breath. Return to your heart.
In returning to your heart, bow your head in humility. I don’t know why the world is in such a crazy mess. I don’t know why reality is the way it is. And I surely don’t have the power all on my own to make everything all better.
The first step in healing is acceptance of what is. It’s such a simple step, and yet so hard to face. Homeless on the street, the cost of living, the amount of money you need to be comfortable. And when did “comfort” become a dirty word?
Acceptance… This is how it is right now.
Instead of giving into the frenetic resistance that your ego wants to jump into, working through a thousand item to-do list trying to make it all better, notice the grief you may have in your heart for how things are.
That grief is helpful. The frenetic chaos isn’t. Through grief one can find acceptance and even love. Once you touch into acceptance and love, you’ve got access to some righteous power to make a difference in this world of ours.
Grief and acceptance isn’t collapse. It isn’t saying you don’t want to help make things better. It’s just facing the truth that the river has already flowed this far, and this is where we are now.
Standing in the here and now is the most stable, powerful stance you can take.
And about that profit?
Acceptance of the World Includes You
When you’ve discovered that you need a certain amount every month to be comfortable, then that’s what you need. That’s what is. If you have the chance to bring that much in through your business, that’s fantastic.
To ask for and receive enough so that you can be cared for and have a stable foundation under you is so critical. Without comfort, without a little ease in your life, without stability, it’s really hard to access generosity and creativity.
And without generosity and creativity, it’s hard to fully serve others.
My Advice: Get Comfortable First
If you’re concerned about whether you’re taking too much, I want to first encourage you to reach a level of acceptance and comfort in your monthly needs. Catch your breath. Pay your bills. Take that yoga class.
If what you offer to people is honest and of service, if people are benefitting, then accept the gratitude and support that comes your way. You give your all to your clients, allow your clients to give similarly to you.
Take a moment to notice your heart. How does your heart feel about receiving as much as it gives? How does your heart feel to be included in the flow?
After Comfort Comes Sufficiency
Once you’ve worked on your business and you’ve become comfortable with asking for more money, then things become easier. You reach a level of comfort, the panic stops, and you catch your breath.
Now that you’re in more flow, you can start to ask yourself “how much is enough?” The CEO of Whole Foods realized one day that he had more money than he needed, so he reduced his salary to $1 a year.
Whatever you may think of Rick Warren, the evangelical Christian author and pastor, when he started making much more money than he needed, he started “reverse tithing.” He began donating 90 percent of his income and keeping 10 percent.
Paula, who cuts my hair every four weeks because, you know, I’m just not a hippy, hasn’t raised her rates in years. She tells me, “I could, but, hey, we’re making plenty of money. I don’t need any more, so why should I raise my rates?”
Notice that all three of these people made their decisions after they had attained some level of comfort.
Now It’s Your Turn
When you are doing honest work in the world to serve others, it’s okay to be included in the flow of giving. Please don’t take on trying to solve all the worlds ills by refusing to let your clients and customers experience the generosity of giving to you.
I realize it may not be as simple as this because of the emotional baggage we carry. Yet if you can shift from frenetic fixing to grieving, and if you can find acceptance of your need for comfort, you might find more spaciousness to ask for and receive a bit more than you have been.
Once you find comfort and catch your breath, you can decide on how much is enough.
