Archive for Personal Development
Faith and the Law of Abundance
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Living life abundantly is the embodiment of our emotions, thoughts, body and spirit working in harmony.
It’s achieved through passion, clarity of purpose, focused pragmatic action, and faith.
When talking about living life abundantly some pundits suggest we solely focus on what we really want in life and stop concentrating on what we don’t want.
Great advice, but in itself that won’t get you your heart-felt goals and aspirations. Especially when positively focusing on what you do want doesn’t give immediate results.
That’s where faith comes into the equation.
The faith that I’m talking about here is what The Free Dictionary defines as:
- Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
- Belief that doesn’t rest on logical proof or material evidence.
“Faith is a gift of spirit that allows the soul to remain attached to its own unfolding.” Thomas Moore
The Toltec teachings suggest that most of us use faith to create or recreate the stories we tell ourselves about our lives. They say that any thought you have about the truth of your life is made in faith about the truth of that belief. That is, whatever you have cognitive faith in, you’ll feel able to create in your life.
However, as we see from the above definitions true faith isn’t based on logical proof or material evidence. Faith isn’t true when invested in what we think.
It’s true when based on what you know or feel from the depth of your soul. This unreasoned faith is faith in the moment, faith in life, and faith in yourself. This type of faith-awareness is powerful.
However, this doesn’t mean that just because we focus our efforts in living from a faith that isn’t based on logical proof or material evidence we can believe that we’ll instantly and forever be living life abundantly. Absolutely not! This soulfully fuelled type of faith is far from blind.
Thomas Moore reminds us that there is at least two dimension to this kind of faith – that of being a ‘believer’ and a ‘disbeliever’. Soulful faith is germinated in the richness of both wonder and questioning.
Initially you might think that being a believer and disbeliever in the same instance might dilute or even cancel the power of faith. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Robust faith requires pursuing living life abundantly by acknowledging both the light and shadow side of faith.
- Belief (light) that you will create whatever you desire in your life; or that someone will be what you expect them to be.
- Uncertainty (shadow) that life and others will be just as you expect.
In other words honing your soulful faith means holding both wonder in life’s creative nature and the strength of your faith, even while you question that wonder and strength.
If you refuse or forget to hold these seeming opposites in the same instance you run the risk of becoming cynical, when whatever outcome or person you put your faith in doesn’t come through in the way you thought they should.
As Moore reminds us “to the soul they are [both] necessary”…. “the creative shadow actually strengthens faith by filling it out and ridding it of its perfection”.
True faith isn’t blind to its shadow. It recognizes and realizes that if you don’t allow some uncertainty into soulfully practicing your faith you may, as Moore suggests, fall victim to neurotic excesses, feeling superior or cynicism.
What part has soulful faith played in you living life abundantly? I’d love to hear your comments.
Until the next time honour both the light and shadow of your faith in living life abundantly!
In the next blog we’ll explore what trust has to do with faith and living life abundantly.
Resources:
Theun Mares (1997), Cry of the Eagles, Lionheart Publishing, Marietta, GA 30060, USA
Thomas Moore (1994), Care of The Soul, Harper Collins, New York, New York
Has the Law of Abundance become a Law of Entitlement?
Posted by: | Comments“‘Entitlement’ is not only the opposite of achievement; it undermines incentives to do all the hard work that leads to achievement.” Thomas Sowell
When I was lecturing at a UK university a few years ago a student came up to me at the first session of the semester and said, “Can I get a distinction in this class?”
After clarifying exactly what he meant, that is, could he get a distinction just for showing up I said, “I don’t know. Are you capable of earning a distinction in this class?”
There’s quite a bit of literature out there suggesting that an attitude of entitlement is an affliction of today’s adolesence and individuals in their 20’s. Other literature says that this phenomenon is a predisposition of anyone born from 1970 onward. However, before thinking it’s a generational issue let’s look at some of the characteristics of an entitlement attitude?
Someone with the feeling of entitlement might think or make some or all of the following comments:
- “Everyone else has ‘X’… so I want it too and right now.”
- “If you really loved me….. you’d give me ‘X’ now.”
- “Why should I? What have they done for me?”
- “They, the organization, the government, life owes me something.”
- “I deserve to have it now.”
- “I want more and I want it now.”
- “Someone with my level of education or socio-economic status, should be entitled to ‘X’ (e.g. the best service – whatever the service – now, an abundant lifestyle – now, without having to put a whole lot of effort into creating it).
If these comments are indicators of having a feeling of entitlement (to have or get whatever we want, when we want) then I’d venture to say entitlement isn’t just a generational challenge but fast becoming a societal one.
Well this is all well and good but what’s it got to do with the notion of abundance?
If we believe we’re entitled to an abundant life, whatever that means to each and every one of us, then we may not be willing to put in the effort needed to create that life. If we want it all, then we’d better be prepared to roll up our sleeves and work towards achieving ‘it all’.
It’s about exploring what abundance means for us, whatever that means and then going out and creating it!
“A great source of frustration for people with a strong sense of entitlement is unmet expectations….”[i] Paul Harvey
Life doesn’t always turn out the way we planned on our first, second, third or hundredth attempt. Some individuals we meet along the way aren’t what they initially appear to be. Or we may feel that others, who seem to possess what we desire, have gotten it without much effort on their part; while we diligently persevere with little success.
Creating an abundant life isn’t about expecting any person, institution or windfall to make it happen for us. Life doesn’t owe us anything we’re not prepared to work towards.
Creating abundance in your life is about having a clear vision about what you truly want your life to look and feel like and doing whatever needs to be done to attain it!
For those of us who live in developed countries we’re already blessed with so many life-enhancing opportunities and resources. Unfortunately, because they’re so readily available we forget, in the first instance, to be grateful for what we do have. Instead we’ve a tendency to focus on what’s missing rather than the gifts of life that are already all around us.
I’d love to hear your comments about the notion of entitlement.
Until next time, take time to remember all that you have and reach for all that you desire!
[i] http://www.management-issues.com/2009/4/28/research/gen-y-still-think-the-world-owes-them-a-living.asp
Real Women Speak Up about Real Issues
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s an opportunity for you to speak up about the issues that are of upmost importance to you as you navigate life. In the process you may just help someone else too.
I sincerely hope you are having a fabulous day. 
I would love your help. I am looking for very real and relevant topics to discuss in future blogs and as subject matter for upcoming podcasts.
The blog series and podcasts will be entitled: Real Women, Real Issues.
I’m just beginning to research relevant subjects, which will assist women who are dealing with those very real issues right now in their lives.
Each blog and podcast will focus on one particular issue and contain relevant and practical assistance to help women dealing with them right now. Read More→
Plotting the course of your life and celebrating messiness
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Plotting the course
It’s not rocket science.
- You get a sense of where you are now with the creation of your life.
- You explore which bits are working (keep those)
- You look at which bits aren’t (ditch these)
- You begin to create a vision of what would constitute your ideal life
- Then you begin to plot a course which will head you in that direction (at a level of perceptions, feelings, thoughts, and actions)
If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere. - Frank A. Clark
Of course on paper it all looks incredibly straight forward. However, let’s face it life is messy and sometimes chaotic. Read More→
Success – and what it means
Posted by: | CommentsIt depends
Gather 100 people in a room and ask them what success feels, looks, and sounds like and you will probably get a different response for each and every one of them. There may be some basic themes around health (mind, body spirit), wealth and relationships. However, how those themes are expressed in one’s life will vary with each person you ask.
However, we aren’t talking about anyone else today but you.
The meaning of success for you
If I were to stop you in the street and ask you what success in your life would feel, look and sound like, would the answer slide gently and succinctly off your tongue? Or would you come up blank, while looking at me as though I were mad for stopping to ask you such a question in the first place? Would you reflexively clutch your valuables closer to you while shrugging off the annoyance of being stopped dead in your tracks and swiftly put as much distance between us as possible.
Hopefully the question would, at least, prompt some serious reflection followed up with the creation of a vision of what success would indeed look and feel like to you.
“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”
“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.
“I don’t much care where–” said Alice.
“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.
“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.
“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Chapter 6
Are you like Alice? Not really caring where you get to as long as you get somewhere.
The question I ask is this: How can you ever consider your life to be a successful on your terms, if you don’t first decide in what direction you would like your life to go?
You and your life are worth time and effort! If you aren’t prepared to invest in it, who is?
Would love to hear from you about your views of what would make your life a success.
In the next blog we’ll look at plotting, planning and messiness with respect to you creating a life of success.
