Abundance and Appreciation

“Worrying about money never paid a bill.”

This was the opening line of today’s reading in “Simple Abundance: A Daybook of Comfort and Joy” by Sarah Ban Breathnach.  This well worn book has been with me for well over a decade.  Given to me by a dear friend, Fredrika Ballard, I turn to it and re-read it over and over for support and inspiration.    Today’s reading comes at a time that seems providential.

Don’t get me wrong, I have enough money to pay my bills.  But with the way the economy has been over the course of the last few years and the turbulent nature of real estate lately, I don’t feel secure that the income will stay steady.  I think my concerns are not specific to the real estate industry, as I have this discussion with friends in other fields who feel the same uncertainty.  We are all shaken and unsteady in our futures and that can lead to real anxiety.

My mother, who was also a REALTOR in Western MA, spoke often about money and the kharma behind it.  She would caution my sister and I to never live in fear of money or to need it too badly because money senses fear and rejects the scared.   Today’s reading supported what she always said, ” …worrying about money repels, rather than attracts, prosperity…”    My mom was famous for saying, “It is only money, I will just go out and make some more!”    This proactive response created positive energy around her need, thus opening her up to opportunity and giving her the drive to take advantage of new chances.  She was always finding a new way to re-invent herself in her long real estate career and used this skill to create a life that was plentiful for my sister and I.

I endeavor to remember this, but some days it is more difficult than others.  I am a single mom earning her family’s keep with what is probably the worst hit industry in recent memory.  It can start to freak me out sometimes, so I have a few tricks up my sleeve.

First: I don’t spend any time with mainstream media.  I get my news when I want it from the internet and control the negativity.

Secondly: I spend a lot of time with positive influences.   This book is one, my boyfriend Morriss, my mom, my friends, my kids, my cats, my friends in the business all over the world…all ground me and cheer me.

Thirdly: I have been on an austerity diet for years now.  I used to miss shopping at expensive stores and having the latest doo-dad.  Now I get a thrill from finding a bargain, doing without, remastering something I already have, thrift store shopping, flea market sales and hand me downs.  I love saving a buck!

Fourth:  I work.  I work hard and I enjoy my work.  When I am slow with buyers or sellers, I take a webinar or have lunch with a business friend.  I stay proactive and learn new techniques.  If I am busy, I feel in control and proactive and I can stem the anxiety.

I do still, however, tend to worry about tomorrow a lot.  My grandmother would call it borrowing trouble.  Ban Breathnach said it this way, “…calculate whether you have enough money for all your needs today.  If you do, stop focusing on lack this minute.  You probably have all the money you need to take care of today’s needs and more.  It doesn’t matter how much more.  Anytime you have more than you need, you have abundance.  Catch yourself the next time you start dwelling on what you don’t have; switch tracks by noticing and appreciating all you do have.  As this becomes a personal habit, you’ll find yourself coping well with any amount of money you have, rather than worrying about it.”

Such a wonderful reminder to me, and I share it because I am wagering that many of you could use this enlightenment right now.

We are doing fine.  We are making ends meet and we will see better days.  I am abundant in the things that matter most: love, spirit, kindness, freedom, health.  I am learning valuable lessons that couldn’t be bought with any number of real estate sales and I am successfully providing for my family in difficult times.  I am growing my business annually, even while others quit and I will continue to persevere.  So will you.

So to my friends, home sellers and home buyers in Western Massachusetts: I say to you that we are as successful and abundant as we want to be.  We can choose fear and remain in a state of want or we can embrace the abundance all around us.