It’s been over a month since I last posted a blog.  In that time, I’ve been learning and experiencing a great deal about abundance.

Three weeks ago, the area in which I live (southern Wisconsin) was deluged with what they’ve been calling a 250-year flood.  Perhaps you even heard about it on national news - and the lake in Wisconsin Dells (Lake Delton) that breached its banks, took out a highway and emptied itself into the river.  It took with it five homes and immediately impacted the lives and businesses of hundreds of people in the area.  Nearby towns (places we’ve lived and/or almost moved to) are still underwater.  Business has been interrupted.  Homes destroyed.  Lives changed.

In the midst of all of this, my husband and I did our own share of bailing.  For nearly two days, we formed a two-person “bucket brigade” and bailed water out of our basement to save, among other things, our furnace.  Water got into other parts of our home - soaking carpets and a few other possessions.  At one point in that week of storms, a tornado went overhead (but, thankfully, did not touch down).  We lost power for the better part of one full day.

As exhausted as we were after two days of bailing and then a week of clean up, two weeks later our life was pretty much back to normal.  Our garden has dried out and we’re quickly planting the rest of our vegetables.  Our four acres of land needs to be mowed.  I’m back to work and so is my husband.

We were and are fortunate… because it easily have turned out differently.  Had the tornado touched down, our home would have been destroyed.  Had we still lived in Baraboo, our home would have been underwater and possibly torn off its foundation.  Had we moved to Rock Springs (as we had seriously considered), our home would have surely been condemned.

And through it all, I suddenly had a whole new understanding and experience of something I’ve been teaching for more than a decade.  Suddenly, I really knew what it meant to be grateful.  Suddenly, I realized how much I have - and we all have - to be grateful for.

And with that realization, I realized how easy it is to take the abundance that we already have in our lives for granted or, worse yet, to not even recognize it!

Having a home to live in.  Having a bed to sleep in.  Having electricity to power the refrigerator and keep our food cold.  Have a stove to cook on.  Being able to simply sit and relax.  Sunshine.  Fresh air.   A garden to plant.

Having the physical and emotional strength to keep bailing and then to deal with the fall-out after the storms.  Friends and family who care.  Having a wet vac and dehumidifier to help clean things up.  Being hugged.  Laughter in the midst of tears and struggle.  Finding a restaurant with power so you can have a nice (and dry!) meal.  A glass of wine.

Simply breathing and being ALIVE.

In the midst of all of that, I realized how often I go through my day-to-day life in scarcity, stressed and anxious, trying to get everything done that [I think] needs to be done.  How I keep thinking of abundance as a destination… something to strive for and attain by growing my business, paying off our last debts, creating a passive income.  And - while all of those things (except the stress and anxiety) are part of abundance - in the process of doing so, I often forget how ABUNDANT I already am.

In reality, we - you and me - have many different forms of abundance in our lives.  There’s the monetary abundance we enjoy that includes those things we have in our lives that are either financial in nature or are the result of us having money with which to purchase them.  Your commission check is an example of monetary abundance.  So is your house, your car, the food you eat (except when you have a vegetable garden!), the clothes you wear and the electricity that powers your stove, refrigerator as well as the computer you’re using right now.

Then there’s the non-monetary abundance we all have and often forget to appreciate and enjoy.  Sunshine.  A nice breeze.  The stars in the sky.  A smile.  A hug.  The love of a friend or family member.  Flowers.  Vegetables growing in a garden.  Trees.  Birds.  All of those things that enrich our lives that are there for us to enjoy and appreciate - no money required.

And then there’s our innate abundance - the abundance we have within ourselves and that makes us who we are.  Our gifts and talents.  Our courage and creativity.  Our sense of humor.  The love we have to share with others.

In the midst of natural disaster, I was reminded of HOW ABUNDANT I really am and always have been… and that my BEING abundant has a lot less to do with my business, my work and my income than I often practice as I go through my day to day life.  That abundance is not something I create or earn or even deserve - it is a GIFT for me to receive, enjoy and appreciate.

It was humbling to discover how even I, the “abundance expert”, can be basking in abundance yet still act like I’m in scarcity - simply because I don’t see and forget to appreciate all of the abundance I already have.

And so, from my experience, I offer this to you…

Remember that accessing and experiencing abundance in your life is not ONLY a function of what you do (or do not do) and the success you achieve (or do not achieve) in your direct selling business.  Take some time today to enjoy - to truly SAVOR - the abundance you already have in your life and to grateful for it.

That “attitude of gratitude” will have a huge impact on how you approach your business as well…

ENJOY your day!

Teresa

P.S. My next blog (next week) will be my last on this site - at least for the foreseeable future.  The reason for that and how it applies to you, your direct selling business AND your abundance is what the topic for that blog will be!  “Talk” to you then!