Discouragement Isn’t Necessary. You Won’t Impress Everyone Every Time.
The Importance of Staying Positive
Let’s talk about positive vs negative headspace. Let’s say you gave the worst massage of your life and your client is mad. They can’t stop talking about how bad it was and they even refuse to pay. Guess what, folks. I’ve given that massage. I got so discouraged and beat myself up. I have gotten so scared that it was going to get even worse than that. For sensitive people like myself, it can be hard not to get into your own head and beat yourself up. But everyone makes mistakes. Not everyone is going to like your massage. For one person who hated your technique, there could be ten more who raved about you and talked about your style with all their friends! If you maintain a positive image in your work and take yourself seriously, you’ll have that reaction every time. But not everyone will love you. Not everyone will feel that was helpful. I’m proud to receive a negative review once in a while because having a record of 100 percent positivity just isn’t realistic. We therapists can often times work in an environment where we are underpaid, underappreciated, and work hard for our clients. Some therapists burn themselves out and by the end of the day, it’s apparent that they are not all in it. If you are in a work environment that doesn’t quite feel new anymore, you feel you are working too hard, and you don’t really feel like things are going as well as you were hoping, your work will start to suffer a bit. And your clients will notice. I’ve had people come in who could read me like a book and the only thing they said was, “long day?” It’s important to take breaks, make sure you don’t work too hard, take time off for you, and stick by your work no matter what people say. And get a massage yourself once in a while. Take care of yourself. Just remember that no person, no matter what they do, has a perfect record. I’m proud to say I don’t because it’s from mistakes that we learn to be better. Remember to look back on all those people who absolutely loved your work! Remember the nice things people have said about you and let that be your inspiration.