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
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
1 comment:
Arigato, Jim-chan, for sharing this and wonderful brunch we had together today.
Having a friend like you in my life is a proof of abundance.
I am looking forward to our next meeting this month.
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