Creating Abundance

Deepak Chopra and Oprah Winfrey created a 21-Day Meditation Challenge called Creating Abundance, a hot topic in our world of get more, have more, do more. While I am clear that this meditation challenge serves to teach us not about the collection of stuff but rather enlighten us on the power of pure consciousness in manifesting the unlimited worldly and spiritual resources available to us, I am sure there are many who completed the challenge with the expectation that they would immediately get more stuff, have more money and do more cool things.

I know because this is how I used to think about abundance and manifesting. I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it with little regard for how the universe worked; especially the cosmic timeline, which I never understood or considered. Simply put, there is a time in which things happen that is not under my control.

I went through my life thinking I ‘should’ have and do. And I did. I had a lot and I did a lot but I was always ultimately unsatisfied. Not a healthy unsatisfied in the sense that I could achieve more, contribute more towards being a better person, rather, unsatisfied in the sense of feeling empty inside. Eventually I would come to understand, that for me, this was spiritual bankruptcy.
Collective Unconscious, a term coined by Dr. Karl Jung is defined as creating our reality and beliefs based on what others have taught us. It is seeking answers exte
ally and accepting others portrayals of how life is supposed to be. I believe, based on Jung writing, that this comes down through generations so it is within us even before we are physically present on the planet. And it continues to be reinforced by our surroundings and environment.
It is our ‘normal’, whether experiencing joy and peace or pain and suffering, it is how we intuitively move through life. Perhaps some people innately know they are loved and supported so as they move through challenge they strengthen spiritually finding the joy of growth in their pain.
While others have learned that struggle is a punishment. At some level, whether consciously or unconsciously they feel unworthy or unloved – both feelings, of which, are contradictions to the pure Love that is our spiritual existence.

For me, this showed up as an entitled idea that I want and deserve the nice car, a big house and a fat paycheck. That was what I thought would make me happy. I didn’t consider others in my pursuit nor did I have any self-awareness of my own lack of spirituality. Instant gratification ruled.
We don’t know what we are missing until that little crack in our humanity allows the light of spirituality to break through. It is through relationships with others that the gift of awareness shines through to guide us on our spiritual journey, if we choose to go.

This is where we begin to question the collective unconscious and all its evidence and ask of deep inside ourselves; Who am I? Why am I? Why am I here? What have I done? What more can I do? And we can hear the answers from within us rather than from outside of us.

Spirituality is heard from within – we might get a clue from the outside but ultimately it is an inside job.
When we are guided from within the greatest satisfaction is reaped. Spirit is within and Spirit is Love. When we move through life leading with Love it does not matter how much or how little we have, peace is present. It does not mean there will be no pain or disappointment, but with Spirit there is always opportunity to gain and grow and deepen the Love.
This is where peace and joy overflows.
This is true abundance.