Rethinking simple abundance

Living a life of simple abundance is one of my major goals for this year. Interestingly, as I was thinking about what I wanted to write about the concept today, I remembered a post I'd written a while ago on simple abundance at another blog. Imagine my surprise when I found that post and realized it was published exactly one year ago today! How's that for synchronicity?

Dictionary.com defines these two words as follows:

simple: not elaborate or artificial; unassuming; not complicated or complex.

abundance: an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply; an overflowing fullness; wealth.

Sarah Ban Breathnacht, author of one of my favorite books, Simple Abundance, defines simple abundance as "an inner journey, a spiritual and practical course in creative living, a tapestry of contentment." That simple definition contains so much insight. It's an inner journey, meaning that it is ours and ours alone, a journey of our choosing, it comes from within us and is not predicated on external events. We can embark on this inner journey regardless of our external circumstances. We don't need to wait until the bills are paid, the kids are grown, we get married (or divorced), we get that new job. We can embark on this journey NOW.

It's both spiritual and practical. It's interesting that both words are included here. So often people focus on spirituality, but they forget that it's faith and love in action that matters. We're talking about a lifestyle, not a concept here.

I love the word creative. As a self-proclained artist (in the very broadest sense of the word), anything that involves creativity definitely has my attention. But what's great about that word in this context is that not only does it inspire me to live my dream of filling my life and home with "art", made by me and by others, but it also reminds me that God and I together are the artists of my life as well. God has given me the opportunity, the resources, and the desire to create a life that is pleasing both to Him and to me.

Here's what Sarah has to say about Simple Abundance:

At the heart of Simple Abundance is an authentic awakening, one that resonates within your soul; you already possess all you need to be genuinely happy. The way you reach that awareness is through an inner journey that brings about an emotional, psychological, and spiritual transformation. A deep inner shift in your reality occurs, aligning you with the creative energy of the Universe. Such change is possible when you invite Spirit to open up the eyes of your awareness to the abundance that is already yours.

... [There are] six threads of abundant living which, when woven together, produce a tapestry of contentment that wraps us in inner peace, well-being, happiness, and a sense of security. First there is gratitude. When we do a mental and spiritual inventory of all that we have, we realize that we are very rich indeed. Gratitude gives way to simplicity - the desire to clear out, pare down, and realize the essentials of what we need to live truly well. Simplicity brings with it order, both internally and externally. A sense of order in our life brings us harmony. Harmony provides us with the inner peace we need to appreicate the beauty that surrounds us each day, and beauty opens us to joy. But just as with any beautiful needlepoint tapestry, it is difficult to see where one stitch ends and another begins. So it is with Simple Abundance.

Pick up the needle with me and make the first stitch on the canvas of your life. Invite Spirit to open up the eyes of your inner awareness. Be still and wait expectantly, knowing that in the warp and woof of your daily life as it exists today are the golden threads of a simply abundant tomorrow.

Yesterday provided a great example of what simple abundance means to me on a practical level. I went to see a new doctor for a long-overdue eye exam. I'd put off the appointment for so long because in addition to paying for the exam, I expected to have to order new contact lenses and spend a few hundred dollars for new glasses. As it turned out, things turned out quite differently:

• the doctor discovered that I really didn't need the expensive, special-order daily-wear contacts that I'd been wearing for astigmatisms, so instead she prescribed "regular" extended wear contact lenses which are much less expensive, and commonly stocked in stores that sell lenses. Instead of having to wait a week to 10 days to get my new contacts, she was able to give me a pair on the spot (included in the cost of the eye exam).


• instead of having to change contacts every two weeks, I can wear the new lenses for 30 days before changing to a new pair, effectively doubling the length of time that a box of 6 lenses will last.


• since I can now sleep in the new lenses, the doctor reminded me that there was no need to purchase a new pair of (very expensive) glasses to wear when I take my contact lenses out.


• because I technically need progressive bifocal lenses but am not ready to do that with lenses, I sometimes wear reading glasses over my contacts if the text is small. The last time an eye doctor prescrived "reading glasses", they cost me over $100. This doctor, bless her heart, told me that there was no need to pay for prescription reading glasses, that instead I could get a pair of readers from Wal-Mart, or better still, from the Dollar Store!


• I had 2 extra boxes of the old special-order contact lenses that I'd purchased a few months ago from Wal-Mart. When I got home, I called and explained the situation and although I know that I was well beyond the exchange period, the optical dept manager told me that she was exchange the special-order lenses that I'd already purchased, and exchange them for the newer, less expensive lenses - that are on sale - meaning that I'll probably be able to get an extra box or two. As a result, I'll have the first 6+ months worth of lenses without spending another dime. And, after that, my new insurance will pay for the next set of lenses that I've had to purchase out of pocket for the last several years.

If I were narrowly focused on abundance as a measure of the amount of money I earn, the beauty of yesterday's trip to the eye doctor would have been lost. I don't have any more money in my pocket tonight than I had the night before last, but that doctor's visit saved me hundreds of dollars. Now, THAT'S something to be grateful for!

I challenge you to expand your definition of abundance. If you do, I'm certain that you'll realize that you are much more richly blessed than you realized.