Three Simple Ways To Awaken Abundance
1. Focus On Gratitude.
Let’s say you are building a garden in your yard. You spend hours digging, sowing, weeding and planting. At the end of the day, you feel satisfied and accomplished. You wake the next morning to find that animals have destroyed everything by digging holes in and around the plants. Some seedlings have been dug up, torn to shreds, or simply removed from the ground. Looking around at the ruined plot of land, frustration sets in. You wonder why you bothered and proclaim that you’ll never attempt something like this again, knowing you can’t lose what you don’t have. The mind closes and all opportunity to learn from this is lost. You blame the animals and complain about how unfair the situation is.
What happens when your attention drifts towards the gratitude at having a piece of land large enough to make a garden? You had free time in your life to build this garden, isn’t that something to be thankful for? You were healthy enough to be moving shovels full of soil. After the hard work, you bathed in an indoor shower, with warm, running water and luxury soap. And, even if they are causing more work, isn’t it nice to know that Earth houses a variety of life forms? Sure, you have to start again, but couldn’t that somehow be a wonderful thing? Now there is an opportunity to create a better garden, one that is animal-proof. Good thing they got in and destroyed the garden early on, rather than after months of hard labor tending to these plants… right?!
By harnessing control over your own perception of an event, you can find peace in any turmoil.
It’s interesting that neither optimism or pessimism change the fact that animals tore up this garden. The only thing that changes is our experience. By training our minds to focus on the joy, beauty, and excitement – we encounter joy, beauty, and excitement. The same is true about paying attention only to lack, fear, and limitation. We endure frustration, anger, and jealousy when our thoughts reside in those dark places. Bring your attention back to the light by remaining grateful for what is right (or possible).
2. Fake it ’til you make it.
For the first few days, or even weeks, after planting seeds, nothing is visible in a garden. This is a critical stage for a garden to be watered thoroughly and regularly. Let’s say that you’ve figured out how to keep the animals out, and you’ve completely resown your garden. A passerby who knows nothing of your efforts, might find it quite strange to see you watering an empty plot of soil day after day. But since you’ve built this garden, you know exactly which plants will bloom where and when. Even if you explain your gardening intentions to your neighbor, they may still miss the full picture the way you see it with your mind’s eye.
Watering seeds which are hidden underground, with the understanding that green leafy bits will eventually burst through, is one way to describe faith. At this stage, you don’t know which seeds will sprout, or even if any will. But, you do know enough about biology to know they “might” make it and surely your watering habits can contribute to the success, or failure. Once again, an awareness and focus on the possibilities (rather than a focus on the lack of sprouts showing), allows abundance to exist.
Similarly, when we visualize or say positive affirmations with an image of our garden (our goal) at it’s fullest potential, we are able to keep faith in the possibilities. If all we can see is an empty plot of soil, we create our own mental roadblocks.
3. Don’t give up.
Some plants take only 3-5 days to germinate. Others can take weeks. Some perennial bulbs and flowers don’t even sprout until the year after they are planted. Patience is a virtue, one that can be developed if not inherited. Just as in gardening, dreams take time. Goals need to be nurtured and maintained; tended to and supported. When patience is matched with perseverance, magic happens.
Instead of groaning and complaining about the destruction of the garden by wild animals, start rebuilding. Move forward without looking back. Keep your eyes on the prize and extinguish any questions of fear, doubt, or worry. Remind yourself of the joy you get from being in the garden. Acknowledge what feels right in your heart and build faith from that. Do not let those pesky animals distract you from your purpose.
Imagine if after 2 weeks of watering every day, your garden shows no signs of germination, motivating you to throw in the towel and give up. How ironic would it be to know that the seeds were only one day away from sprouting? Despite what your eyes see (the empty plot of soil), trust the vision that is inside you, showing the garden in full bloom.
Let’s continue this discussion over on the “Dreamers” Facebook fan page. What does the garden symbolize in your life? What suggestions would you give to someone who feels defeated or frustrated? How do you handle thoughts of fear, doubt, and worry?
