The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.
-Marianne Williamson
I was recently listening to the podcast “We can do Hard Things” with Glennon Doyle, Abby Wombach, and Amanda Doyle about the concept of scarcity versus abundance when it comes to eating disorders, and how issues around scarcity and abundance can be passed down from one generation to the next. This made me pause. They were talking about this concept from their family history and relatives from Ireland who lived through the Irish Potato Famine, and how feelings of scarcity still show up in their own lives today, even surrounded by so much abundance. This made me think about my own history and what I know about my own relatives, and how so much trauma can be passed down from generation to generation, be that issues surrounding food, heightened levels of anxiety, hypervigilance, unprocessed grief, and so forth. I love when I hear something that makes me think about something from a completely different angle in my own life!
Read on for some short, quick tips on: what coming from a place of scarcity may look like in your own life, what coming from a place of abundance may look like in your own life, and self-care for when you’re not in a good place emotionally.
Coming from a place of scarcity may look and sound like:
- Being fear-based
- Not healing and supporting others
- Trouble learning from others
- Negativity and pessimism
- There isn’t enough
- Being outcome focused
- Competition with others
- Being risk adverse
- Self-promoting
- Short-term goals
What else would you add here?
Coming from a place of abundance may look and sound like:
- There’s plenty to go around
- Being heart-centered
- Helping each other
- Feeling open to feedback
- Long-term goals
- Giving back to others
- Working together
- Educated risk taking
- Positivity and optimism
- Being process oriented
What else would you add to this list?
Self-care ideas for when you’re not in a good place emotionally:
- Allowing yourself time and space to feel your feelings
- Eating a healthy diet for your body
- Journaling
- Exercise
- Connecting with loved ones
- Meditation
- Going outside
- Therapy (often the ultimate self-care in my opinion!)
- Come up with a helpful mantra
What other self-care ideas do you use when you’re not in a good place emotionally?
Struggles with scarcity, even while surrounded by abundance, is a common life struggle. If this resonates for you today, know that you’re not alone. Many of us have ongoing struggles surrounding scarcity and abundance. If you’re currently have a hard time, please reach out to your doctor or a therapist in your area for more help and support. I’m sending lots of love and compassion your ways as you navigate the hard times in your life right now.
