What Does Abundance Really Mean?
It seems that in today's world we're all looking for an abundant life. I was thinking about what a rich and meaningful word "abundance" is......and then I got to thinking how the meaning of "abundance" changes depending on your world view and what you consider to be important in life. For some it's all about earning a big salary and being rich, for others it's about living a full and fruitful life, and that ties in with how you define "full and fruitful" - because some people seem to need more than others to feel a sense of contentment with what they have.Abundance and Wealth
So many people tie the thought of abundance up with wealth and riches and all the little luxuries that having lots of money can buy. To them it means having unlimited funds, a big budget to spend on whatever takes their fancy, and so much money in the bank that they'll never want for anything. But is that what abundance is really all about? Does having more money than you know what to do with give you a depth and richness of character? Can owning piles of money really fulfill your life?The problem with looking for abundance in cold, hard cash is that it often goes hand in hand with working long hours, high pressure work environments, and never having enough spare time to really enjoy the fruit of your labour. Or you slave away to pay for all the toys you buy to distract yourself from the work you have to do to earn them. The luxury holidays often aren't enough to take away the stress you carry, and your world tends to revolve around work, work, work - and nobody wants to live like that.
Abundance and Expectations
The other "abundance" that I came across is the use of the word in positive affirmations and wishing abundance on yourself by declaring your worth and expecting good things to be heaped upon you by a benevolent universe. Pinterest is full of affirmation declarations that are supposed to bring abundance into your life, it only takes a quick search to have them competing with each other for your attention.But is that really how life works? Can we just make wild and wonderful statements and expect everything to come up roses for us all the time? Can we send up our prayers for abundant blessings and expect to live a life of ease? I think that type of wishful thinking has more to do with pixie dust and fairies than it does with real life and learning to live with what we've been given.
What Abundance Means To Me
I have a different view of abundance. I think it's about seeing all that you already have and realizing that it is often more than you need. Acknowledging that you have been blessed with so much and showing appreciation for it. It's not about money, it's about family and friends, warmth and comfort, love and connection, and so much more. And the contentment we feel when we stop for a moment to appreciate the joy they bring to our lives.
Gratitude And Sharing Our Blessings
Perhaps it's time to look into our own hearts and see if we are showing gratitude for having more than we need. Maybe we need to look away from what the world tells us we should be piling up, and instead focus on being grateful for the abundance we already have and then sharing some of that with those who have a little less than us. Sharing our time, or our talent, or our knowledge, or our love - the things in life we have plenty of already and can afford to give away. |
| via Life On Purpose |
What Do You Think?
Do you feel like you're living abundantly - or is the grass greener on the other side of the fence? Are you always looking to make more money so you can buy more "stuff", or are you finding balance and joy with knowing that you have more than enough already?
