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Learning to recognize the abundance already around us
Sometimes I find myself overwhelmed. I imagine a reality in which I have more money, friends, and time, naively thinking this would make my problems disappear. And then, when I finally get what I want, nothing internally changes. I. Still. Want. More. I’m not saying that I have everything that I truly desire, but I do have most of what I used to want. My circumstances have changed, but my mindset hasn’t caught up. I started pondering this recently when I realized how differently I can experience the exact same circumstances depending on what I choose to focus on.
There are days when I look at everything I have to do, what has gone wrong, and convince myself that I’m lacking. If I take a step back, I can often see that even some of the most difficult days are also filled with friendship, opportunity, good food, laughter, and moments I always wished for.
Here are different versions of how my day went two days ago:
On Friday, I went to my favorite matcha shop with my good friends. I got to start the day my preferred way with great conversations, matcha in hand, and a walk. We caught up on life updates, crazy stories, and relationships. A bit later, we came back home and I began working. Later in the day I went to the gym and ran into a few acquaintances. Still needing to wrap up a few tasks, I sipped on a delicious juice from the gym cafe as I worked and caught up with a new friend. I had great conversations where I learned something new, then walked back home with a full heart. When I got home, I ran to the grocery store to get some limes for the dinner I was hosting. The meal wouldn’t have been the same without them. I made this tasty chicken larb dish with coconut rice and my friend brought some copycat Levain cookies. We spent the night eating and laughing, and before we knew it, it was already 10:30 p.m.
On Friday, I went to my favorite matcha shop where I spent way too much money. After I got back, I realized I lost my apartment and car keys. How did I lose my keys? I am so forgetful. Then, I got a late start to work. After prepping for a dreaded Monday meeting, I headed to the gym. My car has been in and out of the shop so I had to walk. It was SO hot and humid outside. My bag was heavy and I was running late. After my workout, I responded to emails I should have answered before. I didn’t eat enough for lunch so I started to feel dizzy. Then I had to buy the $11 juice that I didn’t even want. I stopped for conversations with acquaintances, using up precious time I didn’t have. Did I say too much? I wished my car was working. Then I was late to prepare dinner to have a friend over. I thought I had limes! UGH! I literally had to run to the store to get some since I was late. I got back a tired and sweaty mess.
Technically everything I described did happen. But, I’m sticking to the first story. The story where I had an amazing and chaotic day because the two can coexist. The one where my life is abundant. The version of the story where I didn’t even have to ask my friends to go get matcha, they brought it up! The one where I saw people I recognized at the gym and they were kind enough to give me their time and where I too, decided that connection is worth every second of time spent.
I am not saying you should pretend that everything is good all the time. Some experiences truly are difficult, inconvenient, disappointing, or painful. An abundance mindset doesn't require you to ignore those things. It encourages you not to let temporary emotions or feelings block you from appreciating what you do have.
I could have spent that Friday frustrated about my keys, my car, my workload, the heat, or the money I spent. That honestly would’ve been pretty valid. But that would’ve hindered me from appreciating everything else that was happening around me. The inconveniences were real, but so were all the good things happening around them.
The version of events where you choose to see the plenitude of your life is infinitely more enjoyable. You’ll then notice things like people being kind, realize that there isn’t really a limit to the number of friends you can make, and see the connections you can deepen. All of a sudden you buy things that you are happy to put the money towards and you stop feeling buyer’s remorse after each swipe. You realize you are not running out of time, because every encounter is purposeful.
Maybe you don’t feel like your life is abundant. You might be in a season of loss, or confusion. “Abundance starts from the grounds of gratitude,” says Owling Bishop, a Reddit user whose words I found insightful. Having gratitude for absolutely anything good in your life can create a profound shift in perspective.
Simply by living, you are blessed. You get the privilege of learning, growing, and experiencing. With time you accumulate wisdom, friendships, and memories you’ll never forget. You realize that you might even look back on your times of struggle and understand they were not in vain. I know I do.
My life is abundant because I remind myself to look for the little joys and wins each day. I choose to be happy with where I am today because I know that if I don’t do that now, when I have more, I still won’t be satisfied. That’s not to say that I shouldn’t strive to be healthier, more social, and better at time management. I still want to be and do all those things. But, that doesn’t stop me from appreciating what I already have. I look to the future with optimism because that choice shapes my reality!
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