Start Living Abundantly
Your self worth does not equal your net worth
In a world where there is a lot of fear about scarcity it can be easy to overlook what is abundant in our lives. Having an abundant mindset has nothing to do with how many possessions you have or your net worth. You could be a billionaire and still have a scarcity mindset. Some have more money than anyone could ever spend in a lifetime yet they are still trying to accumulate more!
What does abundance mean to you? I feel very wealthy yet if you looked at my income, savings and pension fund the numbers would tell a very different story. In our modern, capitalist society we have been reduced to our economic worth so it can be very easy to judge ourselves that way. I know, because for years I felt like a failure. I would call myself an ‘underearner.’ Did you know there’s even a 12 step programme Underearners Anonymous? I quickly left because I realised that was only fuelling my belief.
The truth is I don’t have a secure future, financially that is. Yet in reality, no one does. Security is an illusion. Covid taught us that. Last week I injured my right hand and have been unable to write with a pen. Typing is also a laborious process at the moment with 3 fingers out of action! I was taking my friend's dog, Dino, for a walk in the park. There was another woman there who had a dog that wasn't on a lead, despite signs being everywhere saying dogs should be on a lead between 10am and 5pm. It was before 5pm. This dog ran towards Dino, who is a greyhound and pure muscle because he used to race. Dino started to chase this dog, yanking the lead out of my right hand, which is my dominant hand injuring 2 of my fingers and leaving significant swelling and bruising. I've not been able to do as much as I’d normally be able to so I've been slowing down, resting and allowing my body to use the energy to heal.
There was no point stressing about it because I can’t change what happened. The woman didn’t even apologise, saying her dog was friendly and continued to keep it off the lead. But getting angry about it would only affect my happiness, not hers. I’ve used it as an opportunity to slow down, meditate and choose to be in an elevated emotional state which will support my healing.
It also serves as a reminder that everything is impermanent. As much as we like to think we are, we are not in control of what happens to us. We can only control our response.
I could be bitter about my financial situation but the reality is I always have enough. If I could go back 40 years I’d tell my younger self to do what she loves, not worry about what others think and go travelling! Many people my age are travelling in retirement with good pensions, savings and a property or 2 or more with mortgages paid off. I’m more like a 21 year old in that I feel like I’m just starting out in life. Unlike a 21 year old though with the wisdom that comes from experience.
So feeling abundant doesn’t have anything to do with how much money you have or what you own. Everything I own fits into my car, which is a Kia Picanto! I would have sold that too with hindsight but I wasn’t quite ready to commit fully to the homeless lifestyle when I left England in January. I don’t even feel homeless although I don’t have a permanent residence. I get plenty of offers of accommodation and I’m resourceful. That is one of my keys to feeling abundant.
To me abundance:
is not about your resources but how resourceful you are.
is so much more than money.
is a state of being.
is being grateful for everything!
is having faith and being able to live fully in the moment.
is having a supportive network. I have the best friends ever!
is loving everyone.
is remembering what you put out comes back, often in ways you don’t expect.
is knowing we get paid in other ways apart from money. For example: an exchange of ideas, food and accommodation in return for cooking on a retreat, a friend treating you for a meal.
As a final note, I used to believe that your self worth = your net worth, having seen this on various ‘self development’ arenas. What a privileged take! I am wealthier than many people in the world. I know I am fortunate to live the life I do in a safe country. That being said, I also chose it. I take steps in faith that my needs will always be met. So far they have why on earth would I not feel abundant? There is no evidence to the contrary, even though life has been difficult at times. A lot of those difficulties were caused by my mind. It’s not always easy to take responsibility, but life is a lot harder if you don’t.
Share below the abundance you notice in your life.
Great read x