(inspirational collages) 

Scarcity. It’s a word that implies that there is not enough of something.

It is also a way of thinking that can drain the joy from your life.

This “not enough” notion can pervade the lives of those in scarcity in a multitude of ways.

Here are a few big ones that I have experienced:

• I don’t have enough money.
• I don’t have enough love.
• I don’t have enough time.
• I don’t have enough acclaim.
• I don’t have enough knowledge.
• I don’t have enough security.

Any of these sound familiar?

These ideas spiral out into sometimes troublesome behavior: hoarding money, obsessing over relationships, neurotic stress that leads to no productivity, hoarding things so you have them “just in case”, self-destructive drive to be the best yet always falling short, rushing through days, comparing yourself to others and always coming up short… and never really feeling present in life.

Of course, there is technically an infinite amount of everything we need in the world, but that abundance does not feel real to everyone and can strike someone who is plagued by scarcity as a fairy-tale statement.  And today, I want to look at real, grounded, practical ways to get beyond scarcity and into a space of personal stability. 

If you are in a mode of scarcity, you may feel you are never financial secure enough.  Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be broke to feel financial scarcity- it plagues the wealthiest people I have ever met.  Smart, able, dynamic, well-loved and very accomplished people suffer from scarcity.

Last night I had a dream that a man came to me and said, “You need to realize you are enough right now, exactly as you are.”

I woke up smiling.

I have been plagued by scarcity from a young age. I inherited it, I think, from my parents who swung on two ends of the scarcity spectrum. And, I have been eager to unload the last bits of it for a while. In a sense, the dream was exactly the message I needed.

While improvement, growth and all kinds of designing of greatness is brilliant, there’s a whole lot to be said for being OK with who you are and where you are right now.

There are hundreds of feng shui ways to balance out scarcity behavior. I wanted to share a few that apply to all kinds of scarcity, no matter where it might be affecting you.

1. Give more. Give more money to charity, even a few dollars at a time. Give more time to helping people who need help in ways that make a difference and make you feel wonderful in the process.

2. Get rid of what you don’t need.  Ridding your life of things you are holding on to “just in case” will clear space and help you stop the cycle of holding onto things that are not good for you!

3. Spend more time with kids… and animals, too. If you want to get to the essence of being instinctual, having enough and being present, children and even animals are great teachers!

In her compelling  article The Psychology Of Scarcity, Melanie Greenberg, Ph.D. offers more great strategies to re-frame scarcity behavior: 

1. Practice Gratitude – Deliberately focus your mind on what is good about your life, including the people who support you, the sense of community in your neighborhood, your achievements, or your exercise and healthy lifestyle. This can stop you from magnifying the importance of any one scarce resource like time or money.

2. Don’t Compare Yourself With Others – You will always be exposed to people who have more time, money, or possessions and may experience a touch of envy. But in reality, you don’t know what it’s like to walk in that person’s shoes. As the saying goes, “Don’t compare your inside to everybody else’s outside.”  Your struggles may have created inner strengths that you don’t fully appreciate.

3. Stop Obsessing – It is easy to get caught up in mental scripts about all the wrong decisions you made or worries about “what if.”  To break these cycles requires a lot of effort and preparation. Make a plan for what you will do if you catch yourself ruminating. Getting up and getting active can activate the left side of your brain, which breaks the depressive emotional focus. So, take a walk, call a friend, tidy your closet or read a book.

4. Take Preemptive Measures – Make a list when you go to the supermarket or program automatic appointment reminders and deposits into savings accounts. Don’t take your credit card to the mall—take a frugal friend with you instead. Put the cookies on the top shelf or give them away before starting your healthy living plan.

5. Don’t Be Greedy – When resources are scarce, people get competitive because they think that more for somebody else means less for you. In fact, when you help somebody else grow their business, they may be more likely to refer extra business to you. Being helpful to others can lead to deeper friendships, gaining respect and reputation, creative bartering, or making allies

Revel in the gifts you have been given, cultivate your interests and talents, and enjoy your life! You can have everything you need.  Interestingly enough, when you realize you don’t need very much, more tends to come! xoxo Dana

P.S.:  If you want to build on the foundation of your awesome self-love and pile on the wealth, The Cash Camp is HERE and it closes today…!!!  You can learn more and join us HERE!!!

 

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And, if you want to dive in to your own personalized feng shui in a modern, practical way, Say hello to Feng Shui 101.  Its the guide I made for you to create your own personalized feng shui at home, in the office, wherever you may be… in 8 weeks.  It’s not filled with strict rules or what you “must” do.  Its filled with information, questions, exercises and even videos and classes to help you confidently create amazing spaces with killer feng shui and live with more flow.   Learn more about the 8-week feng shui adventure & grab your copy to get started right HERE…   And, as always, please let me know what happens!  xoxo Dana