Being competitive in West County

Having worked for nearly six years now, my career has long exceeded those of most massage school graduates, especially when you consider that approximately half of graduates don't even get into the industry.  However, a quick perusal of WaccoBB's "Products & Services Offered" section--and the banner ads that appear both on the site and the daily digest emails that members receive--reveals a collection of other advertising bodyworkers who all seem to have more experience (usually 20+ years, which makes my 5+ seem piddly), more credentials, and more modalities under their belts.  It's intimidating.

It shouldn't be.  I'm a good therapist, a very good therapist.  I've received many compliments and comments over the years on the quality of my touch, the warmth of my hands, my presence, etc.  There's no reason for me to feel insecure just because I'm not Miss Twenty-Modalities.  When it comes down to it... that's not the point, as Will Green points out here (from about 0:30 to 1:30.)  And he's right, it's all about ego, it's prestige, it's one-upping the competition so people choose you.  Which hey... that's business.  But what if people really don't care if I haven't certified in anything new since graduation?  What if I'm just psyching myself out for no reason at all?  What if the most important thing is not that I use organic or sustainable linens or decor in my room (which I do, but I know it's not), but rather how I greet people, the treatment I give them on the table?  What if I just need to stop freaking out and judging myself inadequate and instead say "Hey, I know I'm good at what I do," get out of my head and into my heart?  (Children of AAAbraham... who remembers that song?  It's not very old.)  Everything is just icing on the cake.

I think I need to stop freaking out.  So, Sebastopol's saturated with massage therapists.  So, a lot of them have been in the field since I was in grade school.  So what!  There was a time when they were "only" six years out of massage school, too, and they made it.  I want to, too.