The Myth of Scarcity
Reasons for Hope (8 of 11)
“Abundance is the feeling you have, whether rich or poor, when you are sustained by the love of Buddha/God/the universe within you. Because when you feel the presence of the divinity inside you, you are filled with light, love, faith, trust, compassion, gratitude, humility, joy, contentment, strength, courage, and wisdom.” - The Practical Buddhist Blog
Perception Matters
Imagine you are walking down the street in your hometown downtown area. You are on your way to a specialty shop you know of but in no particular rush. Along the way you pass someone holding a cardboard sign: “Homeless. Anything helps.” Would you A) dig for change or bills to give the person OR B) clutch your purse or wallet tighter? Your response may indicate whether you are perceiving your world as a place of abundance or scarcity.
The birds in my backyard must operate from a place of abundance. They will sit on the feeder and scatter more seed on the ground than they will eat for themselves. Consequently, other birds and rabbits will share in the bounty.
I have always been impressed and amazed at my oldest son who, although he has little money and generally wishes to avoid strangers, never fails to give a homeless person some money.
You see, how you perceive your world dictates how you respond to your world. If you are operating from a perception of lack or scarcity, then when you hear of a potential toilet paper shortage due to a pandemic because of some story about scarcity halfway around the world, well, you just might go out and buy a whole lot of toilet paper whether or not you actually need it. Of course, in the process of hoarding toilet paper, you are likely contributing to the very scarcity that you feared. And so it goes.
Perceive scarcity. Hoard. Create scarcity.
As I write this, there is a new situation of scarcity: a baby formula shortage in America. It is real and it is a big deal. And it is scary. But I was encouraged when I saw an offering of a few cans of formula by a parent who is still breastfeeding and realized that her “stash for a rainy day” could be life-saving to another mom’s child right now. She posted on FB her wish to give the formula away. That person was operating from a perception of the world as generous and from a place within herself that trusted the Universe/God/Source to be generous.
Perceive abundance. Give and share. Create abundance.
Why don’t we all do this?
That’s something I am not able to answer. But let me just encourage you to check in with yourself. If you truly know Who you Are, you know that you are a child of God or of the Natural World or of the Universe or Source. It doesn’t matter the language you use. If you know Who you Are, you recognize the divinity within you. You are operating, perhaps even creating, from natural order and generosity. You experience abundance all around you because it is emanating from within you, like the birds, or my son, or that mother.
If you do not yet know Who you Are, you may be operating from lack and fear. You may feel you “should have” this or that or the other thing. You may constantly feel judged for what you do or don’t have. You may feel like you never have “enough.”
Changing the Narrative
I titled this article “The Myth of Scarcity” not so much because I believe that there is no scarcity but because I wish to challenge society’s automatic perception of “lack.” We have been telling ourselves this story for too long. Let’s change the narrative.
Changing the narrative is not simple. It takes daily practice and work. It takes expanded awareness of who we are and how we respond to our world. It takes new action. But this is achievable, as all things are, one step at a time.
If you wish, you can make this claim:
I am now choosing to release any attachment I have to the idea of lack or scarcity. I am now choosing to recognize the abundance within and around me. And as I do this, I am allowing my perceptions of my world to open my heart to gratitude, generosity, and compassion. I choose this of my own free will for my highest good and the good of all.
The next time you see someone in need or hear of a shortage, please just take one more moment to check in with yourself. Recognize the divinity in yourself and others and see where your heart leads you.
Please feel free to leave a comment. When have you discovered abundance? When have you operated from lack? What encouragement would you like to give others?
“The willingness to release identifiers that obscure the light is the only requirement. Without the willingness to realign at this level, you will rest upon the comfort of the ways you have been known, even if the ways you have been known are causing you heartbreak, even if the ways you have chosen to see yourself are claiming you as in lack, as in poverty, or without love.” - The Guides (Alchemy)
References
“Being Aware of Abundance.” The Practical Buddhist. Thepracticalbuddhist.com. 3 April 2022.
Selig, Paul. Alchemy (The Beyond the Known Trilogy) (p. 234). St. Martin's Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
Next up: Hope Entangled
You can find my other series in the archives:
Parenting 101 Coupons: A Gift from your Parents
Partnering 101: A Deep Dive into Leaving Kindly
Me-Time: Self-care in the time of Covid
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Brenda BraykoWriter. Teacher. Gong Player.
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All photos by © Brenda Brayko 2022.
