Community

Eric Nelson inspired me to write again after a bit of a summer hiatus.  So in honor of that inspiration, I decided to write about a community of which he is a part, a leader in.  NKT (NeuroKinetic Therapy)

I have worked for myself, and mostly by myself, for the last 15 years.  I love the autonomy.  And the fact that I am not required to make small talk around a water cooler, or pretend to like toxic people simply because we work at the same company.  My work is fulfilling...who gets to say that their clients are always happy to see them and leave feeling better than when they arrived?  It is also relatively low stress, except that owning a business is never really low stress in my mind.  But that is another topic.  

However much I value my work and am grateful for all my wonderful, loyal clients, I find it lonely at times.  If I had it to do over, I would have a business partner.  Someone to share the ideas, the excitement, the stress and the burden, not to mention the back office workload.  

In the last couple of years as I am striving to grow my knowledge and take my education and practice to the next level, I was lucky to find a modality I love.  I was unaware that in studying NKT, I would also be introduced to a community of professionals who, for the most part, are genuinely supportive of each other, willing to share time, knowledge and ideas with each other, and help their fellow practitioner with learning a new technique, assisting with a tough client case, or collaborating on business ideas and strategies.  This is a unique group and one that I have found to be most valuable, both personally and professionally.  

Community used to be something we all found in our neighborhoods.  During an era when we walked places and played out on the street with the other kids on the block, this was easy to cultivate.  I feel like that has changed so much.  Our lives are too busy.  Most of us get from here to there in our cars.  Hell, I don't even know most of the people who live in my building!  Community is so important and yet it is so much harder to find.   So, to my crew in Chicago, and to the others I have met in NY and along the way...thank you for rekindling my love for my work and for being there to support me.