Epiphany: Mess=Abundance

Wherever there is a mess, there too lives abundance.

"Piles" distance Affluence. I had this realization today during a phone call with my dear friend and fellow spiritual traveler Erika. We were talking about how another mutual friend of ours, in her packing of her home in anticipation for a move, found money and checks she had misplaced in messy drawers and piles of papers.

It suddenly occurred to me: a great way to envision those messy cabinets, or that pile of stuff in the corner of the bedroom, are as places where abundance is hiding. No matter what that pile of stuff is - be it a pile of dirty laundry needing to be done, or a pile of things I yet to be put away, there is always abundance there. When I do my laundry, I come into the abundance of clothing and outfits. When I sort through that pile of miscellaneous stuff, I find that thing I was looking for, or I find change, or even checks or cash. When I work on going through the garage, I find things to sell on EBay, or to give away. Besides the physical abundance gained from working through these "piles", there is spiritual abundance. My psyche is less burdened, and I am freed from that bit of concern or worry the pile of stuff was causing. I have created a clearing in which new possibilities can sprout.

It works the other way also. When I work through something that is bothering me, or come to resolution with relationship that is troublesome, I find abundance there also. Abundance of peace and love - but this also leaves me less worried and more able to be creative in my life to allow in physical abundance as well.

Maybe we create those "piles" in our life because it is a way of distancing ourselves from abundance. "Am I worthy of abundance?" is the question that is always there in the subconscious. Our patterns might say "NO", and society often says "NO"; so we create these piles that keep us separate from abundance - as though we were not worthy.

By answering the question, "Am I worthy of abundance?" with a resounding "YES", I am energized and inspired to dive into that pile which has been bothering me for the past month.

Off I go to clean out my closet.

Blessings,
Jim

Epiphany: Healthy Fantasy

Fantasizing about winning the lottery is like junk food for the soul.

I do this as much as anybody - "What would I do if I won 50 million dollars?" This is often my morning ritual in the shower... fantasizing about winning the jackpot. I imagine how the lottery win would solve all my problems. I know how I would manage the cash - the mutual funds and type of investments I would make. I imagine the lawyer and financial advisor I would retain. I imagine the house and cars and vacations; the yacht, the jet, the property I would own. I could spend an hour doing this (and have!).

Not so bad of a habit... is it?

Upon reflection, I often muse upon this idea when I am worried about finances; meaning, when I am in a place of fear or lack. I created the subhead for this post intentionally: Junk food needs to be consumed in moderation. Junk food should not be confused with snacks - as we all know there are lots of yummy snacks that are healthy for us.

Before I go any further I want to make a distinction between imagination (snack) and fantasy (junk food). And - for THIS post, I am using the word fantasy to indicate those train of thoughts that have a strong longing for, or have a strong lust for results, rooted in lack that leave you feeling longing and lacking. The train of thoughts that are inspiring I will call imagination.

Using our imagination is a powerful way to create our reality. But it can be tricky also. The more attached we are to the result, the more we are operating out of lack, so the less likely it will come to pass in the way our higher self intends. For more on the basics of this principle please read about the Law of Attraction (you can Google it).

When I fantasize about winning the lottery, I am being passive, hoping this will happen. I am powerless in this fantasy. So, what is the alternative? Well, I tried something else this past week. I consciously stopped myself from the lottery fantasy, and started saying the mantra - If I could have One Wish, what would it be? It would be for nothing - because I am complete and whole and amazing already.

This has been very powerful for me. I am no longer giving my power away - I am affirming my own divinely inspired creative ability. I imagine how to grow my palmistry work. I imagine how to continue to have "right livelihood". I imagine the next painting I could create. I imagine the next fun date I could take my partner on. And from this the ideas flood in! I think I need to invest in a waterproof whiteboard for the shower!

I shared this idea with my mom today - she called to thank me for the tulips I had sent her for Mother's Day, and we had a wonderful conversation about life. I thank my mom for being so willing to share herself with me - her successes and mistakes, her wisdom and her learning. I really owe my ability of introspection and deconstruction to her. Thanks for teaching me "Step Four" so well. (more about "Step Four" here)

Deconstructing Lack

Are you haunted by a pervasive sense of lack? I know I am sometimes. For a while I really came down on myself for this; after all, I'm supposed to be the palm reader, the one with the answers, right? Right. So, I decided to do some deconstruction on the idea of lack. Here are some of my thoughts on the topic.

Lack is a pandemic in our society. There is a simple reason for this: capitalism. The law of supply and demand is all about lack, and what drives up this process is a perceived sense of lack. Would people really want Louis Vuitton if there was not an artificial lack of them? Or even more unsettling, would they be desired if there was not a marketing scheme that had people feel as though they were lacking if they don't have one.

We won't really be motivated to buy anything unless we are fed information that we are lacking in some way. We lack the latest car, the latest home, the latest electronic gadget. For me, the voice in my head says, "I need... a blackberry, a new car, etc".

Okay - here is the big Truth: We lack nothing. We are whole and complete as we are. There is incredible abundance all around us. Here we are in the wealthiest nation in the world and we all have this strong sense of lack. Most of us have never gone hungry, never been homeless, never experienced desperate poverty as is common in other places in the world.

The lack we feel is completely made up. It is an artificial sentiment caused as a byproduct of our materialistic society.

So - what to do? Here is one idea, feel free to add a comment with your own ideas.

First, realize that you are not lacking - it's just your society trying to convince you that you are lacking. But forgive society - it's human too. We can choose the thing we wish to participate in, and we don't have to participate in this insidious sense of lack.

Second, bask in abundance! Take a few minutes to be silent, and feel the abundance of your life all around you. Physical abundance of your home, your possessions, your money, but also emotional abundance: the love that you have for those around you, and the love they have for you.

Third - repeat often! We easily forget about abundance, and fall back into the throes of society and it's control over us. No big deal, just take time to remember abundance. It's a lifelong process.

Blessings,
Jim