The other week I saw a meme that stopped me in my tracks: “Business opportunities are like buses — there will be another one in 15 minutes.” As someone who historically operated from a scarcity mindset, that’s not how business has felt to me. Very often I pounced on whatever opportunity came my way because I was scared there wouldn’t be another one. Business opportunities were not like buses, but rather like shooting stars — rare, and if you blink, you’ll miss them.
However, the longer I’m in business for myself as a freelance ghostwriter for therapists (and others), the more I’m finding the meme to be true. As soon as one business relationship ends — either because the contract is complete or I decide it’s not for me — another one takes it place. I’ve gotten so many out of the blue emails and messages from people asking me if I’m interested in working together. Not all of those messages amount to anything, but some of them do. And the more I have an abundant mindset — that business is like the bus — the better off I am.
It reminds me of a quote from Rumi who said, “Move, but don’t move the way fear makes you move.” Yes Rumi! For so long I’ve moved in exactly that way. I didn’t know how to move differently, to be honest. And I thought I had to do everything. I mean, as a freelance ghostwriter for therapists I do a lot because it’s just me over here — the bookkeeping, the marketing, and oh yeah, the writing! — but I’m really just an instrument.
I enjoy freelance writing for therapists and other busy professionals because 1.) I know a lot about therapeutic topics and 2.) I seek to take the stress out of writing. I know not everyone has the time or talent to write so I want to do that for them. I want other people and businesses to thrive and I can help them do that with my skill/gift: writing. It reminds me of another quote, this one by Tosha Silver.
She writes in her book Outrageous Openness: “Life changes radically if you know you’re a conduit for what wishes to happen as opposed to the one making it all occur.” Precisely. I’m quite clear I’m not the one making everything occur. Why do random business opportunities come my way? Yes, in part it’s because I have a blog and I use SEO practices to my advantage, but it’s also because I’m an instrument over here. That comes across especially with ghostwriting because I have to think about what the other person would say. How they want to present information. In that context I’m truly being a conduit because they’re not my ideas or even necessarily how I’d present the material.
Some people ask me, “Are you OK with that? Not getting any credit?” And the answer is, “Yes,” because there are other places where I get credit — my blog and with journalism pieces for instance. I don’t need my name attached to everything, and besides, I want to bolster other voices. That means being open to whatever wants to be occur — whether I’m ghostwriting for a therapist, or a mom with a side hustle, or a businessman with a brilliant idea. When the right partnership occurs, the result can be magical. Based on things I’ve ghostwritten, I have clients who are getting published all over creation, and even asked to write a book! And when those relationships fizzle out — because they will — I’ll be OK because I know business is like the bus.
If you’re interested in working together, contact me. Let’s see if we’re a good fit.