Abundance

‘Who you think you are’ is intimately connected with how you see yourself treated by others. Many people complain that others do not treat them well enough. “I don’t get any respect, attention, recognition, acknowledgment,” they say. “I’m being taken for granted.” When people are kind to them, they suspect hidden motives. “Others want to manipulate me, take advantage of me. Nobody loves me.”

‘Who they think they are’ is this: “I am a needy ‘little me’ whose needs are not being met.” This basic misperception of who they are creates dysfunction in all their relationships. They believe they have nothing to give and that the world or other people are withholding from them what they need. Their entire reality is based on an illusory sense of who they are. It sabotages situations, mars all relationships. If the thought of lack—whether it be money, recognition, or love—has become part of ‘who you think you are’, you will always experience lack. Rather than acknowledge the good that is already in your life, all you see is lack. Acknowledging the good that is already in your life is the foundation for all abundance. The fact is: whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you are withholding to the world. You are withholding it because deep down you think you are small and that you have nothing to give.

Try this for a couple of weeks and see how it changes your reality: whatever you think people are withholding from you—praise, appreciation, assistance, loving care, and so on—give it to them. You don’t have it? Just act as if you had it, and it will come. Then, soon after you start giving, you will start receiving. You cannot receive what you don’t give. Outflow determines inflow. Whatever you think the world is withholding from you, you already have, but unless you allow it to flow out, you won’t even know that you have it. This includes abundance. The law that outflow determines inflow is expressed by Jesus in this powerful image: “give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” (Luke 6:38)

The source of all abundance is not outside you, it is part of who you are. However, start by acknowledging and recognizing abundance without. See the fullness of life around you. The warmth of sun on your skin, display of magnificent flowers outside a florist’s shop, biting into a succulent fruit, or getting soaked in an abundance of water falling from the sky. The fullness of life is there at every step. The acknowledgment of that abundance that is all around you awakens the dormant abundance within. Then let it flow out. When you smile at a stranger, there is already a minute outflow of energy. You become a giver. Ask yourself often: “what can I give here; how can I be of service to this person, this situation?” you don’t need to own anything to feel abundant, although if you feel abundant consistently things will almost certainly come to you. Abundance comes only to those who already have it. It sounds almost unfair, but of course it isn’t. It is a universal law. Both abundance and scarcity are the inner states that manifest as your reality. Jesus puts it like this: “for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Mark 4:25)

taken from:

A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose

Eckhart Tolle

The Mayonnaise Jar and Two Cups of Coffee

When things in your life seem,

Almost too much to handle,
When 24 Hours in a day is not enough,
Remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee:

A professor stood before his philosophy class
And had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
He picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
And proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
And poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded
With an unanimous 'yes.'

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table
And poured the entire contents Into the jar,

Effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

'Now,' said the professor,

As the laughter subsided,
'I want you to recognize that

This jar represents your life.

The golf balls are the important things -

God, family, children, health, Friends, and favorite passions.
Things that if everything else was lost
And only they remained,

Your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter

Like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else --
The small stuff.

'If you put the sand into the jar first,' He continued,
'there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. 

The same goes for life.'

If you spend all your time

And energy on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that are important to you.

So...

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time
To clean the house and fix the disposal.

'Take care of the golf balls first --
The things that really matter. 
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.'

One of the students raised her hand
And inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled.
'I'm glad you asked'.

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem,
there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.'