photo by Deborah Fryer
This is what true abundance looks like.
A wave comes in, a wave flows out, another wave comes in, another flows out. Sometimes more flows in than out. Sometimes more flows out than in.
There’s beauty in all of it. The cycle of ebb and flow is what creates the mystery and the awe. If it’s all flow and no ebb ever, that’s called a flood. Not that fun. I was in one in 2013 and 1/3 of our house went away in that deluge. The ebb is necessary to the flow.
The water comes in all shades. Not just one. As far as the eye can see is vast openness. The vastness expresses itself as a wave, and then the wave merges back into the vastness. From the one emerge the many, and then the many return to the One. Cool, huh?
We are swimming in an ocean of consciousness all the time. Sometimes there are whitecaps. Sometimes the water is transparent. Sometimes its dark as night. Sometimes it’s bottomless and scary. Sometimes our feet touch the sand. Sometimes it’s warm, sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it’s frozen solid. Sometimes it’s wavy, sometimes it’s smooth as glass.
No matter how it appears, it’s all water, morphing itself into different forms, colors, shapes. H20 molecules vibrating at different frequencies. H20 seen from multiple perspectives.
The shoreline, too, is constantly changing. One day it’s pristine and shimmering white. The next day the wind is up and the tide upchucks truckloads of seaweed that drape the shore like a dirty bathtub ring. The sand is soft, but far from homogenous. There are chunks of seaglass, splintered shells, the occasional crab sidewinding into its hole and hiding. The consistent churning of the ocean has created this beautiful shoreline. The ocean is just doing what comes easily and naturally to it.
Nature is such a beautiful teacher. She is the most masterful model of money mindset.
A successful and sustainable business is like the ocean. There’s ebb and flow. Times to work and times to rest. Times to give and times to pull back.
It requires you to be consistent and transparent, to wade in deeper than you’ve ever swum before and even when it’s scary, to know that you’ve got this. If you can swim in shallow water that doesn’t challenge you, you have the skills to swim in water that’s deeper than your legs are long. You’re going to have to go where you haven’t been before. Get uncomfortable and then be amazed at your own magic.
Being an entrepreneur is the greatest spiritual practice ever.
For the past several years, I have been studying and interviewing thought leaders, entrepreneurs, writers, artists, philanthropists, doctors, yogis and teachers about prosperity, wealth, mindset, self-expression, self-trust, sustainability, Nature and the interconnectedness of all that is.
I’ve noticed some common waves they are all riding:
Consistency — they practice consistent beliefs and take consistent actions. Consistency creates trust. When you =show up consistently for yourself, you trust yourself. When you show up consistently for others, they trust you. Trust is the foundation of a healthy and sustainable business. It starts with you knowing who you are.
Transparency — they talk about what’s not working and what they’re learning. They pull back the curtain and share their vulnerability and realness.
Balance — they schedule in time for exercise, meditation, yoga, sleep, travel, self-care and personal relationships. They don’t work all the time. They don’t sit on the couch and wait for things to happen either. They are deliberate in how they manage their energy so they don’t get depleted.
Resilience — failing is how we learn. They fail often and fail forward. Failure is not a stop sign. It’s the next step on the path. Failure gives you important information about what didn’t work so you can pivot and find the way that does work. Everything is supporting you in your life and business and helping you reach your next-level of contentment.
Devotion — emotions run in two directions: towards commotion and chaos, or towards devotion and oneness. You pick. Enough said. If you don’t already have a daily practice or meditation, prayer, spending time in Nature, creating an inner experience of awe and connection to the infinite, start now. Close your eyes. Take some deep breaths in from overhead like the trees do and let that sunlight animate every cell of you down to your roots. With your eyelids closed, notice the light behind your eyes. Start there.
With every breath, you are breathing the universe into and through you. Now it’s animating and dancing with every cell of you. With each exhale, you are breathing part of you back to the universe, and the whole world is enlivened by your participation. There’s no way for you to be separate. Running the story that says I have to do everything by myself, No one has my back, I’m all alone is just fake news that keeps you feeling separate. Change the channel.
Creativity — your body is creating 24/7. New cells, new thoughts, new ideas, new associations, new connections. Own it. You are the Creator of all your experience. Whatever you put your attention on, you create. You are the creator of the conditions that give rise to the results. Keep creating what you want to create because you can.
Interconnection — nothing in nature does its thing all by itself. The ocean is made of trillions upon gazillions of droplets that are supported by the ocean floor, the shorelines, the glaciers. The ocean itself is supporting the life that lives in it, the boats that float on it, the rivers that merge with it.
When you realize that there’s no way for you be disconnected, you stop trying to prove that you are.
You are not disconnected and never have been. It is impossible for you to be disconnected from the All That Is. But we humans sure do try hard (some of us), to make the case that we have no support. Get honest with yourself about this. Successful entrepreneurs create teams. They delegate. Collaborate. Co-create. Support each other. Refer to each other. Share their expertise, wisdom, challenges, lessons.
Ready to swim in this ocean of abundance?
You can retrain your brain and shift your perspective so that success, ease, abundance and flow are your new normal. Let’s do this.
Two ways to get in the water:
- I’ve created a brain training program where you’ll learn more about neuroplasticity, mindfulness, meditation and the mind-body-money connection. It’s free for the month of May 2018. Join us.
- I’ve written a book that has 108 ways to train your brain for success.
