The Scarcity of Self

The underlying scarcity that drives us to consume and control, that drive that is the source of most of the world's problems, is the scarcity of self. This is the feeling or belief that "I am not enough" or There is not enough life."

It supports the belief that we need more of something to be o.k. We need to do more to be o.k. We are never really still because in order to be more we must do more. We become "human doings" instead of human beings.

We must be more beautiful, more muscular, more wealthy, more successful, more popular, more powerful, more kind, more generous, more compassionate, more . . You get the picture.

We need to know and experience ourselves as complete beings, just the way we are, to know that we are a part of all creation. As such, we are who we are meant to be and our resources are limitless. The reality is that it is impossible to be more than we are at the moment. And that is o.k.

However, to access the answers/solutions to a more beautiful world we seek.we will have to go into our own essence through that quiet empty space between doing and being We must return to that empty place to be free of the old beliefs and habits that have trapped us.(1)

We must let go of believing that we are not enough just as we are. We must let go of the addiction to busyness, let go of the need to control life. Ultimately, we have no power to control life itself. We must go back to the first three steps of AA. This isn't easy and it is scary to face the fact that our distractions, our addictive busyness, has not make the problems go away.

I'm not saying all "doing" is bad. Of course we must act and interact with the world. The challenge is to act from that sense of wholeness completeness, of inter-connectedness. Then our actions will be aligned with your "beingness." Our values will be aligned with all of creation and inner conflit will disappear. You will feel that you are, indeed, enough. You will find peace.And we can only create peace in the world from our own inner peace.

Whenever you feel stuck and don't know what to do, do nothing! Go to that empty place where you can be aligned with the natural movement of things that want to be. Allow your true purpose in the situation to return. Be still to know the real root of the problem and what would naturally resolve it.

"What most needs attention is the part of us that we seek to avoid feeling, When we have tended to that, we are changed, and the world changes with us." - Dan Emmonds

(1) The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possibleby Charles Eisenstein

Today's daily dozen "to-do" list:

• Identify the things you think you must be more of to be o.k.
• List 10 labels that "define" you. For instance, "I am a woman/man", "I am a mother/father", etc.
• List 10 pronouns that describe you, i.e. tall, strong, lazy, smart, etc.
• List 10 ways others describe you.
• Set aside 5 minutes a day to shut off electronics and clatter/distractions to begin to find and get comfortable with quiet.
• Choose a day to look for goodness in each person with whom you come into contact.
• Spend a few minutes listening to the wind, to the rustle of leaves, to birds, or to moving water.
• Create a picture in your mind's eye a place in nature where you could feel safe and comfortable to sit alone quietly doing nothing. Imagine each thing about it that you find to be lovely.
• Identify at least 5 values you hold, in priority order, highest to lower. Examine how each affects your daily decisions.
• Identify the emotions that are most uncomfortable for you to experience. Explore the roots of  these beliefs that create your discomfort.  How do these belief affect your decisions?
• Name your most frequent distraction you use to avoid discomfort.
• Each time you look at your own face, tell yourself "I am enough."