Doula Business Advisor: Partnerships & Karma

My regular Tuesday blog is designed to support the establishment and long-term sustainability of private doula businesses and doula programs. Excerpted from my book, The Doula Business Guide-Creating a Successful MotherBaby Business (coming Summer 2010).

Finally, there is yet another aspect to the dark side of partnerships. Do you think any of us knows, really knows, what we are signing on for when we formalize a partnership, whether it be a marriage or a business partner? I have discovered, as the years unfold, that I have agreed to take on my husband’s karma and he mine. It seems to me that we are here on earth to learn certain lessons, to evolve as human beings. Consequently, we draw to ourselves those people who can be teachers and circumstances that aid our growth. If we do not take the time for self-reflection, thus failing to see purpose in our pain, then we are doomed to attract the same lesson again, and again, until we “get it.” Kind of like the movie Groundhog’s Day with Bill Murray wherein our protagonist must relive the same day, countless times, until he finally evolves to the point where he gets it right. So, if our partners, husbands and otherwise, need to learn certain lessons in life, we have signed up for their ride in a sense and vice versa. In the end, you just really need to be sure that what you are getting out of it is worth it, that it meets your need to be in relationship in the first place.

Partnerships take some effort. They involve sacrifice. And they require that both individuals make a concerted effort to communicate honestly and respectfully. This all takes time together. When partnerships go bad, friendships go down too, like a bad divorce. Who needs the drama? For my part, I can say unequivocally that one partnership—my 30-plus-year marriage to my wonderful husband—is enough for me. I trust that the lessons we draw are meant for both of us, that we are on our divinely guided path together. I’m not so sure about the hard lessons encountered with my business partners, nor can I be so committed to “for better or worse” in those relationships.

Now, if I haven’t scared you off the idea of partnership, and you are intent upon moving forward, at least you will be making an informed choice. (A variety of collaborative models will be presented for consideration over the next few weeks as well.) Good luck! You just may be the rare exception and who am I to rain on your parade?

Posted by Patty on June 29, 2010 • Filed under Doula Business Advisor (Tuesdays)
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