Abundance or Scarcity?
Like beauty...
it’s in the eye of the beholder
Chapter 23 of the Chandogya Upanisad says “Abundance is happiness. There is no happiness in smallness.”
In today’s world we’re fed a steady diet of scarcity. It makes us feel small and helpless. This sense of scarcity makes us fearful and unhappy. It doesn’t have to be that way.
We live in a country with an abundance of resources, an array of natural beauty rarely found in one country and a resourceful, entrepreneurial populace that finds ways to thrive in any situation.
Yes, we make mistakes. Yes, there are people who delight in reminding us of those mistakes. Yes, there are even those who enjoy feeding our fears, our sense of scarcity. Yet there is one thing these people can’t do, they can’t take away our right to choose where we focus our attention.
Despite the challenges we’re facing today, we still live in a country that other countries emulate; that other countries look to for leadership; that attracts immigrants from all over the world because they view America as the land of incredible opportunity.
Are you going to view the present economy through the lens of scarcity or the lens of abundance? It’s counter-intuitive, but if we see scarcity and act accordingly we create scarcity, fear and unhappiness. If, however, we see abundance and act upon what we see we create abundance, wealth and great joy. The choice is yours.
Remember, perception is, indeed, the precursor of reality. We create the reality we see. Let’s thumb our noses at those who wish to rob us of our happiness. Let’s make sure that we’re looking through the lens of abundance.
Here are a few questions that can help you ignore the raucous cry of those who spread doom and gloom:
Has there ever been a time when our country hasn’t recovered from the mistakes it made?
Has there ever been a time in your life when what you needed failed to appear when you needed it, not wanted it, but needed it?
Isn’t it true that the seemingly bad things in your life have been accompanied by some valuable insights? Isn’t it true that many things that, at first, appeared to be bad were actually blessings in disguise?
Don’t let others rob you of your happiness. See the abundance that exists and you’ll see the opportunity to create even more. It’s the path to great joy.
Share your stories of abundance with our readers by posting your story as a comment. You stories will help others to see the abundance in their lives.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:31 am
I understand that a great component of this recession is psychological and perceptual. Keep in mind however, that for those hundreds of thousands of people who have lost their jobs, and the millions more who are related to them, are friends with them, or who do business with them, the recession and its consequences are real. I’ll refocus on abundance when I see people going back to work.
November 17th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
Thanks for the insite. Abundance and scarcity is in the eyes of the beholder. Is the glass half emply or is it half full? Is not a glass which is half full of water, also half full of air and don’t we need both to survive? How do we use that water and how do we use that air. In the next 12 months over 2.7 Million square feet of leased commercial real estate will be expiring in the greater St. Louis area. To the business owner who’s accountant recommends that they own versus lease this could mean abundance; yet to the property owner with vacant space who does not want or cannot sell their building this could mean scarcity. Both abundance and scarcity provide us with opportunity and creativity. We have to think outside of the box and our comfort zones.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Barry,
Thank you for offering an alternative perspective. There is no question that there are people who are out of work and experiencing that pain. I’ve been there myself and know exactly what it feels like.
I also know that in those times I learned a great deal about how I’d let myself get trapped into a job I didn’t really enjoy. That the loss of that job was one of the greatest blessings I experienced because it freed me of my fear, my sense of scarcity and allowed me to pursue what I really wanted.
Painful? Yes, but not as painful as feeling trapped in a job I didn’t like.
Thanks you for sharing your wisdom with us.
Best wishes,
Dale
November 17th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Lynn,
Well said! One of the greatest economic insights I got was from an ecomonist who, when asked how bad the economy really was, responded “bad for whom?”
His point is that in every economy, some people are suffering, others are flourishing. It’s the ones who learn to use their creativity and keen eye for opportunity who fair the best in “good” times or “bad.”
Best wishes,
Dale Furtwengler
December 18th, 2008 at 6:57 am
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