Think of abundance

These days Shimla is facing a serious shortage of water. One can see serpentine queues at various natural water points. People fight over their turn at filling water. What has happened to the cool tempered Shimlaite? Some blame the government; the others curse the tourists, while some lay it all at the God’s door. After all if God wanted us to have more water, there would be more rains and more snow!! No one looks at their own deeds. No one likes to take a share of the blame. If we had not been so careless about wasting our precious water when it was aplenty, we would not have been where we are today.

A visit to Lower Bazaar evokes similar sentiments. People ask for the prices of vegetables and groceries. Look at each other, throw up their hands in resignation, discuss inflation, and proceed to make their required purchases. One common refrain that stays in the mind is that it is alright for the rich, they can afford all the luxuries, but it is us middle class who have to make the ends meet. Does this statement ring true to you?

It has been noticed by many social scientists that real wealth is a state of mind. The difference between the rich and the poor is not in how much money they have, but in the way they talk, the way they act, and the way they think. Some so called ‘moneyed’ people can also grumble about lack of money, while some so called ‘paupers’ can be seen being grateful for what they have. Is there a difference in this thinking?

The way you think is what you create in your inner world. The way you talk and act is what you express in your outer world. If you want to be truly wealthy, you must be consistent in your thoughts, speech, and actions. We generally communicate lack in every way. “I know there won’t be any water today. We can’t afford to eat fruits. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Where will the money come from?” Do these sentences seem familiar to you? We think, and speak this language all the time. No wonder it gets reflected in our outer reality.

Elements in our environment affect our consciousness. Everything that we see around us impresses the idea of poverty or wealth on our subconscious. Look around your house. Are you holding on to some broken and dilapidated stuff without replacing it? Such things transmit energy of lack / poverty. When there are signs of abundance in the environment, the energy of abundant supply is transmitted. When you feel abundance, more abundance flows into your life. The subconscious impression of lack creates lack in our lives, while the impression of abundance creates more abundance. It is a vicious cycle, and we can’t escape it.

Examine your life. Which area of your life do you feel abundant in? Happy family, obedient children, loving relationships, good job, food in the pantry, abundant sunshine, vast sky, whatever…… Whatever area in your life right now makes you feel rich, stay focused on that. Use that area to affect other areas of your life. Think of abundance in that particular area all the time and be grateful for it. Do not ever speak of lack. It requires a lot of discipline and constant vigil over your words, but the results are worth all that effort. Your constant focus on abundance in one area will bring abundance in all other areas.

Similarly take a look at your actions. If you choose to buy the best and quality product for yourself, you are conveying the impression that you are worth it. That you deserve riches! That you are the best! Does it make you feel good? Your subconscious mind keeps picking these signals all the time and keeps creating conditions in your life that resonate with your inner state of mind.

To see wealth in your life, you must start living as though you are already wealthy. It doesn’t mean that you spend money beyond your means; it simply means that you spend in a way that makes you happy. Instead of saying, ‘My god, everything is so expensive.’ say, ‘Thank God, I can afford to buy it.’ Instead of saying, ‘There is no water.’ Try saying, ‘Thank God, we have some water to quench our thirst.’ These thoughts will make a great difference to your reality. For one, you will shift from a complaining and grumbling mode to a satisfied and thankful mode. That itself is a major achievement in today’s world…….

Smell the Roses

All the New Age management gurus have been advising people to slow down and smell the roses in order to manage the inevitable stress in their professional and personal lives. Shimla at this time of the year is just the right place to do that. The profusely blooming rose bushes are aflame with beautiful colours: pink, white, peach, red, and yellow. The entire landscape has changed thanks to these divine blooms. The butterflies and honeybees flit around these flowers collecting nectar… the nectar of life. That is what these flowers give us whether we admire them or not.

Why are we supposed to ‘slow down and smell the roses’? In this fast paced life, it seems like a sensible thing to do. But besides that you realize that all this hurry and worry of life is not worth it. The plight of an average corporate person has reached such ridiculous heights that even on the day a person dies; he has at least thirty emails in his inbox, an unfinished to-do list, and unreturned voice mails. We in Shimla are lucky to have escaped from most of this madness.

The fact remains, that we can never get it all done, no matter how many hours in a day we work, so we might as well just slow down. Some people are fearful of the very thought of slowing down. They say, “How can I slow down? There are bills to be paid, projects to be completed, kids to raise, and so much to do in life. If I slow down, I will be left behind. The others will overtake me as my productivity will go down. The inflation will not wait for me. I need to take care of my future”. Are these fears genuine? No.

It has been proven over the years that people who take short breaks to ‘smell the roses’, throughout the day get more work done than those people who are always worried about the deadlines. Focusing on ‘energy’ management is more productive than focusing on ‘time’ management. Which side of the fence are you on? Do you spend your day with a smile or a frown on your face? If it is a frown, go out, take a look at the roses and smell them.

Slowing down and enjoying is a matter of attitude and habit. It means to stop, breathe deeply, and enjoy all the special moments of your life. Once you do it you will realize that all the moments of your life are special in one way or the other. When we enjoy our life, we become grateful for even most basic things such as the ability to walk, to talk, to write, to eat, to share, to laugh, to smile, to pray, and to live.

Slowing down also means that even when the life throws challenges at us, even in the midst of tragedy, pressure and stress; we have the ability to recharge our batteries and come through the trying times as a winner. Small activities like a walk through Shimla’s lovely flora have the power to energize us. So if you want more strength, focus, energy, and skills, take this beautiful opportunity now.

When we slow down, we not only have more fun but more success as well. It is surprising that slowing down is the hardest thing to do for most people, but once they accomplish it they can never go back to a harried life.

So tell yourself each morning that today is the day when you will slow down. The blooming roses around you will keep reminding you to do that!!!