CHAPTER 17

Abundance

“Not what we have but what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.”

Epicurus

(Greek philosopher, 341–270 BC)

Whatever you focus on, you experience. The more you notice abundance, the more you have it. The more generous you are, the more generous others are to you. The more grateful you are, the more you have. Abundance is everywhere you look – you merely need the willingness to notice it. You’ll always have everything you need to follow your soul’s desires.

“There are people who have money and people who are rich.”

Coco Chanel

(French fashion designer, 1883–1971)

Financial Wealth Isn’t Necessarily Abundance

If a wealthy person lacks purpose or fulfilment, the money is disregarded. Wealthy people may become apathetic, bored and depressed or turn to drugs and alcohol if they have empty, meaningless lives.

The origin of the word abundance is ‘to overflow’. True abundance means we have plenty of whatever makes us happy, more than we need.

One person may be poor, yet fulfilled, happy and generous, while another may be rich, yet sad and frugal. To develop true abundance, you need purpose to your life. You develop purpose when you realize you are here to learn to love yourself, to master being in a body, to seek new experiences to get what you want and to evolve to greater wisdom.

There Is Plenty for Everyone

Much of the world views life from the position of scarcity. Career paths, money and relationships are often perceived as being in short supply or restricted. Wrong. You can always have what you want without others missing out. If you want what others have, then there is enough for you too, although always be sure that the dream is your dream, not someone else’s.

“We must become the change we want to see.”

Mahatma Gandhi

(Political and spiritual Leader of India and the Indian Independence Movement, 1869–1948)

What Is Behind the Money

Many people think being wealthy is to be happy, but firstly we need balance in our lives. Money or material items can never make you happy if you have an empty life or unresolved emotional issues such as insecurity, inferiority, jealously, bitterness, and so on. When working with wealth, it is useful to work on several areas of your life at one time.

Whatever you feel money provides you – freedom, happiness, equality, peace, security – is the quality you need to develop in order to become more magnetic to money. The richest person in the world is still likely to feel insecure unless they have developed aspects such as confidence and trust. This empowers them, and they can then feel secure. Otherwise, more money will cause even greater insecurity if they are concerned about losing it.

The Power of an Attitude of Abundance

Paul needed to create a voluntary committee. He had heard that it was going to be a tough job to find people, so he decided to operate from an attitude of abundance imagining that he always had more than enough willing committee members. When he approached people, he always checked whether they were keen to join, because he felt there was no purpose in having people who didn’t want to be there. Paul believed he would always easily find the ideal person for the job, and this is exactly what happened. He continued to form new committees year after year, effortlessly. When some people didn’t want to attend meetings, he told them the meetings were part of the fun, but that it was fine if they couldn’t make them, and perhaps they could attend as many as possible. By being flexible in this way, he found that most meetings had record attendances.

Paul also assured people that if they didn’t like the job, they could leave at any time. There is no sense in someone continuing in a voluntary position if it’s unsuitable for them, so Paul let go of the fear that they might leave. People are more likely to join and stay when they have freedom to leave. A few people did leave, but at least Paul knew that the people who stayed wanted to be there. Our attitude can bring out the best in people.

Small business owners find it especially helpful to adopt an attitude of abundance. They often have close relationships with their clients, such that after several years the client finds it difficult to leave. None of us enjoys obligation, and this relationship is similar to friendships that are past their use-by date. Even though it’s hard to let go of a client, by having an attitude of abundance, the small business owner ensures a steady supply of wonderful new clients. Ironically, the existing clients are more likely to stay. As the small business owner allows freedom of choice for their clients, so they provide it for themselves. Abundance always allows freedom and a greater result.

Dave was fairly new to a large organization, and he and a colleague in his team were in line for promotion. Both had an attitude of abundance, and neither used under-handed techniques to gain favour. Dave understood the importance of focusing on his dream, and set the scene for having such a position. He chose to let go of how it would happen. They both continued doing their jobs as usual. Soon afterward, Dave’s colleague announced that he had found a job with another organization. It was that simple. Dave received the promotion, and saw it confirmed once again that we can all achieve results that suit everyone without orchestrating the details ourselves.

Decide to Have Enough for Whatever You Want

If you only had a $20 note in your purse, you might think you have to work to a budget of $20, and from one perspective you’re correct, as that is the reality you have created, and whatever we think is true for us.

To create abundance, we need to change our attitude and our thoughts. Instead of telling ourselves we only have a certain amount till the end of the week, we tell ourselves we always have more than enough for whatever we need or want at any time. The first option limits us and focuses on lack, while the second focuses on abundance and freedom without concern for how we achieve it.

Again in regard to balance, it is crucial to understand that although many people focus on just getting by, other people either spend all their money irrationally, or use credit to spend money they don’t have. Generally, it is an attitude of scarcity that causes this behavior. They believe they don’t have enough money, but spend it anyway. They are usually endeavouring to find prestige, happiness and love through the items they purchase, but the moment of joy is fleeting. This is an addiction similar to overeating, drugs or alcohol. It’s a recipe for financial disaster, and another way people create challenges for themselves.

Your Fulfilment Grants You True Abundance

Determine what it is about money that helps you, and set about satisfying those needs in other ways. It is different for each individual, and it is your responsibility to find what makes you happy. Once you have achieved greater fulfilment in yourself, you naturally attract everything you want as a natural flow-on effect.

Life is considerably simpler and easier with an abundance attitude. When your attitude is abundance, you change your mind from ‘That’s impossible’ to ‘I can do anything’.