Eckhart Tolle writes “the source of all abundance is not outside you. It is part of who you are. However, start by acknowledging and recognizing abundance without.”
There are many forms of abundance. Cash. Loving friends. Kind people. Inspiring opportunities. Intimacy with my family.
Many people feel sad or frustrated about these things missing in their lives….not enough money, not enough recognition, not enough fun, not enough love, not enough time.
But what does it mean to start acknowledging abundance around me, like Eckhart says? What abundance???!! That’s what I’m talking about—there isn’t any!! Jeez!!
This is one of those practices that can catch on quicker than you think. You GIVE first. It doesn’t make logical sense to the mind. I’m almost out of money, why would I give? I never get enough acceptance from my mother, why would I give her any?
Because the world is made of a flow of in and out, like the tides. And if nothing else, since the way you’re thinking is not actually working so far and you feel lack in this area, why not flip it upside down and try a different way? There’s nothing to lose, right?
What if you walked around today without the thought that you’re lacking something? If it feels difficult to be in the state of lacking NOTHING, then just think about one thing you feel is lacking. Only that.
Let’s say you want more cash. Not enough. You can’t pay important bills, enjoy your life, travel, live in a nice place, enroll in educational programs, or eat three meals today.
If I lived my life only today without the thought that I need more money, what might that be like? What if I didn’t believe the thought that there isn’t enough?
First, I notice that I quit finding proof of how limited I am, how unhappy without more money. I quit focusing on what I can’t or don’t have.
Then….I begin to notice tiny things, at least they seem tiny. I have $2 in my wallet. I have a wallet, nice old worn leather actually. I have clothes on, and a sweater. It’s summer, I don’t even need a coat, I’m not cold. I have a place to sleep tonight.
If I could give, what could I give? This has to be REAL giving, not fake giving. Not like: I’m going to give something in order to do this exercise so that more money comes to me after I give. That is not genuine. This is about being completely authentic. Letting go of the outcome.
If I could really give right now, in this moment, as if I had enough…what could I give, and still have integrity and peace? What could I give and RISK that I may not get anything back?
I could smile at the next person I pass. I could write a card to someone. I could call my mother. I could listen to a stranger fully as she speaks to ask me a question. I could email a friend.
I can notice that around me there are a thousand colors, trees, cement, clouds, paint, noises, people walking, a phone, lights blinking, birds, blackberry bushes. So many things I couldn’t name them all, I would have to sit in one place and write a list of everything I saw and it could take all day. There are things, shapes, sounds EVERYWHERE. Pretty abundant.
I notice I could say to this close person in my life “I know I often see what’s missing between us, but I also want you to know that I really appreciate you. I see how you’ve done the best you can.”
Or, if that feels a bit much, you can say out loud a few things you like about them. “I’ve always liked your persistence, your laugh, and your hair”.
You could express yourself from the depth of your soul without self-criticism…”I have no money left, I feel so ashamed, I need help on how to handle my situation, I screwed up, I am sorry, I love you and sometimes you bug me and I don’t know how to respond, I want to be of service.”
That’s what I did when I tried everything by myself, watched my bank account go down to zero, and had nothing left, and no way to pay for my house or any of my expenses for the next month.
This is what it’s like to live the turnaround “I have enough”. I am not too small. I am enough, I have the ability to handle this, I am good.
“The acknowledgement of abundance that is all around you awakens the dormant abundance within…..Abundance comes only to those who already have it. It sounds almost unfair, but of course it isn’t. It is a universal law. Both abundance and scarcity are inner states that manifest as your reality.”~Eckhart Tolle
You are enough. You have exactly how much you need for this particular moment in time in your life. Try giving, without expecting anything in return. Turn on the faucet, even if it’s a little drip. Let the tide go out, so it can come back in.
“Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap.”~Jesus
Love, Grace