Spiritual Martyrdom Trap: Avoid at All Costs
Refusing to capitalize on your abilities (i.e., accepting money for your talents) and sacrificing yourself for nothing in return only generates negative consequences and hinders your spiritual growth.
Centuries ago, religious adherents were conditioned to believe that they should never use their “spiritual gifts” for personal gain; in doing so they believed they would be damned to hell forever.
You’re Not Alone if You’ve Fallen For it
Unfortunately, this fear-based, erroneous belief is still alive today. Do you feel guilty for accepting money as compensation for the valuable services you provide? Are you afraid of losing your talents if you gain financially from them? Do you have a subconscious fear (perhaps from past life circumstances) that you will be persecuted by offering your talents in exchange for money?
By the way, our belief is that your spiritual talents are not “gifts,” as nobody gave them to you but yourself through your own efforts by way of many trials and tribulations in past incarnations, and you have every right to honorably apply them toward your earthly gain. As long as you aren’t hurting anyone (or yourself), you are operating justly.
How to Escape From This Trap
Capitalism thrives in the free world, thankfully. If you have talent as, for example, an artist, consultant, supervisor, builder, leader, writer, salesperson, or, yes, even a psychic, you are serving yourself and everyone else perfectly by constructively and efficiently offering it at a price within the economic law of supply and demand. What does this mean? Simply put, it means that if you get paid at the prices you set, they are within the law of supply and demand. If you have more business than you can handle, and you’re burning yourself out, your prices may not be high enough.
Hold your head up high and repeat daily, “I deserve fair compensation in exchange for my valuable services (and, or products), and I’m avoiding the martyr trap.”
Don’t let anyone tell you that you should offer your spiritual talents as a healer or astrologer, for example, for free, or that you are abusing your “gifts.” That’s a nonsensical point of view.
Instead, nurture and further develop your talents with the help of our free e-book, Direct Your Destiny. Direct Your Destiny is packed full of helpful tips and methodologies to help you make the most of your life and overcome hidden personal and spiritual blocks.
Giving of yourself and your professional services or products with no expectation of anything in return, at times, is great, and generates positive karma, yet this does not mean you should dump on yourself with an “all for you, nothing for me” disposition. It’s the sort of belief held by strict ascetics in days of old, thinking that constantly denying themselves sensual gratification and material wealth would bring them closer to God. You can take that road if you choose, but it’s unnecessary.
Putting aside sensual gratification temporarily can help you reach personal goals, but never allowing yourself to experience pleasure or the good things in life will work against you and can be detrimental to your spiritual progress. Strict self denial, such as long-term repression of sexual desire, only generates future complications (e.g., perversion).
Successfully avoiding the martyr trap is not only healthy, but will allow you to live a more purposeful and rewarding life.
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Copyright © Scott Petullo, Stephen Petullo
