Scarcity 101
December 31, for the past 16 years, I have recommitted myself to living the next twelve months in a state of abundance. To achieve my New Year’s Resolution requires that I relinquish scarcity-thinking. Scarcity fuels the fire of fear, disappointment, irrelevancy, and discontent which consumes our ability to live purposely fulfilled lives.
Scarcity loves to forecast a bleak future. It tells us with great authority that something terrible is going to occur. Our foreboding countenance ensures we fail to acknowledge all the wonderful things happening in our life right now as we worry about circumstances that will either never happen or that are completely out of our control. Scarcity worms its way in so that we fail, epically, to live joyfully in the moment.
Scarcity feeds disappointment. Especially when we’re disappointed by others. We see with x-ray vision their failings (though blind to our own), dismissing the hundreds of times they delighted and blessed us by their presence. Scarcity is at the root of many a failed relationship instilling unrealistic expectations and the often sought-after rightfully-earned justice we’ve convinced ourselves we deserve.
Scarcity poisons our purpose. We ingest the toxin of lies that we lack the education or experience, that we’re too young, too old, too ill, or too . . . pick your poison—because that’s what it is . . to make an impact. We embrace the lie, thereby believing we’re irrelevant, missing countless opportunities to teach, encourage, befriend, assist, and share our talents. Scarcity delights in watching us rob, not only ourselves but, others of the gift of our gifts.
Lastly, scarcity invites discontent. We long for more . . . things, money, status, beauty, relationships, time, influence. We yearn for possessions, positions or a person we believe will deliver us to new heights of happiness. As we fixate on what we lack, we flagrantly diminish how abundantly blessed we are with what we have. Scarcity is the feather bed of discontent that can be really hard to crawl out of.
Over the coming weeks I’ll be blogging about living an abundant life. To achieve such a lofty goal, it’s important to identify how and when scarcity-thinking slithers into our psyche. Many of you already know that abundant living doesn’t happen by accident nor is the concept ever completely mastered (note my 16-year cycle of recommitment). The snake of scarcity cannot be caught nor killed. We can only pray and watch out for one another to stay one step ahead.
Abundantly yours in 2022, Ellen