Read any guru’s self-help program — from how to make $400K a year as a copywriter to becoming a millionaire real estate investor — and you’ll quickly find yourself in what Steve Slaunwhite calls “compare and despair.”
You’re not making the fabulous riches these gurus promise you. You’re not working four easy hours a week and watching dollars effortlessly fill your bank account. And of course, everyone you know lives in a bigger house, drives a better car, and takes better vacations than you.
I read somewhere that people live in a world of abundance but exist in a world of scarcity.
Let me explain. One Sunday morning I had to make an early run to the market to pick up eggs for breakfast. Normally I walk right in, go directly to what I need, pay, and briskly walk back out.
That morning, however, something caused me to pause.
As I walked in the door, which leads directly into the produce section, I was struck by sheer abundance of food.
Shiny fruits and vegetables stacked in beautiful pyramids and piles sat under lights that softly shone on these delicious foods. The produce section was bursting with summer’s bounty: orange peppers, purple blueberries, red strawberries, leafy green lettuces.
It hit me in that instant. The force was so powerful I came to a complete standstill.
“Oh my gosh,” I thought. “Look at all the abundance. I am so lucky to live here in the U.S. where I can go to the store and choose from such beautiful fruits and vegetables. They aren’t moldy, rotten or dirty. I don’t have to fight anyone for them. They are just there for me to buy.”
As I made my way through the market, I noticed store clerks removing dated food — cheeses, meats, butter, milk. It hit me again. They were *throwing away food.*
You’ve read the news articles about food shortages in other parts of the world. Here I was, in my small town, watching store clerks remove food simply because it had the wrong date.
I came home and immediately sat down to write about how fortunate I am to live in this country where many of us live our lives full of abundance. I thanked the universe for the ability to buy food for my family, for the fact that it wasn’t rationed or that I didn’t have to fight for it. I felt sheer gratitude for the fact that I could make a nutritious breakfast for my family and even more important, that I could enjoy it in my peaceful home on a relaxing Sunday morning.
It was on that day that I changed my thinking from “I don’t have enough,” to “I live in a world of abundance.” And that one simple shift has dramatically changed how I go about my days and how I view my success and my business.
What are you thankful for?
—————
Dianna Huff is a B2B marketing communications consultant and copywriter. She’s also the author of the e-book, “36 Ways to Grow Your E-Newsletter Subscriber List,” which can be found at: http://www.dhcommunications.com/grow-your-list.htm.
{ 4 trackbacks }
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Dianna,
Loved your post. You know what? The current global economic situation has a silver lining. It reminds us that we should never take what we have for granted.
The way I see it, bad economies provide context and contrast. The kind of context and contrast that helps us appreciate what we have. And if you pay attention and adopt the right attitude, the downturn will make you a better person — even if, at the time, you feel completely disheartened and disillusioned.
Finally, in the spirit of your post and the Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S., I wanted to share with everyone a quote I just received from a friend:
“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. ”
~Melody Beattie
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
-Ed
Ed, I, too, see a silver lining in the financial crisis. It’s making me “think different” and it’s given me the time and breathing room to really think about where I want to go and how I want to get there.
Ed, I used to make myself miserable by comparing my writing production to that of Isaac Asimov – I don’t remember exactly how I got off that but thankfully I did.
Gratitude certainly works for me too. I love Melody Beattie’s quote.
Thanks,
Anne Wayman
Thanks for the conversation thread…I love Melody B’s quote,it switches my thinking and attitude when I focus on the things that are going well in my life instead of what’s not working. It’s really easy to make myself miserable by focusing on how productive other writers seem to be and how they must be making more $$ at this then I am at the moment.But the truth is, I can’t really see myself doing anything else.
I’m happy finding my way through the freelance jungle. It’s taken a while, but I’m getting better paying writing gigs, becoming more productive and going in the right direction. The intangible payoffs of finding one’s niche and getting paid to do what you love are immense. I’m very grateful for all the abundance in my life.
Thanks for the uplifting message. I agree – gratitude is the best approach to all of this.
Over this past month of abundant snow and temperatures that fell below zero I spent a lot of time feeling gratitude for my good strong house and the husband who hauled in all this wood for the stove. I was toasty at my desk no matter what the weather.
I try to take the advice found in The Secret – and give thanks for the good things in my life each morning as soon as I open my eyes.