Last week my husband and I went to the mall with our daughters on Thursday evening. As I walked around, it was relatively peaceful, not a huge crowd at 8 pm on a weeknight. But the smell of retail was intense (am I the only one who thinks that the mall has an intoxicating “new purchase” smell??), signs for huge sales, can’t miss deals, and the normal Holiday shopping pushes that are so abundant this time of year.
I’ll admit it, I fall victim to the I need this game. I think it’s a very rare person that doesn’t fall into the mindset of ‘well it might be nice to have a new _______’ – fill in the blank. Not even because it’s the time of year for buying, giving and receiving. It’s natural for our human drive to want to have the experience that comes with getting something new. I personally enjoy giving gifts to others and receiving as well! However, it’s the mindset of what I need now that has the tendency to make us feel such overwhelming lack in a vicious circle.
I think a large portion of our society is in the mindset of accumulating. We don’t even really know why anymore either. We do it because it’s what we were taught or maybe even to compensate for hard times that we used to know all too well. Let’s face it, no one wants to be in the position of not having enough food, time, money, medicine, or even heating oil!
Especially in December.
However, it takes some diligence, some focus, and some soul searching to take a good look around you and see that all you have is all you need.
As I sit here writing this with my little kitten sidekick, I can scan my life, and see that right now, in this moment at 2:23 pm, I have everything I need. Not just what I NEED, I have enough wonderful things in my life to see major abundance, and to truly thrive. I have a reliable vehicle, happy healthy children, the love I give and receive for my husband, and medicine to get me through the day (I’ve had type 1 diabetes for over 20 years). I have animals to keep my house happy, food in the fridge to get us through the week with good meals in our bellies, warm soft sheets, beds, clean clothes. I have everything I could ever need and then an incredible amount more. I have an entire upstairs suite that is only used when family comes to visit, with beds, toys, linens and a full functioning extra bathroom.
Truly I am blessed with so much abundance.
The ego likes to tell us what we need. It tells us we need new phones and gadgets, designer clothes, fancy cars. While all of those things are fun, they aren’t needs. At the end of the day, I’m happy that my 2006 mini van has heat to get my daughter to school in the morning. Certainly there are things that I’m not sure if I have enough of… there are things that will need to be replaced, groceries will need to be bought again, bills will need to be paid and resources will be used and needed again.
As I slipped into a silent meditation this afternoon, I prayed to God to help me see. To help me see abundance where I may not see it. I prayed that I stay awake enough to really realize, to fully understand that all I have is all I need and that right now, this afternoon, I have all I need to live this wonderful day and so much more.
I listened to Marianne Williamson speak yesterday and she discussed this topic in great depth – which is probably why I feel so pulled to focus on it in my own life. She said that when you continue to remind yourself “I have everything I need” – that becomes your mantra and the Universe responds to it. You start to see things that you need coming easier, faster, and even things or situations that you only dreamed of, coming into your experience… because you have programmed yourself to have everything you need.
Today let us all look around and see that there truly is nothing missing. Let us hold that space in our hearts, radiate appreciation and know that all we have is all we need.
The rest will be given at the perfect time.
Natural Peace Living 