I was walking on the beach one day when a very loud squawking overhead grabbed my attention. I looked up to see a small bird with a fish dangling from its mouth, being chased by a flock of seagulls. The chase continued on and on for some time – with the bird being pursued engaging in some amazingly quick flight patterns to outmaneuver the other birds. I thought why doesn’t the bird just eat the fish, thereby ending the chase? Is the bird so focused on frenetic flying that it can’t enjoy the catch? More importantly I pondered – in the time the other birds spent chasing, they could have devoted that energy into finding their own meal. How often do we want someone else to do the work for us? How frequently do we long for what someone else has and expend more time and energy into being jealous and wanting to take it away from them – when there is a whole world of goodies – abundance everywhere, available for each of us if we recognize it? Technically, there is plenty of everything for everyone, particularly because not everybody wants and needs the same thing. Too often we want to ride on the coattails of someone else’s talent, someone else’s money, their friends, their accomplishments – when we have talents and abilities of our own to uncover, discover, and put into action.
I had a conversation with someone who shares the fear of many that there is a rise in socialism in our country – that more and more money is being taken away from the rich and given to the poor. A belief that if “I have” and if I give to you, then you will have and “I will have not.” Not true. There is a whole other way of being – Being in a belief that everyone is intended and able to have what they desire and need. What happens if we shift belief away from scarcity, and embrace and open to the possibility of abundance? Abundance for everyone. It is difficult to create abundance while in the mode of fear. (Notice “scare” in the word scarcity?) If we are in fear – then we make choices from that mood and end up creating the very thing we do not want. In a new way of living, there is no scarcity. There are millions of starving people in the world, and yet just in our country alone, tons of food goes to waste every day that could feed everyone. Perhaps we need to create a new word – not socialism, not capitalism, not consumerism – how about practicing Profusionism!
I’m not a regular churchgoer I admit, but I went to church today, and the sermon was about Jesus feeding the crowd of 5,000 with several loaves and a couple of fish. Christians all know this story well; however, what I did not know was that one of the passages in the Bible tells that a boy had the five loaves and two fish – apparently, he was willing to share and gave to Jesus all that he had. Whether you believe that Jesus transformed that amount into a bounty or that the multitude contributed enough for all to eat – the message and result is the same. Set the example and believe in abundance and it will be created. We think we cannot make a difference as just one person, but we know countless stories that prove how one person can and does change the world.
How can we undo the illusion of scarcity? You can help transition the belief that there is not enough to go around by observing nature, which tells us that there is such abundance everywhere. Yes, species have become extinct, and we have crowded out and destroyed much of nature’s bounty. And we mustn’t mistake scarcity for nature’s prudent urge to move on to something else. If we look for abundance, we see the many animals, plants, birds, flowers, mountains, oceans, rocks, grains of sand, that show us that nature is resilient, prolific, and abundant. A huge clue from thousands of years ago – “Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?”
Do we need to take care of this abundance? – Yes. How? – By believing in it and honoring it. Honoring is very different from taking advantage of and squandering the abundance (which transforms into lack of gratitude and is devoid of reverence) or hoarding it (which brings you back to scarcity).
Notice abundance the next time you are in nature. Stand beneath a huge tree – observe the many branches, count the leaves on one small branch. How many are needed to provide you with enough shade? Stand on a beach. Notice the billions of grains of sand. How few are needed to bury your feet? Stand in a meadow and see the wildflowers. How many thousands are left if you were to pick ten bouquets of them? When you open to the existence of abundance – it starts to become part of your life and your belief system of scarcity will become overcome with profusion. Profusionism!
A few years ago, I was teaching a leadership class to young girls at Girls Incorporated. When I mentioned that I was a singer – one enthusiast piped up – “Are you rich?” I immediately replied, “No,” and then I thought a second and said, “Actually – I am rich – I am rich in many ways.”
When we recognize our riches in all areas of our life – the illusion of scarcity is shattered, and abundance is readily available to all of us. This is the wave of the future. Join in a new belief in Abundance as our destiny. Claim it for your own – it’s okay, there is plenty to go around.
Robin Fernandez
Nature of Being
