What We Focus on Expands

If you see the world as an awful, scary place, that way of seeing will be reinforced and will keep influencing what you see. Or, if you see yourself as a failure, then this limiting belief will keep being reinforced. It's a cycle that is only broken through changing the way we see. (this paradigm-shifting philosophy is from the work of Stephen Covey). 

I also believe in the power of our words and intentions. 

I believe in the power of language/our narratives, that the way we perceive the world, how we feel, the connection we have with others, and what we are willing to give away to others, is of utmost importance. 

When we focus on strengths, resiliency and hope (not the wishing kind of hope, I'm talking about a spiritual hope–a knowing deep in my soul that things will be ok), we allow for light to pierce through the darkness. 

If you see the world through the lens of scarcity–a scarcity that says there's never enough time, money, resources to go around–you will be using the language of "too busy," "hustle," and "there's never enough (fill in the blank)". 

Annnddd guess what? There won't be enough. You won't ever have enough, because you haven't made space for presence. You will miss out on important things, like building relationships, amazing moments with people you love–you will miss amazing opportunities because you are too busy running around being busy. You will always feel pulled just a little too tight. You will never be content. 

In contrast, when you see the world through the lens of abundance, you are opening up to both receive and give of yourself. You will weigh out your priorities and you will see that there is time for the things you care about–you will make time. You will spend that extra ten minutes when someone you love has decided to share something profoundly important to them. You will know that love abounds, and the more you give, the more it generates and builds on itself in this world. You will believe that you are enough and that you have enough. The lens of abundance fosters contentment. 

Shifting my lens from that of scarcity to abundance is a big part of my own journey. The lens of scarcity was the way I saw the world. It was how I grew up, it was what I saw working in a non-profit, it was a big defining influence in my life. I still live very, very simply, but I am learning to see myself as enough, and that I have choice. The fact that I am not dripping with riches is because I have very deliberately made choices that brought me a different kind of abundance. I have gratitude for those experiences now. I am learning to live abundantly.