Abundance is not in the future, it is not in the past, it is not in your bank account, it is not the quantity of things you own, it is not earned, it is not taken or given, it is not reserved for a few.

Abundance is a state of being -- a quality of life to be experienced, now.

What is abundance?

The word abundance is derived from “abound” which means to be plentiful. Plentiful of what, you might ask? Yes, abundance is about money, prosperity, wealth, and financial freedom. But abundance is more than money; or rather, it’s not limited to just money. Abundance includes money, fun, time, energy, fulfillment, health, great relationships, love, etc.

What’s most important to recognize about abundance is that it is a state of BEING, a quality of life to be experienced NOW. Abundance is not about the future, it’s not about when you’ve saved enough, done enough, finished enough, and it’s not about when you think you deserve it.

The next concept about abundance that is important to recognize is that abundance is not the same for everyone. Jimmy Carter (former President) said, “A truly rich person is someone who has a decent home and education, a chance for a job, reasonable access to health care, and the opportunity to live a secure life.” To the Shuar people of the Amazon, “a person’s wealth is not measured by the amount of corn in his fields but by the sunshine in his heart. True wealth has nothing to do with buildings, stores, and cars. …Prosperity is having enough of what we need when we need it. For us prosperity is clean air and water, living close to Pachamama and our families and eating fresh foods that we or our neighbors have grown with loving care” (Perkins 43, 103). (See February 2005 “Reading by the Light of the Moon” book review.) Or perhaps, you might feel that there’s no greater wealth than to own your own life and spend it as you see fit. Whether these quotes resonate with you or not, it’s up to you to determine what abundance means in your life. How do you do it?

The best way to self-discover what abundance means in your life is to answer a series of questions and then examine your answers. Before you begin, resist any temptations you might have to gloss over this exercise because of difficulties you might have imagining these events or examining what they might mean to you.

If a natural disaster (hurricane, tornado, flood, earthquake, tsunami) caused you to lose your home and possessions,
what would you miss the most?
What would you miss the least?
What would you still be grateful for?

What would you do if you only had 12 months to live?
How would you spend your time?

What would you do if you had all the money you needed
(say $50M) and someone you trust could take over all of your responsibilities?

How are these different answers similar and different?

As you may have recognized from answering those questions, the purpose is for you to self-discover your most fulfilling needs, desires, and dreams.

What have you discovered to be your highest values and most fulfilling needs, desires, and dreams?

Did you find that it is the people you share your life with that are the most meaningful?

Did you find that you’re spending your time, energy, and money in the pursuit of someone else’s view of what abundance means, rather than your own?

Did you discover how your view of abundance is different another’s view of abundance?

Did you uncover dreams or desires that you’d forgotten or given up on?

Did you find that you limit your dreams based on what seems possible or “realistic”?

Did you discover how abundance is a state of perception, a state of mind, a state of being?

Over the next month, having completed this self-discovery exercise, focus your energies on abundance. How does it feel? Once you understand what abundance means to you, then it’s easier for you to prioritize your activities, your energies, and your lives. With your energies in balance with your heart’s desires, you will feel more abundance and energize the state of being abundant in your life. Furthermore, when you feel abundant, then you will automatically have motivation, creative ideas, and energy for your business and your life. In this way, when you focus on abundance, then more of it manifests in your life. What you focus on grows.

By contrast, when we focus disproportionately on money as our sole view of abundance, wealth, and prosperity in our lives, and not on other aspects of abundance, such as time, energy, fulfillment, health, great relationships, love, fun, family, friends, nature, ourselves, etc., we become out of balance with our heart’s desires and the energies of abundance. This imbalance creates scarcity in our lives.

Next Month: Recognizing Your Scarcity Thinking – what prevents you from achieving abundance? What happens when you focus on scarcity?

[Exercise questions derived from Access your Abundance: A revolutionary approach for eliminating scarcity in your life by Teresa Romain © 2000]