Your Only Responsible for Yourself

In a private coaching session with Jane (names have been changed to protect privacy), we were talking about how bad she felt that one of her clients was experiencing financial difficulty.  She was experiencing real angst and turmoil because she knew of the client’s financial hardship and felt guilty about charging them for her services.  At one point in the conversation, she said to me “I’m going to call them when we’re through with our session and tell them I am giving them a refund!”

This was not the first time Jane and I were having this type of conversation.  Jane is a wonderful coach and mentor but from time to time experiences boundary and deservabilty issues surrounding money.  Jane was projecting her own issues with money onto her coaching relationship with this client.

I knew that day was going to be a tough session and I was determined to shed light on this issue for Jane once and for all.  I decided to show Jane exactly what she was doing by deciding to “fix” her financial situation with me.

Jane became outraged when I suggested to her, that we reduce our number sessions since she was soon to be experiencing financial difficulty with her clients.  When I first asked the question, she started to agree with me and then, being the smart woman that she is immediately saw what I was trying to do.  I asked her how it felt that I had made a decision for her about her financial well-being.  Her response, “disempowering!”

When we make a decision for someone, for whom we are not responsible AND who has not asked for our input, we are not giving that person the opportunity to step up and be called forth in their spiritual evolution.  Instead we are perpetrating our insecurities onto that relationship.

If you have a client who is experiencing financial difficulty and they have ONLY shared that information with you, it is NOT your responsibility to offer to change the level of service being provided to them.  Is their responsibility to bring that subject forward to you.

If you make a decision for your client that they cannot afford your service, you are energetically saying to the Universe that you don’t need the money.  Again, this is not your responsibility.  If you are in a coaching relationship with your client then you can take it a step further and help them to see alternatives they may not be able to think of.  

Remember, you are only responsible for yourself.  It is not your job to fix the financial situation of your client.