Abundance
Have you heard the buzz word of the past few years? Abundance! It about covers the American way- more, bigger, excess…. but what happens if we apply the concept to the good stuff?
More being present. Extending more grace and forgiveness. How about joy, peace, love? What if we applied ‘abundance‘ to the stuff that we should really be focusing growth on?
I know what you may be thinking. Do the two things have to be separate and mutually exclusive? Can I want financial abundance and have prosperity in all aspects of my life coexisting? I believe that may just be what the most successful people on this planet have mastered! After all, we feel most fulfilled when all of these parts of us are in balance.
How Do We Get an Abundant Life, When All We’ve Known is Want?
This seems to be the issue at hand. This is why abundant health is falling into the shadows. As a society we ‘want’ almost nonstop. If you fall into the millions who understand the law of attraction, it should make sense to you that wanting health will get you just that- wanting more health! I call that sickness.
Being healthy, or having abundant health is simply living healthy. It’s putting into practice good eating, drinking, lifestyle, environmental, mindfulness and spirituality choices every single day and letting go of wanting and desiring.
When we want to be healthy, we’re projecting, into our future, our desire. When we linger on being sick, we’re focused on the past. What promotes an abundant life, with abundant health in it, is being present. In this moment.
The person who puts their diet off until tomorrow, after they’ve eaten the junk food that’s left in the pantry, or gone to that one last binge filled get-together, is likely not at the stage of truly being ready to make a change.
As an action step, move out of the want and into deciding to make a small change this second. Go grab a glass of water and park further away from the door to encourage walking a little further right now. This will promote being more in the moment and seeing things happen in a positive direction, which will consequently bring more positive stuff into existence for you. Putting the law of attraction to good use!
What Does Abundant Grace Have To Do With It?
What does abundant grace have to do with it? Everything. Let’s define grace. In the Christian sense, it means generous, free and completely unexpected and undeserved. Whoa, I think that last word got me. Undeserved is the part I think people often fall flat on.
It’s relatively simple to do a generous, unexpected act of kindness, but to do it when it is undeserved is more of a rare experience. I’ve also heard of it as a virtue coming from God. Whether you believe in God, believe in some other higher power, or consider yourself more spiritual in nature, a virtue that was undeserved, unexpected and coming from a place of pure generosity without expectation of something in return, (I think we can all agree) is indeed an act of love.
Abundant grace then adds magnitude to an already giant act. What I’ve experienced in my own life, is that offering forgiveness to those who have wronged me in some way (not those I’ve wronged, but those who hurt me) gets about as close to this act as a person can muster.
It actually feels better than any other act as well. You can’t go into it with the expectation of eliciting an apology from the other person, because that would not be generous, it is coming from the hope of getting something back in return.
This doesn’t mean “Hey Bob, I forgive you for all the garbage you caused me in my life.”
Forgiveness doesn’t have to be for the egregious act that someone did to you. Forgiveness can be recognizing that the person who wronged you didn’t think about the consequences of their actions, or maybe recognizing their upbringing didn’t provide them with as much empathy as your’s did.
Perhaps they are just evil (because I’m betting if you held on to the anger this long, you might believe that to be true). Forgiveness and grace doesn’t mean all is accepted and acceptable. Maybe you don’t reach out to the person at all, but rather say a prayer for them, or send some good vibrations in their direction. Maybe that act will help the next person they were intending on hurting.
I’m reminded of Les Misérables, the 1862 novel by Victor Hugo. Jean Valjean, a parolee and thief, is caught stealing from Bishop Myriel who tells the police he’s given him the stolen valuables. An act of grace that, in turn, changes Valjean’s entire future, as well as that of a young child who Valjean later goes on to love and influence named Cosette. One act that consequently likely saved a soul, a life and likely further expanded Bishop Myriel’s own already abundant heart.
You might actually be unaware of how heavy this all is on the heart of the individual who wronged you. The act of forgiving what you may have carried with you for years as the unforgivable, may just be letting go of what has been holding you back from abundance in your life.
After all, giving is a reciprocal act. You give and then you can receive. Giving forgiveness will allow you to be able to receive forgiveness. Abundant grace.
An Example of Abundant Grace in a Tiny Package
My little furry buddy, my french bulldog Stitch, often reminds me of how beautiful grace is.
Have you ever accidentally tripped over your dog? Stepped on their tail, or paw? My dog is a powerhouse at immediate, undeserving forgiveness.
My boys are now 8 & 11 and have spent the past 6 years of Stitch’s entire life, as most boys do, sprinting around our house, throwing toys, chasing their canine pal and really never thinking of the consequences of their actions. Stitch has ended up getting nudged, shoved, tripped on, run into, hit with a flying object… more times than I can count.
What’s beautiful to observe is how he’s never shown an ounce of aggression as a result. He’s never refused to cuddle 5 seconds later. He shows unconditional love and abundant grace. Guess what happens consequently? He receives unconditional love.
Stitch could bark for 2 hours straight and then pee on my children’s clothes (thank goodness he doesn’t 😂) and then be adored on. The reciprocal love and appreciation is something we can really draw on for inspiration. Now this is an abundant life! 🐶
Inspiration
Mitch Album comes to mind as someone who has encompassed this lifestyle of abundantly living. Not in the sense of wealth, although as he’s become enriched by his own good deeds abundance in wealth has certainly flowed his way, but abundant health of his soul and living a truly abundant life.
I find it beautifully synchronistic that as I was writing this article I stumbled on Hoda Kotb’s Podcast where she interviewed Mitch and I was immediately inspired. Within that same day, a coach who I adore, Cathy Heller, spoke of Mitch’s inspirational life in a Zoom meeting and stated she too had just had Mitch on her Podcast! Both are worthy of checking out if you’re looking for a spark from an abundant soul in action. Bring tissues.
Abundant Health
Abundant health takes inspired action. Acts of abundant grace, remembering to never want to receive anything in return. Lifestyle choices that are in line with attracting the goodness you desire. Clear, pristine water for example, in place of chemical and sugar filled beverages. I wrote a blog that expands on health improvement choices you should check out if you’re interested in more specific lifestyle changes.
What I would encourage you to think about, is what brings you joy in addition to health. A grueling workout that has you swearing under your breath and desiring it to be over, won’t be as good for you as the workout where you do an activity that you adore. Swimming, a dance class, (keeping in mind that I’m not your doctor and this needs to coincide with what is best for you- see my full disclaimer for more information).
I think if you’ve read this far, you get the picture. As always, I find myself reminding you to consider your spirit, your mind and your body when looking for any amount of health. Abundant health and an abundant life is really just a mastery of honing in on putting out into the world what you hope to get back in return.
Have appreciation for the health you already have (even if it’s just something small) and it’ll flow back to you. The infinity sign is symbolic of this beautiful dance of reciprocal waves of give and take, bestowing and receiving. Practice it and see how it treats you. It’s one of the few things in life where there really is nothing to be lost by acts of kindness and looking at the world through a rose colored lens.
Be Well!
