Let’s March
Here it is, March already. Time is truly MARCHing on. As I think of that, all the old catch phrases come to mind, but where else better to start an article?
March on over there. March in a straight line. March to the beat of a different drummer.
Personally, I prefer the last one. While I have strived to be part of the crowd, I always find myself outside of it a little. I always seem to be a little different. I don't seem to fit right in. I'm too strange. But I have learned that this is what works for me. When I worked for the local football team, I did good work, but I never really fit in personality-wise. Rather than be "Go team, go", I was always more "Beam me up, Scotty".
But being different works for me. In fact, I have learned to embrace it. It is these differences that have made me the healer I am today. Rather than follow the path that many massage therapists take, I was never drawn to medical massage or neuromuscular therapy. I was pulled to more unusual things like Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, or Esalen, or Thai. And in these styles I found something I truly like that amazes people. I found things that I can substitute into any massage. I found something that people see as another level of massage as some of these methods work the whole body as one, rather than parts. One of those methods opened up my intuition making me able to offer a freeform massage that tailors itself to each person's needs. These have taken me out of the rut of what everyone else does.
Being different opened me up to possibilities, which lead me to energy work. This led me from crystals and earth energy to Reiki and mediumship and beyond. It has made me rounded in my approach to helping people. I can see many things and many paths to solving someone's problems. I like to think when someone comes in here, unless they are fixated on one thing that they want, I offer suggestions as to what I think would help them the most and let them decide.
It always amuses me when someone has had something strange happen and they come to me to ask questions. They usually start off with, "You're going to think this is weird, but..." Weird? I play with energies. Define weird. There is not too much out there that I would find totally weird.
But weird, or different works for me, and I'm not afraid of it. I'm not afraid to put myself out there as who I am. One might think that this would scare some people away. But in truth, it attracts open-minded and like-minded people. It brings me people I can help and that need my help. It brings me people that are willing to try what I do, and in doing so, find that it is exactly what they need.
So, strange? Yes. Weird? Possibly. Different? Definitely. But as long as different works, why fight it? Why try to conform? In truth, it is the non-conformists that are going to lead people into a better way of thinking. If everyone conformed, we would all be wearing suits and ties to work, and doing the same jobs forever. It would be very much like the images from the movie based on the Orwell book, 1984.
Yes, non-conformity is finding what works for you and not going along with the crowd just to be a part of it. It is not changing your mind-set just to fit in and be liked by a certain group. It is standing on your own and attracting like-minded people to you. And when you do that, I think you will find that the people who you were trying to fit in with are not worth the time and effort, and the people that come into your life will be the ones you truly want.
So, march to the beat of a different drummer? Yes, I do. But I like to embrace my Celtic roots on my father's side. I tend to think I march to the beat of a different piper.