Leaving the Lack Tree Forest

Leaving the Lack Tree Forest

One of the nicest things that has changed in my life has been moving away from lack to abundance. One of my dearest friends talks about living in the lack-tree forest, where you can’t see all the abundance for focusing on the lack. Cuz it’s really just that easy.

We have so much language that is about lack. Curiously, one of the most lacking words is enough. The nature of enough is that, in general, there never is. Enough money, enough power, enough fame, there often is a carrot hanging off a stick tantalizing us with just a little bit more, just the next conquest, the next thing, and then it will be enough.

But it never is.

Why do I enjoy plenty? How is my life abundant? What makes me appreciate the luxury?

When I start looking for luxury, I am often dazzled by how much there is. The pockets of nature filled with interesting stuff to see and smell and hear and feel. The breeze in the trees, birdies do their birdie things, plants that show up in unlikely places, a mysterious, nice smell that you can’t quite pinpoint.

And the luxury of friends and family, When we can get together and be ourselves, and feel loved anyway. The luxury of compassion, the luxury of forgiveness, the luxury of patience, the luxury of kindness.

We have the luxury of choice, to choose to make our lives better, more fun, easier, more relaxed. To choose to flow with our lives, to let them unfold, with all their attendant stuff, more luxury. The luxury of an open heart.

When I start looking for luxury, I am often astounded. The luxury of hearing a stranger’s story. The luxury of grasping a new point of view that makes things nicer. The luxury of having time to work through a challenging situation, or a complex set of feelings, and coming out the other side stronger, deeper, wiser.

The luxury of understanding that I create my reality with my thoughts and feelings and filters, and that if I don’t like this way, I can rethink it and have a new experience. Wow.

The luxury of understanding that happiness is available to me from the inside out. That my happiness is not contingent on outside stuff, but on my way of being in the world. That I can choose to look up, to connect with my perfect self, to relax into my natural life, and flow into nice.

When I gave up having problems, being poor, feeling sick, my life did a big 180. All I had to do was change the words. We never think that using a different word can make such a big difference, but there you go. We have the luxury of so much language that, simply by using a new word, will bring us to a place we feel more comfortable in, happier, less stressed.

Changing my language took some awareness, took some practice, but it has been so worth it. Simply using different words, positive phrases, upbeat concepts, I change my mood, I change my emotions, I change my thinking, I come closer to being my perfect self.

How have I changed from seeing the lack to living a life of luxury and abundance?

(c) Pam Guthrie 2014 all rights reserved 07042014