Making an Exchange

Today I was talking to someone who seemed so
excited to be talking to me, and thought that
he had hit the jackpot.

When I asked him if he realized that I charged
for sessions, he seemed surprised.

For quite some time now I have wanted to write
a blog about what I do for a living, but haven't
been sure how to go about it.

In the several years that I have been doing
this there have been lots of conversations
about it, and some hypnotists that challenge
the pay for play structure - especially when
it comes to recordings.

While I know that some find playing hypnotically
way too intimate to consider paying for it, I
respect it, and at the same time think about
how in some countries pay for sex play, prostitution,
is legal, and people in those countries seem to be
just fine with the convention.

I think there are a few issues in this regard.
One, I think is the "pay for play" resistance
and another is the fact that it would seem to
be a recreational thing to do, and as such it
shouldn't cost anything, should it?

I am sure there must be other things involved,
depending on whose perspective you go by, but
I would think that these two things come to
the top of the list.

While it would be awesome to have the wherewithall
to be able to be as recreationally active as some
must think I am (given their approach that I am
not paid for what I do) it would not be possible,
unless I was either independently wealthy or had
others who were able to pay for the things that
I need, including the roof over my head.

To put the time into things that I do, making
pictures, videos, recordings, taking calls,
blogging etc means logging many hours each
week. There is no way to do what I do without
spending time to do it. There is no way that
I could do what I do and give what I do give
for "free," if I was working a full time job
somewhere.

We have an interesting way of looking at things
as humans; if it doesn't affect us, and we can't
see it, then most assuredly it doesn't exist,
or shouldn't exist. I spend a lot of time
making the types of things that you spend your
time so freely enjoying.

Our current culture also seems to devalue products
that are intangible. Most people would think
nothing of sharing a song with another, instead
of there being two purchases, there is just one.
They think it is no big deal, and it is the way
that things should be. Why would the companies
get so upset?

Most people I would say who have this mentality
are not ones that have to earn money from their
creations and their work. They likely go to
work every day, and get a paycheck whether they
do any real work, or not.

Doing what I do for a living, if I stopped doing
it, I would quite possibly stop making money.
Someone I once knew thought I was "lazy" for
the life I live which is kind of funny, as I
do not have the time to be lazy.

My mind is constantly going, and my day could
easily last from morning to night, if I let it.
There is always something to do. It is, at
times, overwhelming. I am my everything. You
do your individual taxes, and that may be taxing
enough, but imagine if you had a business and
had to keep track of everything. Imagine if
you didn't have an IT person to call to fix
your computer, an office manager to order
your office supplies. If you had to move the
office you now work in into your home. Imagine
if your internet went down, and you could
effectively be out of business, and not just
inconvenienced for a few hours.

This conversation likely takes some of the
magic out of the illusion of what you think
you are getting when you speak with me, but
at the same time, it seems that for some it
is a conversation to at least be entertained.

Every person I talk to I value, and that
value often transcends the paid conversation.
I have extended myself on many occasions when
it seemed to be the right thing to do. Extended,
without pay. Fortunately it was pay that I
received in other ways that allowed me to do
just that.

It isn't an easy balancing act working in this
way. If I could do what I do for free, I would
in a heartbeat. I love what I do, and I love
most of the people I interact with, and I do
my best to be available as a resource as well
as a hypnotist. It isn't easy.

It is harder for me to do what I do now than it
ever was when I used to have a J-O-B. But it
is worth it, given what it seems to give, and
what I give back.

While it might be difficult for some to grasp
the economy of this world in which I exist, I
would suggest that what I do is no different
in some ways than what any other service
provider provides. I would think you would
expect to pay the person who cuts your hair,
the plumber who takes care of your leak, the
builder who builds your home, the grocery
store that provides your groceries.

All of these things are environments that are
set up in a way in which there is an exchange;
you get what you want or need in exchange for
giving the other party money. Occasionally
there are ways to barter, but for the most
part the only accepted currency is money.

When energy is put into something, it has value,
and money is a way of showing appreciation for
that value. While I can and do respect some
who would question making that exchange, I
ask you to consider the things I have said.

Perhaps I said something you haven't considered,
and maybe next time you are inclined to judge
what someone does, and how they do it, you
may find yourself willing to see a different
perspective.

Of course, you may feel that what you feel is
what is right for you, and it is something
that is non-negotiable. I understand, and if
that is the case, that's more than OK, because
it just leaves more of me for those who
appreciate what I have to offer, and are willing
to make an exchange that works for both of us.

Isn't it great how things work out sometimes?

Have a great night.

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