Show Your Love
So much has been changing in my life. Upon some recent self-reflection, I have become aware of the way I use words to describe my experience, and have been learning new definitions along the way. It has become clear to me that what I wish most to see in the world is more abundance. Not abundance in the sense of more money (although that does apply, and a little more would be nice). No, I am talking about each person living from a place of abundance and feeling that they have enough of everything they need and want to thrive, rather than living from a place of scarcity.
It is easy to get caught up in the “not enough”. Not enough time, productivity, experience, intelligence, beauty, energy, motivation, play, patience…not enough love.
Anything you think you “need more of” comes from a place of scarcity thinking as well. It keeps us trapped in shame, even if we don’t see it for ourselves. Even overwhelm because of “too much” is based on scarcity — too much to do equates to not enough time. Too much clutter? Not enough space. Too much stress? Not enough peace.
When all we see is scarcity and lack, we cannot appreciate what we have. It is through pure appreciation that our abundance is not only most acknowledged, but also has the most potential to grow. That’s right — what we appreciate, appreciates! In financial terms, this makes sense, but can you also see it for everyday thoughts and feelings?
When you take the time to show someone you love them, they put more effort into sharing their love with you. If you spend time creating peace by meditation or walking in nature, you will experience more peaceful moments in everyday life.
I find more and more people are paying attention to what they are grateful for, with gratitude journals and social media challenges being very popular now. Appreciation is basically like gratitude, with one important difference. Gratitude is related to overcoming something, whereas appreciation is pure love and joy for what we already have. Appreciation is at a higher vibrational energy level; it is the highest level of bliss. Don’t get me wrong, practicing gratitude is a wonderful habit to pursue, and a step in the right direction. I am just suggesting that perhaps we try to practice appreciation more often.
I recently had the opportunity to lead a workshop about creativity for entrepreneurs. Art meets business — it was amazing. For a long while, I would express gratitude for the opportunity. However, with my daily practice of listening to Abraham Hicks clips about appreciation, I realized I needed to change my language and the way I looked at things. To focus on appreciation over gratitude. Instead of feeling like “this was a lot of work, but so worth it”, I would think, “Wow, what an amazing experience!” It’s subtle, but they feel different. Can you feel the difference? Instead of “I am grateful for your help”, just simply “I appreciate you!”
This is the shift I want to see in the world. Many people, myself included, are attached to our stories of triumph over tragedy, and stories of gratitude. Some people wallow in feelings of victimization as a result of the tragedy for a while. I am suggesting that we bask in appreciation, even if only for 5 minutes a day. I can feel the shift…can you?
Written by: Liz Chamberlain; Lizzie Lou Mixed Media
