THURSDAY THOUGHTS - The Simpler We Make Our Lives, The More Abundant They Become

Guest Post -

While browsing through my bookcases last week, I came up on a book I purchased some 15 years ago.  I remember it's title "Simple Abundance" stopped me in my tracks... I loved the concept and bought it on the spot.  Reading through its pages again after all of these years was like finding a long lost friend.

Among the many messages written by Sarah Ban Breathnach was one about finances that caught my eye.  I suppose it hit me because of the recession in our country which has taken on a life of its own.  It occurred to me as I pondered her thoughts that the attitude we have about money many times colors the way we live our lives.  Think about it.  We are worried about obtaining a mortgage, paying on a mortgage or (like countless people in our country at this time) being upside down on a mortgage.  As children we are taught to save for a rainy day, yet people everywhere are watching their 401k funds and other investments shrink to all time lows.  Cancer survivors experience financial challenges in a class all of their own.  They understandably worry about insurance coverage and how they will pay for surgeries and treatments.

Breathnach tells the story of one day when she was emotionally and physically exhausted from concentrating on things she wanted but couldn't afford.  As she focused on lack, she became depressed and as she became depressed, she focused on lack; a vicious circle indeed.  Finally she says, "My soul whispered that what I really yearned for was not financial security, but financial serenity.  When I surrendered my desire for security, I looked at my life with open eyes.  I saw that I had much more for which to be grateful... When I looked at my life's ledger, I realized I was a very rich woman and what I was experiencing was a temporary cash flow problem.  Finally I came to an inner awareness that my personal net worth couldn't possibly be determined by my checking account balance.  Neither can yours."

With this thought in mind, I pondered about the countless things on my life's ledger that have nothing to do with money.  I realized that no amount of money could purchase the family I love so much; I cannot write out a check for the peace of mind I enjoy in many of my days;  the fact that I am cancer free is something else that could not be bought, and the strong faith which sustains me from day to day did not cost a penny.  The friends I have all over the country don't care how much money I have any more that I care about their personal bank balances.  As a young girl I remember hearing my Grandma Belle when she talked about money.  She always said, "Enough is better than too much."  I think Breathnach hit the nail on the head when she said, "The simpler we make our lives, the more abundant they become."

-Kathy Christensen
Survivor
Member, Lifting Hearts