ABUNDANCE

I didn’t start my travels with the idea that I’d be seeking more clarity about abundance, but it seems to be creeping up on me around every corner, and I’d be blind not to notice the seemingly everpresent reminders.    

When we were in Bali, a friend of a friend had a mix of essential oils called “Abundance”.  We were to put a drop in our water bottles, and then let the magic unfold.  The next morning I woke to my only two pairs of shoes torn to shreds by Honey the housedog.  The following morning I lost my iPhone.  Couldn’t help but question what type of abundance I was receiving, and what this deeper lesson must be.  (Surely there was a deeper lesson, right??).   

Perhaps it’s the lack of importance of material things.  I could replace my flip flops and live with one pair of shoes for the next 3 weeks.  OK, done.  Perhaps it was a gentle reminder to disconnect from the virtual world, and take more notice of the vibrancy in front of me.  Admittedly, having a phone that’s paid for by work with international access to email, texts, and internet at any moment did not encourage me to disengage from that very normal, very over-connected life that I usually lead.  So, could I deal with not having a phone?  Sure, it’s been nearly two weeks now and I don’t miss it all that much.  We actually have to plan times to meet, and I do most of my emailing in the morning, and at night, with a break during the day.  I’ve probably missed out on a lot of texts, and a few calls, but nothing feels lacking.  Liz, Marissa, and I have also formed a “club”, a learning group called “jnana vichara” which means inquiry regarding knowledge.  This month’s theme?  Lakshmi, goddess of. . .you guessed it. . . .abundance, prosperity, wealth.

So maybe those are some of the lessons of abundance?  Having less without feeling deprived. . . appreciating that all I have is all I need (one good pair of flip flops can go a long way). . .feeling very full in my time with Marissa and the other AcroYogis, slackliners, and other Thai massage junkies here. . .eating lunch for $1 and getting an hour foot massage for $4. . .waking up excited to start another day walking through the market for breakfast and seeing what new kinds of street food we can discover. . .missing home in a way that feels like, ‘wow, I have amazing friends and family in my life, and I can’t wait to see them, but I’m enjoying my time away as well”. . .abundance in JOY, abundance in opportunity, abundance in adventure.  

I am grateful for the not so subtle push to look at my life through a different lens in order to see the beauty, the simplicity, and the downright-overflowing-never-ending-busting-at-the-seams stream of abundance flowing my way.