More than a week ago, I received yet another perfect message, "Living a life of abundance (despite the global chaos)," from William Horvath, founder of Permaculture Apprentice. "What does abundance mean to you." This meaningful question made me pause for a moment, reflect on our lives and think about what abundance is about for us and how we are living it.
The first word that quickly came to mind was "FULLNESS," that feeling of solid happiness, satisfaction, and fulfilment in all the good and positive things we have and around us, and the extraordinary life and every day we are blessed with.
Had I received this question a year ago, that time when I was still shamelessly in the obsessive, selfish, and greedy pursuit of "more" stuff (money, a career that gives a huge paycheck at the end of each month, etc.), my answer would have been very different. You can read that piece here.
Don't get me wrong. It's nice to have money. We all need it to live "better" and pay for those big dreams. But it's not the money or the perfect job itself that can make us feel abundant or bring abundance.
At least in our case…
It was when we started to value and enjoy the rewards of our hard work with those around us.
When we realised how much we love what we are doing and how it brings us utter contentment.
When we started to learn how to let go of those frivolous, fleeting, and shallow desires.
When every time we feel plentiful, we feel nothing but gratitude for what we already have or for having more than we need.
And the contentment we feel when we share what we have plenty of already, like LOVE and knowing that there's more where that came from.
The thing is, we haven't thought of this word before as being something that grounds us immensely during the tough times. But now, we can see how these mundane little things bring so much abundance into our lives.
What are they? Quite simply…
(1) Nutritious meals for a better, healthier, happier life
Being able to cook delicious meals from vegetables we grow from our balcony garden paired with fresh mint tea for a refreshing finish fills us like nothing else can. And guess what, this dish is not a pancake but supposed to be a vegetable omelette but looking a lot like a pancake. How is that for a delicious ingenuity?
(2) Oh, my goodness, what a plentiful harvest!
Nothing beats the satisfaction of growing, harvesting, and eating homegrown goodness. Every two weeks - even if our harvest is just a handful – we are thankful.
Like making our own delicious, refreshing, and anti-oxidant filled goodness from our first roselle plant. It's the perfect drink to satisfy any palate with the clean taste of raspberry and cranberry. Not to mention we got lots of seeds for future grows. It sounds like a bounty to me!
(3) When a new life grows...
And everything looks much greener; that's the kind of sight that would make any nanny plant and gardener proud. Are you ready to watch some seeds sprout right before your eyes? One of the most exciting parts of gardening!
(4) Seeing my gardener mom's winning smiles
My mom's love affair with homegrown produce is the kind of post I want to see (and drool over) every day. She loves working in her garden and really is excellent at it. What a better gift to give her for the holidays than a set of gardening tools. She was over the moon, and I can "hear" her smiles right thru the phone. It was the loveliest sound!
(5) Nature is our heart's home
Being able to live in a healthy, happy, and sustainable environment where we all look forward to coming home and making our forever life together. That's the kind of abundant future we are building from scratch right now. I am in love with our future home, and hubby's periodic calls with the architect are taking us closer to waking up everyday to the sound of birds singing in the lush food forest.
(6) And here for the valentine's treat
Most of all, abundance for us means spending time, creating experiences and memories with the people we love. Not even the pandemic can stop hubby and me from enjoying a bit of pre-valentine day's romance. Just look at how we are eyes flirting with each other, and yes, you can do that even with your masks on.
It's obvious what this piece is about
The great news is, there is so much more! Our parents being healthy and thriving in retirement. Friends we enjoy laughing with over Chinese New Year hotpot. Better versions of ourselves are living more simply and finding pleasure in simple things.
Here's the not so good news. We are not perfect. We still fall into this "wish we could have more" mentality occasionally. That simple question reminded us that we have a choice. Because, really it comes back to us deciding and valuing what's essential and seeing abundant life as more than just monetary wealth, fulfilling relationships, and excellent health.
What about you? What does abundant life and living mean to you? Leave a comment below and if this post makes you want to engage further in a conversation, subscribe to my blog. It's the best way not to miss any of my future posts!
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