Tag Archives: Abundance

AWAKENING TO GIVE THANKS

Posted on November 26, 2020 | 2 comments

“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more.  If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”  Oprah Winfrey

Susie Q

Susie Q

I hope you enjoy this post from a few years ago.  It says so much that I think is relevant during these times and any others.  This honors Thanksgiving but also Susie who has aged considerably and may not be around as long as we would like.  So Happy Thanksgiving to you All!

For the last several years, I have focused on the philosophy that Oprah espouses, and it has served me well.  It has reprogrammed my previous disappointment with the specific aspects of my life with a belief that there is more good than bad in the challenges I’ve encountered.   I have grown in many ways that have made me a wiser person because I have often been forced to change the way I see things.

Pets Offer Us to Love

I know that most people prefer dogs, but I’ve always preferred cats.  They’re so cuddly like holding a baby in your arms, and they take care of their own cleaning, eat when they feel like it, and use a litter box so you don’t have to walk them on rainy days.  They are much easier to live with than a dog if you live in apartments as I usually have, and their need for some “private time” works nicely with my need for time alone.  While many people see them as indifferent, I have always felt very loved by my cats.

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I never wanted a dog.  You have to walk them, bathe them, give them lots of attention, and they are rather scary if they don’t like you, especially if they are large.  However, I’ve been around many dogs because I live in a dog-loving city where many people have bumper stickers that read “Dog is Love” and take their dogs into stores and out to dinner with them.  Asheville has been called “The Paris of the South” partly because it has so many restaurants with outdoor dining areas.  Personally, I believe these areas were created for the customers who refuse to be separated from their dogs even for a meal.

Receiving Two Gifts, Not One

I never expected to have a dog in my life on a daily basis, but here I am, the adopted mother of a dog named Susie Q.  She is in my life because one of the great gifts I’ve received this year is a relationship with a loving man, her “daddy,” a man who has all the qualities I had on my list for the perfect partner. I didn’t realize when I started seeing him that I had received two treasures, not just one.

Dogs Can Teach Us to Be Thankful for Small Things

Ordinarily, I wouldn’t choose to be involved with a man who deeply loves another woman, but I decided to make an exception in this case, and I’m glad I did because Susie Q is a wise woman dog.  She has taught me so much about love and thankfulness.  In a time when people often don’t say thank you when you open the door for them, I truly appreciate how thankful Susie is.

Each time we meet, she is so excited she comes running up to me with her tail wagging, barking, and jumping around like a happy little kid.  When I pet her, she looks at me with her dreamy brown eyes like I’m the most wonderful person in the world.  She shows her affection for me by sitting on my foot, or if I’m sitting, she sweetly lays her head on my shoe.  If I would let her, I’m sure she would crawl into my lap, but she’s a little large for that.

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Animals Demonstrate the Love They Are Shown

With a tail that wags “thank you” for each good thing she experiences, no matter how small, she reminds me to appreciate all that I experience in life.  She accepts me when I am joyful, and when I am sad, she is nearby looking for an opportunity to show her concern.  It is clear to me that she is able to love so much because she has been loved and that says a lot about her “daddy” –a man who knows a great deal about giving and receiving love.  Susie Q and I are very lucky women.

Be Open to Unexpected Gifts

So, on this day before Thanksgiving, with the first snow of the year falling, I am reminded that some of our greatest gifts come from unexpected places in unexpected ways.  If we are willing to keep an open mind, we will be present to accept them.

Thanks to each and every one of you who read and follow my blog.

May you have an abundant Thanksgiving!

© 2013 Georganne Spruce

Related Articles:   Staying Thankful by Wayne Dyer, Gratitude by Wayne Dyer, A Dose of Gratitude: How Being Grateful Can Keep You Happy, Being Thankful Is Good for Your Heart

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AWAKENING TO ABUNDANCE

Posted on July 30, 2014 | 2 comments

“The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.”  Marianne Williamson

Photo: Georganne Spruce

Photo: Georganne Spruce

Is abundance based on what you have or how you perceive what you have?  Do you ever feel abundant?  Do you feel lacking no matter how much you have?

During the years I was teaching dance in Denver, I lived in a one-room apartment most of the time.  It contained a kitchen in one wall, one table, a single bed, a small closet, one chest of drawers, and one window.  Most people would consider that an extremely limited space, but for several years I was very happy there.

Abundance Isn’t About Quantity

The apartment was in a beautiful old Victorian house two blocks from Cheesman Park where there were walking trails and I could experience nature within the city.  The bay window covered one entire end of the apartment and filled the room with light and framed the upper branches of a large, beautiful oak.  It was a five minute drive from my part-time job on the edge of downtown.  With rent that was well within my meager means, I felt I had everything I needed.

Our Feelings of Lack Come From Inside Us

Our society has been so focused on money and things that people often feel poor if they don’t have much more than they need.  When we have plenty, yet feel lacking, we need to look within because what we are missing isn’t a thing; it’s what is inside of us.

What Makes Us Feel Abundant May Be Spiritual

What made me feel abundant during those years in Denver was that I was following my passion, teaching modern dance, and I had friends who shared my passion for dance and also my dedication to a spiritual journey.  Sharing their spiritual practices, my friends were also teachers who enriched my journey.  They introduced me to meditation, Eastern thinking, and Science of Mind philosophy.

Photo: Georganne Spruce

Photo: Charlie Davidson

Work That Doesn’t Offer Satisfaction May Feel Like Lack

There have also been times when I felt my life lacked abundance, when something significant was missing.  In New Orleans, I tried to work in sales because I wanted more money.  I had a larger, spacious apartment and newer car than in Denver, but my job took so much time and the contention in the office drained my energy.  Although I had more on the physical level, I didn’t feel abundant.  I felt drained and deprived of what made my life feel full.

When we at least have the basics that all people need, our definitions of abundance may vary widely, but it really comes down to how we see what we have.  For example, most people would feel very lacking without a smart phone and having the ability to text and use the internet.  If they can’t keep in constant contact with friends, they feel something is lacking.  I find that distracting.

When We Love Ourselves, We Feel Abundant

But at the base of our concept of abundance is the question:  Am I enough?  If we love ourselves, we more easily love others and share without feeling that sharing involves a loss.  In fact, sharing will make us feel richer.  When we love ourselves, we feel loved even without a romantic partner, and when we feel connected to Spirit, we feel loved in a deep spiritual way.

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Photo: Georganne Spruce

Thinking Positively Enriches Us

When we have our basic needs met, but still feel no abundance, what do we need to change?  Often we get caught up in negative thinking so that we are always seeing what is wrong with life rather than focusing on what is good.  Reality isn’t always smooth and peaceful, but if we focus on solving problems and maintain a positive attitude that most problems can be solved, we are more likely to find solutions.

Having Chronic Fatigue Syndrome many years ago was a gift.  Working with a wonderful holistic doctor, I learned how to use supplements, food, and alternative methods like acupuncture to attain and maintain a healthy lifestyle.  During that time, I had so little energy that everything I did seemed like a burden.  I also had to continue working in order to pay the bills.

I had to hunt for things to lift my spirits.  Sometimes it was simply the song of a bird or a cool breeze blowing through the window. (I lived in New Orleans)  I was always grateful when a friend came to visit, my mother brought me dinner, or I had more energy than usual.  But whatever I chose to focus on, I gave thanks for it as a form of abundance.

Enjoying the Moment Enriches Us

Making the time in each day to relax allows us time to be in the moment.  Just being in the moment can feel luxurious and special.  It is only then that we can take the time to truly look at our day and be thankful for what it has offered us.  At times, I start my day, before I even get out of bed with five minutes of meditation.  I welcome the silence and am thankful for that and then offer thanks for not only what I have but what I expect to experience that day.

Abundance is not only about what we have or our attitude about what we have; it is also about what we expect to have.  Positive expectations may draw to us what is most abundant in any area of our lives.

© 2014 Georganne Spruce                                                       ZQT4PQ5ZN7F5

Related Articles:  How to Attract Abundance (Wayne Dyer), Manifesting What You Want – Pt. 1- with Deepak Chopra and Wayne Dyer (video), Exude an Attitude of Abundance

 

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AWAKENING WITHIN TO AN ABUNDANT HARVEST

Posted on October 26, 2011 | 1 comment

The passionate colors of autumn always touch my soul deeply.  As we move toward the cold and darkness of winter, they joyfully distract us for awhile with their brilliant colors.  They are part of the abundance of this harvest season when what we have planted comes to fruition.

What have you planted in the last year that has come to fruition?  Entrepreneurs are abundant where I live.  People are not waiting to see what will happen with the economy.  They are finding ways to follow their passions and support the lives they really want.  Ironically, out of the losses created by a failing economy, creativity has blossomed.

Do You Feel Worthy?

How we think about our lives largely determines how we experience them.  If we have received our sense of worth from the money we make or the things we own, or the house we live in, it is difficult to feel worthy without them.  We have to look deeper to find our true abundance.  When we take away the façade, what lies under it?

We need to know that we are all worthy, that we can love and be loved, that we have the strength to overcome adversity.  We need to know that we are connected to Oneness, the loving Spirit of the Universe, and it is always there to guide and uplift us.  The more we believe and affirm the good in our lives and in ourselves, the more we are able to manifest what we desire.  We are the only ones who can create the persons we want to be.

Creating the Inner Strength to Succeed

For the last year, I have been passionately committed to my writing.  I created this blog and have completed a book I hope to publish soon.  In order to do this, I have had to commit to putting this passion first in my life, to believe that it will bring abundance and joy, and that whatever I need to succeed will come to me.  I have had faith that the inner guidance I receive is authentic.  The joy I have felt as I pursued this path and the remarkable support that has appeared has convinced me I’m doing what I was meant to do.

In order to pursue this passion, I have had to harvest only supportive and positive thoughts about what I’m doing and let the negative ones lie fallow.  I remind myself daily that I have the wisdom to sort and choose only those thoughts and words that will give value to what I write.  I have had to release any self-doubt the moment it arises or it will burrow into my consciousness like the voles that undermine my backyard.  When a negative thought arises, I release the fear connected with it and affirm the positive aspect of the thought, thereby neutralizing its negative effect.  I then luxuriate in the peace that follows, and then repeat the positive thought I want to be my guidance for the day.

Having an Abundance of Inner Resources

Feeling that we have the inner resources to solve the problems in our lives is a great gift.  To reach that point, we must monitor our thoughts frequently.  It may require us to meditate daily or read inspiring materials.  It may involve avoiding negative people.  It may require more time alone.  Creating this inner abundance always results in a happier, more peaceful life. Even if the exteriors of life are challenging, we are better prepared to learn and grow from those challenges.  And even in the midst of those challenges, we will be able to know “All is well,” in the deepest sense.  When we plant an inner landscape with positive ideas, we will have an abundant harvest.

© 2011 Georganne Spruce

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Related Articles:  The Power of Thoughts, No Ordinary Light, The Only Manifestation That Matters – Esther Hicks, Abraham

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ATTRACTING ABUNDANCE

Posted on May 11, 2011 | 3 comments

What are you thinking as you pay your bills? Do you see this
activity as a reflection of the scarcity in your life or of the abundance?

Positive Thoughts Have Power

I used to know a woman who wrote on the top of each check, “Thank
you, God.”  For her, having the money to pay her bills was a sign of abundance, and she sent gratitude out into the Universe each time she spent money.  She
wasn’t a wealthy woman with unlimited resources.  She worked at a job, owned a house and had responsibilities,
but she chose to focus on what she had instead of her lack.

I don’t write “Thank you, God” on every check, but whenever
I remember, I say “Thank you for this abundance.”  It is important to acknowledge what is good
in our lives and identify that as abundance.  Acknowledging this gift from the Universe makes me feel good and raises my vibration.  That vibration ripples out into the Universe, drawing to me more positive energy in many forms.

Definition of Abundance

Don’t limit your ideas of prosperity or abundance to finances.  Anything uplifting contributes to our concept of abundance.  What about the love of friends and family?  What about opportunities for growth or expanding awareness?  What about a surplus of food?  What about good health or an understanding health practitioner?

The forests and mountains where I live are one of the most bio-diverse
areas in the world and constantly feed my spiritual needs.  This area also has an abundance of people who share my values and many opportunities to explore self-growth and artistic expression.  Despite often living on little money, I’ve had little debt and never felt poor.  It isn’t a mind-set I choose to embrace.

How To Draw Abundance To You

I grew up in a family with a huge scarcity consciousness so it is an on-going challenge for me not to allow that to become an obstacle.  In order to feel prosperous most of the time, it is important to keep one’s energy up and to be free of expectations about the source of the abundance or how it will look. Sometimes we receive what we requested but don’t recognize it because of our preconceived ideas about its appearance or source.

 Recently, I discovered that my car needed an expensive repair.  Repairing it at the price the dealer quoted me would have destroyed by monthly budget, so I asked the Universe for another solution.  First, I released my fear to clear my mind. Secondly, I expressed gratitude for the good in my life and the fact
that I had extra money in savings. Thirdly, I visualized gold coins showering me and the car being repaired for much less than the dealer’s quote.  I
visualized this until I felt it had actually happened.

Within a few days, through a friend, I found an excellent mechanic who would do the repair for half price, and the next day my tax refund was deposited in my bank account.  It was more than enough to cover the repair.  Since I had made a mistake on the tax return and had no reason to expect it so quickly, this was a delightful surprise.  I knew the synchronicity of these events was not random.

In the final analysis, I see everything good that comes into my life as abundance.  As a result, I feel secure most of the time.  When I don’t feel that way, I use the three steps I mentioned above.  That’s how you too can create abundance and flow with the Universe.       © 2011 Georganne Spruce

For information on creating abundance, try these following
links and any of the Abraham books by Esther and Jerry Hicks.

 “Removing Brakes from Abundance in 17 Seconds” – Abraham

“How to Attract Abundance” – Wayne Dyer

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