Re: Abundance

yes, care with words and deeds. jill, you are dripping with wisdom, thanks for sharing it with us! i am gearing up to watch The Secret with friends this week!  Have you seen it and how was it for you?

re abundance, here is something i am up to:

“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the adundance of those who have much, it is whether we provide enough for those who have little.”—FDR

A fellow Zaadster friend has a beautiful new symbol for “Love One Another”.  It can be found here: http://loveoneanother.zaadz.com/

Apropos of loving one another, here is another way to love one–and all ya gotta do is comment on this post. Inspired by other Zaadies who have used this model for change, I will donate a dollar for each comment made in this post. The money raised will be used to prevent homelessness for one person in a developing country. This tells you more of our present project:

Dear Ones,

Those of you who have known us long enough remember that Mary and I did some
grass-roots non-profit community development work in rural Jamaica from
2001-2004 under the auspices of Global Children. Some of you may also remember that following a devastating but under-reported hurricane which hit eastern Jamaica a few years ago, we raised money to buy a new bed for our dear friend Rainford Brown, a
struggling artist partially disabled with Post-Polio Syndrome. That bed is still serving its purpose well, and we are using this opportunity to once again reach out to our community for help. We feel that Rainford is an exceptional person who assisted his community by helping to repaint and decorate the Children's Ward of a poor rural hospital in his area. He attends church regularly, is well liked by his neighbors and friends, and has a heart of gold. Some twenty years ago, Rainford was brought to Shriner's Hospital in Miami where he underwent several operations and subsequent physical therapy. We are keen to sponsor him for a visit to our home in 2008 or 2009 so that he can seek further medical treatment, but at this time there is a more pressing need at hand that involves that most basic tool of survival—shelter.

Rainford has been struggling to build his own house for several years and has recently completed the foundation. Despite his disability, he did most of the work himself and is now focused on finishing one room in time for Christmas. Although winters are mild in Jamaica, the rainy season is not and the rains have already begun…The rain season will begin in earnest soon after January and we would like to rest assured that Rainford has a solid tin roof over his head and some decent windows and doors for security.

Earlier this month, we sent US$100 —which translates into J$6000 Jamaican—enough to make a further dent in the ongoing project.  The money we are now raising through friends, family and colleagues will go directly into the hands of a talented and impoverished Jamaican artist whom we love. Through this letter alone, we have already raised another  $225. Once I receive plenty of comments here, I will that dollar amount and we will forward the lump sum to Rainford just before Christmas via Western Union. This way, we will be able to expedite construction of Rainford's home with a much-needed cash infusion. Every comment (and spreading the word through pods and your blogs and emails) will assist us in reaching our goal. Blessings!

It brings us great joy to share the wealth and the love! It is an honor to help facilitate this different way of giving and making a difference in one little corner of the world for one person who makes this world a better place with his love!

May the comments begin with a humble Namaste to you!

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Re: Abundance

beautiful mary!

i found these reflections on abundance and love:

On Fear, Abundance and Love - Laura Young

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but the judgment that there is something more important than fear”.   Ambrose Redman

I see it over and over again.  There are fear-oriented people and abundance, or love-oriented people.  By fear, I don't mean terror.  I am talking about something infinitely more subtle than that.  It's a feeling of scarcity…a prison of beliefs we place around ourselves.  The belief that we can't have what we want…that the “real world” doesn't work like that.  We aren't connected enough.  We aren't lucky enough.  The belief that no one is really happy so you just have to go along and make the best of it.

Frankly, many of our beliefs are misperceptions that cause us undue stress and pain.  Many of us have come to believe that: we need to buy into society's measuring sticks; we need to strive; we need to be more disciplined. We are inundated with information telling us what we should do if we want to be successful…as a business person, a spouse, a parent, a friend, a lover. Sounds exhausting, and it is.  We invest a lot of energy trying to live according to the “rules” and many people are starting to wonder if it's worth it.

Left unchecked, fear often leads to resignation.  It  limits us in our relationships and stops us from speaking what is true for us.  Have  you ever been somewhere that you wanted to leave and yet you stayed?  A boring party? A bad movie? A dead end job? An unfulfilling relationship? A traffic jam heading somewhere you didn't want to go in the first place? How often do you override your intuition? How often do you submit to what everyone else seems to want for you rather than pursuing what YOU really want?…

But then there is Abundance/Love. (these are very closely related concepts in my book) People who are abundance/love-oriented come at life from a whole different angle.  NO, I'm not going to tell you that if you just believe and “put your intention out there” that you will win the lotto! (Dorothy, just click your heels…) I wish that were true but I am much too grounded to lead you down that garden path. 

What I DO know is that people who are oriented toward Abundance/Love are a lot more relaxed about the course of their lives.  They are able to have a sense of humor about themselves. They are comfortable being paradoxical and recognize that inconsistency is just part of being human. They are able to see what is perfect in each chapter of life even when it's looking pretty bad on the surface of things.  They recognize that there are ALWAYS choices. They trust that they have the ability to land on their feet, even if they have to bounce around a bit first.

When we adopt an abundance/love-orientation we cultivate a  passion for life and a desire to express it. We seek out and  rejoice in the support of others who embrace the same spirit and vision and who join with us in celebrating our life and the gifts we have been given.  The more support we have, the more we are able to achieve.  Enlisting the support of others NEVER makes us smaller because it's is NOT about competing or winning.  It's about staying clear, getting out of your own way, and releasing yourself to the flow of life.

Re: Abundance

Nicole and Mary, thank you both.

I've never seen all of the secret.  Recently someone shared the first twenty minutes with me..

I think that what you put your attention on spells out your intention.  Without a doubt.  When I am afraid of scarcity in love or having my needs met….. I attract more of the same.  The law of attraction is alive and well!

This was a much needed and happy gift today.  Thank you.

Jill