Affluence: noun; an abundance of flow – an influx; a flowing to or toward a point
Our best goals are born out of a desire for something positive that brings with it the energetic flow that makes life feel full of possibility, yet full of ease. Many of us believe such a state is reliant on money, which is why to be “affluent” has become equivalent to being “rich.” While it is true that resources are required to create something of worth, it is destructive to decide that in order to get to a place of ease and pleasure we need to first have strictly financial resources. First, there are many among us with significant wealth that have yet to find a sense of ease and possibility. Second, there is a hopelessness to deciding something currently out of reach is the only thing that can bring full happiness.
Limiting the resources that bring affluence to those that are financial ignores the other resources you might possess that can bring your desires within reach and it ignores the skills or resources that are not financial that you need to acquire in order to reach your goals. You may already have financial abundance, but a lack of health, energy or confidence may keep you from applying that resource to what you want to bring into your life. You may lack funding for the full scope of what you want to accomplish, but if you applied your skills, vision and connections you could make a first step that is instantly fulfilling and leads to other possibilities that bring your full project to fruition.
In reading this, a voice may crop up in your mind saying, “Well, I can’t just start throwing money around on some whim.” Or “Of course there are small things I can do, but what is the point if my dream is still years away and so many things beyond my control would have to happen to make it a reality?” This is fear: fear of waste; fear that effort will reveal your desire is impossible; fear of foolishness or failure.
The good news is you don’t have to jump off a cliff of risk and vulnerability to begin to instantly bring a sense of ease and possibility into your life. You are not bereft. Your efforts have likely already successfully brought many desirable achievements. You may have a home. You may have children. You may have a job. You may have a loving relationship. Even if you have none of these things, you have a body, a mind, a spirit.
The first step to feeling abundant enough to build actively toward what you want is to take care of what you have. You are the captain of a ship already loaded with bounty, and as you sail toward your destination you pick up the passengers and skills and resources you need, and all that come aboard are lucky to be in the hands of such an excellent steward. This attitude helps you feel more fully the resources you have. It builds your confidence that whatever you bring into your life will be done well, cared for well, treated with devotion and respect. It is an act of gratitude, turning your attention to what you have rather than what you lack. You can start enacting this today.
Here is a short list of things you might do as a good steward of your life:
Clean your space.
Give affection to someone you love. Give someone in your life your full undivided attention. Offer a compliment when a sincere one arises.
Offer support to someone you know needs it.
When in public, treat your community with compassion. Choose to be cooperative, helpful and kind.
Go over your finances and make sure you are doing all you can to be financially responsible. Look for one positive change to either save on something unnecessary, spend on something beneficial or generate needed income.
Repair or replace something that has been broken for too long.
Take care of your body by eating healthy foods and giving your senses nourishing activities. Take yourself out into nature. Give your lungs fresh air. Give your legs a stretch.
Nourish your spirit through your senses. Taste something delicious, smell something sweet, look at something beautiful. Listen to a favorite song. Take a warm bath.
Stimulate your mind in a way that is fun for you. Read an article. Listen to a podcast. Do a crossword. Build something. Draw something. Find your curiosity and feed it.
This above is just a beginning. If you are feeling daunted in what you are pursuing or simply by the prospect of gaining what you truly desire, take a step back from it. Make a list of the areas of your life for which you are responsible. Then, make choices that reflect the value of those responsibilities in a way that makes you proud of how you are navigating them.
From the first positive choice onward you will begin to feel a greater sense of ease, and the influx of energy that follows will carry a greater sense of possibility. Then affluence will not feel like a far away dream but something already at play in your life that you can begin to direct at will, knowing that whatever good things come your way will receive care and gratitude and be lived to the fullest.
PS – The next step is to make this not just an exercise but a way of being. Try it for a week, making note each day of the efforts you made to be a good steward of your life. If you are working with a coach or partner, make this part of your accountability. If not, put a monthly alert in your phone to check yourself. Have you continued this as a practice? What has it manifested for you? Do you need to recommit to being a positive source for your responsibilities, your relationships, yourself?