Abundance though, may not always be so narrowly defined. If we can understand the broader concept of abundance, and learn to incorporate it into our daily lives, we can all live with greater happiness and empowerment.
Think about the abundance that we all are surrounded by... everyday. Nature is one of life's greatest and most lavish gifts. do we take the time to regularly appreciate its presence? In Nature is all that we need to be healthy and happy... its spirit touches the very core of our bodies and our humanity... such that we find ourselves healed by Nature... if we allow it to. There's something in us that simply cannot be satisfied by all the money and technology in the world. That's the void only Nature can fill, so regularly surround yourself with it, and you will feel its abundance in your life.
In a world informed by consumerism and technology, it's easy to understand why most of us have come to equate abundance with corporate success and position, physical beauty, money and power, and the ability to access an infinite world of information.
When we fail to meet these benchmarks, we feel like social pariahs, deficient in the riches the world has defined for us. This leads to feelings of low self-esteem, fear and doubt, emotional turmoil and fractured relationships. Those of us who manage to achieve those riches often end up realising that they don't fulfill us in the ways we thought they could.
The world has been neatly split for us into the "haves" and the "have-nots". Those of us who have not spend our entire lives struggling to live up to the expectations of what constitutes an abundant life, but end up merely enriching the wallets of those who already do control the world's riches.
I am not saying that chasing a millionaire's dream is futile or that is its not worthy of your attention. Money gives you the power to do many things you otherwise would not be able to. Lifewise, physical beauty, social status and authority are very useful to have. But they are not the only paths towards abundance. In truth, they are distractions on the path to true abundance. They can be fulfilling, but first you must have achieved the foundation required to mitigate their negative effects.
Think about it... If you lost all your wealth tomorrow, would you still be happy? If your youth and beauty faded overnight, could you still love yourself? If you cannot have what you desperately desire, can you still find peace?
Eugine Loh, 938Live, MediaCorp Pte Ltd
