One of the best ways to deepen your connection to your Muse—your creative Source–is an exercise called Discovery Writing.  It taps the infinite creativity of your subconscious mind to enhance your creative output; increase income; enrich relationships; organize your life; deepen your spiritual connection, and so on.

Here’s how it works. Write one objective you want to work on at the top of the page.  Let’s say it’s “20 Things I Can Do to Increase My Income 25 Per Cent this Month.”  (If you want to double your income, then use that as a goal.)  Then, for two minutes, keep your pen moving. Set a timer.  Jot down whatever is in your mind, even if no sensible income-stimulating idea is there, never letting the pen be idle for a second.  Even if it’s seemingly off-topic like “chocolate chip cookies.” Who knows—maybe you can make money selling the cookies you bake in your spare time. (Debbi Fields sure did before she thrived as Mrs. Fields.)  Maybe you just need an occasional milk and cookies break. Your inner child might be trying to give you a tip that all work and no cookies make you a dull boy. The act of letting creative juices flow without editorial censorship opens you to provocative ideas from the Unconscious.  From this, I developed new workshop ideas, ideas for books, and names of people who could expand my work.  After two minutes, put down your pen and look at your list. If any idea appeals to your rational mind, consider acting upon it the way you’d act upon any good idea.

Ananda, the Buddha cat

My cat is a 10-pound little Buddha whom I named Ananda (Sanskrit for bliss) because she purrs faster than any cat I’ve ever known. She’s taught me volumes, just as your cat can teach you, and just as many other cats have taught the people who love them. A small piece of the Zen teachings of my cat follows.

1) Think highly enough of yourself so that others will be attracted to you.

2) Allow yourself to be pleasured, so that others will drop what they are doing to pleasure you in abundance.

3) Let others support and feed you.

4) Let others hold and touch you.

5) Cuddle up to people; it makes you (and them) feel great.

6) Nap when you feel like it; it’s good for your soul, and not bad for your body, either.

7) It’s innocent to be the center of attention.

8) Curiosity doesn’t kill the cat; it thrills it.

9) The more playful you are, the more you’re loved and the more you prosper.

10) Most of all, when you’re happy, let the whole world know it and purr away—you’ll be feline groovy.

Who says you can’t coach with the animals?   In indigenous cultures, animals often serve as spirit guides to shamans or anyone sensitive to the world’s aliveness.  In the WB movie, The Lone Ranger, Silver was the legendary masked man’s white horse and his spirit guide.  Hi yo, spirit guide!

If you allow yourself to be coached by animals, you can learn invaluable lessons.  A dog will give you the rare experience of being loved unconditionally. In your marriage you’ll not find unconditional love.  Husbands sometimes don’t hear the end of it from their spouses when they leave the toilet seat up and wives sometimes catch flack for taking way too long to get ready for a night out.

Cats will show you how full of wonder life is when your natural curiosity is awakened.  A duck lets water roll off his back, which demonstrates that you can let stress roll off yours.  A camel will lead you to your potential to endure much more than you can imagine, and a donkey demonstrates how to handle burdens without complaining.

On the more pleasurable side… a dolphin, playfully diving in and out of the ocean, can give you a glimpse of what life would be like if you took such pleasure in waking up each morning.   A rabbit, Nature’s great procreator, embodies the joy of sex and breeding.

Animals can even coach you on your finances.   A squirrel, for example, is a great saver, and can inspire you to put part of your current bounty away for the future. A bird builds a nest egg and, with the aid of a good financial manager, so can you.

There’s much to learn from four-legged friends, as well as those who swim the ocean depths or fly the boundless skies.

This happy story about my 88-year-old mother, who had Alzheimer’s Disease (http://www.alz.org/index.asp), may bring tears to your eyes.   Mom enjoyed the moment, even if it was a visit from her son who she carried for nine months, lived with for 18 years, bragged about for 25 more, but didn’t know from Adam.  She thought I was her brother, who died at 91; her husband (a corpse for 10 years); or her father (who’d be 118 if he wasn’t dead for 25 years). So much for my liveliness.

When I arrived, she was kissing a stuffed animal like a new-born grandchild. When your mother has Alzheimer’s, you go with her reality, so I asked if it was her daughter.  She said yes, so we played with her flesh and blood stuffed animal.  Mom laughed excitedly, and asked repeatedly, “We’re having a wonderful time, aren’t we?”  We were.  I hadn’t laughed like that with my mother since I played with stuffed animals.  It was the most enjoyable time I remember spending with my mother.

Mom had no past and no future—only an eternal present which, like a child, she enjoyed immensely.  She was an 88-year-old wheelchair-bound child.  My heart broke to see what became of the mind of the woman who brought me into the world and brought me up to join it.  If the dark cloud of Alzheimer’s has a silver lining, it’s clearly that the so-called sufferer has much to teach us (http://www.memorystudy.org/alzheimers_care.htm, also here is a great article called “Caregiving Tips:  Strategies for Success.”  The following things I learned from my mother during this visit–things you can incorporate into your life starting now:

1. Enjoy the present because that’s all you have.
2. It doesn’t matter what time it is, because time doesn’t exist.
3. You don’t have to know who people are, or what they do for a living, to have a ball with them.
4. Stuffed animals make great playmates and, if necessary, friends or family members.

Dear Reader:

Welcome to my blog.

Cary Bayer

As you can see from the drop-down menu, there are many different entries in this blog area of my site. Most of these can help enrich the quality of your life—your relationships and communications, your finances, your career, and your overall sense of purpose in life. Some help you awaken to a deeper appreciation of the world around you.

So grab a coffee, relax, and browse—just make sure your coffee doesn’t get too close to your computer.

Have a nice read.
—Cary

Cary Bayer, The Business Coach for Massage Therapists

There’s no time a client appreciates massage more than the moment he leaves your table.  In my role as business coach for massage therapists, I polled some LMTs I started working with, and was astonished to discover that most failed to take advantage of this ripe moment.  I’ll explain.

The first question to ask a client who’s leaving your room is, “How do you feel?”  Most therapists do.  Clients usually reply, “Great.”  What almost all therapists fail to ask at this moment is the critical follow-up question–“Would you like to feel this great next week as well?”

This is a two-part question; the first part’s a no-brainer, because  everyone wants to feel great.  If he normally sees you every four weeks, coming in the following week can be challenging on one or two fronts:

A) Can he financially afford it?

B) Does he think he deserves such peace?

Too many therapists make the error of taking responsibility for a client’s financial decisions.  So I’ll say it simply, “The person in charge of your client’s financial decisions is your client, not you.”  If he can afford it, he may book a session the following week, if he can’t, he won’t.  You might be able to help him here if you take credit cards that allow him to pay in the future for the treatment he receives the next week.

As for deserving, help your client see he deserves to feel good—often. You’re a body worker and growth facilitator, inspiring clients to live in greater peace.  You’ve nothing to lose by asking your clients if they want to feel great the following week.  As Jesus said, “Ask and you shall receive.”

Cary Bayer, The Business Coach for Massage Therapists

There’s great wisdom in children’s nursery rhymes so let’s adapt one for massage therapists: This little therapist went to market (and brought home many new clients).  This little therapist stayed home (because she’s uncomfortable “marketing,” and hoped clients would come to her).  This little therapist had roast beef.  (Vegetarians substitute tofu.)  And this little therapist (the first, that is) ran all the way home (to the bank).

Marketing wasn’t taught to you when you heard bedtime stories—they weren’t taught much in massage schools, either.  But as a child you knew about money, and if mommy wouldn’t buy that toy for $10, when it got reduced to $5, you reminded her of the bargain.

Fast forward decades; now you’re a gifted LMT.  If you’re good, clients will return to your table.  But how do you get more of them there in the first place?  That’s the $64,000 question I’m often asked in my role as business coach for massage therapists.  There are many ways to do that.  One surefire method—particularly for anyone new to an area; anyone who’s just added a new modality; or for any practice with a new therapist–works equally well for businesses in different industries.  You’ve no doubt seen restaurants and stores in their first few weeks with grand opening signs, bunting still blowing in the breeze, and introductory prices.

Can you resist a 50 percent off sale?  Imagine a $60 massage marked down to $30.  Chances are good you’ll attract many people who get massaged regularly, but will try you out because of the sale.  If they like you they may switch to you. You’ll also attract new people to massage, who can become regular clients.

If you get a new client from this strategy who sees you once a month for three years, that client will be worth nearly $2200—and that doesn’t include her referrals. If you could get $2200 in new business by investing just $30 (the discount for an introductory session) wouldn’t you be willing to do it?  So what’s stopping you?

Cary Bayer, the Business Coach for Massage Therapists

Two years ago, my wife and I flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Los Angeles, to Melbourne, and Singapore, then to Bangkok, and back to Melbourne, L.A, and Florida. The remarkable thing about this exotic, long-distance itinerary was that each leg was either first or business class, and it didn’t cost me a dime.  They were all “paid” by American Airlines, or by a partner in its Frequent Flyer Program.

American runs a program to reward loyal customers.  All carriers know you have many flying options—they say that as you “deplane”–and  they’re grateful you chose them.  To reward you for that, and to inspire you to come back, all carriers run such programs to give you free flights.  Restaurants, bookstores, and other industries have similar programs.  Why shouldn’t massage therapists?

In my role as business coach for massage therapists, I suggest incorporating a Frequent Massage Program to reward loyalty.  I recommend giving a free massage to clients after they’ve had 10 sessions they’ve paid for at the one-at-a-time fee.  In many industries, businesses give 10 percent finders fees to those who refer clients . There are several millennia of history in spiritual circles for 10 percent giving back, as well.

Logistical monitoring can be done with a card that’s clipped or signed, or you could record each session in the client’s file.  After that ninth session, you can be sure your client will book session number 10 as soon as possible; that’s because number 11 is on the house, and he can’t wait to get his free massage.   Your clients will love you for this, and they’ll fly your friendly massage skies for years to come.