Abundance #mindful52 Week 35

It's week 35 of #mindful52 and Heather is asking us to consider abundance.

We live in an abundant universe. Do you believe that?

How can we see, feel, live and breathe abundance on a daily basis?

In yoga’s 8 Limbed Path there is a yama called Aparigraha. It roughly translates to non-possessiveness. Just because something is available doesn’t mean we have to take it. We see this in the west especially – in our “throw away” society. Yes that “thing” still works, but I don’t like it anymore. I want something shiny, beautiful and new! This to me points to a feeling of lack that only a material possession will make all better – for that particular moment anyway.

Life isn’t about the things I own, the place I live or the job I have.

Life is about the moments.

It’s about the relationships and interactions I have with others.

I choose abundance because I know that it exists.

What about you? What signs of abundance are visible in your life?

What a timely prompt from Heather. Her questions started me thinking about abundance and the "law of attraction", which Heather mentions in her #mindful prompt, but that I have always had a bit of a problem with. I watched "The Secret" on DVD, a few years ago, after a colleague recommended it and I struggled with some of the ideas it contained. Anyway, there is not enough room here to go into all of that now, suffice to say that I did not reject all of it. The prompt was timely for me as I continue to struggle to be enough, do enough, know what I need to do to make a difference.

So in thinking about abundance, I was back with Brene Brown and her book The Gifts Of Imperfection, flicking through the pages to find where she writes about scarcity. She discusses the difference between abundance and sufficiency on page 83, and, amongst other wise words, directs us to this inspiring woman and her book "The Soul Of Money".

After my rant about consumerism a few days ago, reading Heather's prompt and hearing Lynne Twist's words on this brief video, were just what I needed. I particularly liked what Lynne says about how the labelling of people as poor is "so inaccurate, dishonouring and disabling to them and to those who would call them that", and how "to collapse people's financial circumstances with who they are....is to so diminish ourselves and them, because they are whole and complete people living in horrendous, oppressive, resource poor circumstances."

While Lynne is perhaps speaking mainly of people living in parts of the developing world, she does also talk about how we live with certain "unquestioned answers" that have been tied up with living in a consumer society. She says that in a consumer culture..."enough has no place, only more has a place". She talks about how we have no relationship with "the exquisite absolutely mind boggling and nourishing experience of enough, of sufficiency". She points out how we can "never reach prosperity or abundance through the doorway of more, more will always give you lack and make you want more."

I found it started me thinking about what we see as poverty in the UK and other consumer societies, and how once again certain sections of UK society are being labelled, and separated from the mainstream, by this labelling, this defining of people by lack, as broken, and by pointing the finger. Sigh.

I am sure that we can change society for the better without creating all of this separation and fear.

More "unquestioned answers"(Lynne again) -

- we need to make "poor" people better, richer, more responsible. Maybe not, maybe we need to look at the whole of society and how we can all work together compassionately and for the good of all of our children.

We need to be questioning what we are teaching children; more so,  how we are teaching children to live in a consumer society...about the "soul" of money indeed, about what our basic needs are and how they are met in sufficiency by the universe. So that children do not grow up feeling empty and wanting, wanting, wanting....something that never satisfies them.

Letting go of wanting to get more of what we don't really need it frees up oceans of energy to turn and make a difference with what you already have.

- Lynne Twist

 One of my favourite blogs posts ever is this one ( and one of my favourite blogs and bloggers too) which is all about just that, making a difference with what you already have.

We are not grateful because we are happy we are happy because we are grateful.

- Lynne Twist

Part of  making a difference with what you already have, is about gratitude. Heather also brings this home to us with her thoughts about abundance, and her list of thoughts about where she finds this in her life. Though Heather uses the term abundance she is speaking of the same thing as Brene and Lynne, when they talk about sufficiency. Heather shares what she has already noticed is "filling her cup" or is enough, she shares her gratitude for these things, and how she is making a difference with what she already has. 

So it's my turn now to gently look for the signs of abundance or sufficiency in my life....where I need to let go of wanting more and to appreciate what I already have......(bear with me as I work through this)....

My body and it's energy:
I have enough energy and my body is healthy. I appreciate the energy and health of my body, though sometimes to be honest it does sometimes feel lately like I run out of energy more easily. I am in the beginning stages of having a Yoga practice and I notice quite often what my body can't do, and will never be able to do. Accepting and surrendering to this as my body changes and as I begin to nourish my body,  is part of this noticing sufficiency. Appreciating my health and energy means truly taking care of myself and honouring my body. Giving it enough rest, relaxation, exercise, fresh air and nutrition to meet it's changing needs and to nurture it.

The hours of my day. Time, that old scratch I am still straining to itch :) .
I have enough hours in the day, oh yes I really do. It appears as if I am talking myself into this doesn't it?  However, on Tuesday this week just gone, I noticed just how much I had been able to achieve in the day. It was enough and I was amazed. Choosing how I spend my time is part of starting(restarting) a new relationship with time. One of sufficiency. Appreciating the enoughness of time, means savouring each moment and being present to what is happening now. Slowing down, zooming in and letting go of fear and scarcity, will help with this. Keeping a have done list instead of a to do list is maybe a good idea. Taking time to focus on my breath during the day will also help I know.

Nature. As summer ends and Autumn begins, I am reminded of Harvest Festival which is coming up very soon. The garden and allotment are still overflowing with enough fruit and vegetables for me to experiment with making jams and other tasty goodies. I can go outside and feel the grass on my bare feet every morning if I wish. I am able to see garden creatures, watch our cats playing outside and breath in the fresh air. There are beautiful flowers, fragrant herbs and colourful foods growing in the garden, planted by Mr S and providing a visual treat every day. The tree that I can see from our front window is like an old friend and is there as a constant reminder of the changing seasons each time I look out. I am near to the sea, and also to the hills and beautiful countryside, which I can visit as often as I choose.

My Mind and the skills it gives me. The minds of others. Along with this are the resouces I can access because of my mind and it's skills, at the library or on the internet, and in the everyday world. My five senses are enough for me to enjoy learning and experiencing all of the wonderful sights, sounds and interactions with the world,  it's amazing people and their creations. I appreciate this by developing awareness and mindfulness, and by learning to apply these to my monkey-mind and any tendency I have to negativity about my enoughness. There are many problems in the world. Coming to terms with both these and our individual circumstance, is often a struggle. Just recognising and noticing that there are enough compassionate minds out there, minds with such a variety of intelligences that the world's problems are constantly being challenged and there are so many people who commit themselves to making a difference in big or small ways. I appreciate my mind and the skills I have by enjoying, learning, developing, interacting with others and by my choices that make a positive difference in the world..

Heart(love) and Compassion. There is enough. It is all around us if I look for it....I do not really have to look far. It is in the everyday close relationships I have with my loved ones, pets, wider family and friends. It is there in the everyday interactions I have with those I come into contact with in my work or in the community. It is there in the wider society, people are out there making a difference in difficult circumstances, challenging separation and labelling in so many ways. In the wider world too we can see that there is enough love and compassion to help when there are crises or to work for human rights. I appreciate love and compassion by noticing, giving and speaking out; by being kind to myself and by fighting the thoughts that come in to tell me that, in fact, I am not enough.

Abundance or sufficiency starts with this.....I am enough. I have enough. How can I be? How can I give?