Abundance: Puzzling it out

Hello everyone! Welcome back!

I want to touch lightly on the concept of abundance this week, and whether we encourage or discourage an abundant mindset.

A lot of stress these days comes from feelings of unworthiness, and lack of something we think we need to be less stressed and happier.

I’ll say something really blunt about this – it’s all perception.

So many examples have been made where homeless people are actually happier and more generous than busy, middle-class professionals. How can that possibly be if our priorities really need to be in the order that society tells us?

Now I’m not by any means suggesting that only through becoming homeless can we feel less stress and more happiness. Many people living less affluent lifestyles suffer quite terribly.

But here is where “Perception” comes into play. And it affects people of all classes and social standings.

We have as much, or as little, as we give ourselves credit for.

What we are grateful for.

I recently stumbled across a beautiful example on abundance, and how we sabotage ourselves without realising, into a feeling of ;'lacking'…

During lunch hour recently I sat down with the local newspaper – something I never do. Out of random amusement I decided to have a go at the word puzzle “Letter Scramble” – a box with 9 cells containing alphabet letters, where you have to find as many words as possible, all the way up to the 9 letter word that the box actually contains.

Now, I’ve always been more of a logical thinker than a lateral thinker, so puzzles are not my strength. Glancing down at this puzzle, the FIRST word I spotted was the 9 letter word!!! The first I’ve found on my own in one of these in a looooong time.

In excitement, I started making a list on my hand of all the words I could see. Everything was going so well – words were just popping out everywhere! It felt awesome!

So I started thinking, I’m going so well I should start writing down all my answers as I’m starting to forget some.

As soon as I started making the list, I had forgotten most of the words I'd found, and for the life of me couldn’t find them again… I struggled and struggled for more words to save my suddenly fractured dignity, and couldn’t find a thing!

Scoring myself against the checklist of how other people perform in these puzzles, I suddenly felt very disappointed – I actually hadn’t even rated in their poorest category in my determined attempt.

It took me a couple of weeks after doing this puzzle to understand the lesson I’d been taught.

When I was doing it freely and in fun, I felt so abundant I couldn’t keep track of it all.

As soon as my ego kicked in and I wanted to keep score so I could compare and compete with others, I failed miserably. See where this is leading?

I’ve been exploring the Law of Attraction and Abundance a lot lately. All teachings speak about allowing yourself the feeling of abundance, even if it hasn’t physically arrived yet. It’s all about your own inner feelings. As soon as you start comparing yourself to others, asking other people’s opinions, or externalising that feeling at all, everything will likely implode.

So my current, personal experiment is to just enjoy each moment. Find joy and abundance everywhere I can, avoid focusing my attention on things I don’t like to know about, and let go of the need to keep score.

Paraphrasing Abraham (through Esther Hicks), ‘this beautiful, abundant world is full of contrast. How we choose to look at things, and what we therefore focus our attention on, will determine what we attract to ourselves. Until we are so strong in ourselves to stay in the place of joy in spite of contrast, why constantly and deliberately expose ourselves to things we know will pull us down, away from joy?’

Last week I reminded us all that we are all free. My GEM for this week follows the same vein. Choose what you focus your attention on. If something upsetting is on the television, turn it off. If you’re suddenly involved in a conversation that is making you angry, or frustrated, or sad, or stressed, excuse yourself from the conversation – even if you need to use a toilet break as the most subtle escape route!

What better form of abundance is there in the world than joy?

Our world is full of joy – why not look to see that instead?

Some people may criticise this philosophy as sticking one’s head in the sand, and they are free to think that - but I don’t look at it like that. I simply choose to look on the “bright side of life”. *insert the whistling solo from Monty Python here*

And on that bright note, I wish you a joyful, peaceful week.

Until next Monday, in love and light – be peaceful

Annalise