Abundance
The Struggle is not the whole story.
I am sitting on the 16th floor of my daughter’s apartment building in Chicago, looking out over the city, writing this letter to you. I did not pay for this view. I did not earn it. It came the way so much of my life has come. As a gift I almost did not notice.
From up here I think about the people walking their dogs down the street to a park so they can run and relieve themselves. In the rain, against the wind, yet doing what must be done. In my world, I open the back door and out they go.
People here walk to the grocery store, bags in hand, shopping for a day or two and carrying the weight of their groceries back home. I drive to the store, pull into my garage, and unload. And I have complained about that. The unloading. The unpacking. The putting away. The cooking.
Sitting here on the 16th floor, overlooking a city full of people living differently than I do, I am appreciative of my life back home and of the new perspectives travel affords me.
This is abundance. And it has been mine all along.
I grew up with two loving parents, a home, cars, food, a room of my own, school, friends, band, activities, church, family, and travel. By any honest measure, I had a full and abundant life.
And there was imperfection. Alcoholism. Extended family drama. Girl drama. Boy drama. The inevitable dings of a real human childhood.
For years I have been tethered to the imperfections. They became the defining story. They took up so much space that the abundance got crowded out. People showing up at exactly the right time. Doors opening when I needed them to. Opportunities appearing in the right season. Wisdom dropping in so I could make the right choice. Synchronicities I cannot explain making what seemed impossible look like a small inconvenience.
All of that was true. And yet the imperfections took center stage.
Here is what I have come to understand about women like us.
Being a high achiever means you are wired to see the next step. The higher level. The gap between where you are and where you could be. That is a powerful gift. It has carried you far. But when it dominates, it becomes a thief. You don’t stop to celebrate what is already here. You don’t focus on what God has already done. And you miss out on so many opportunities for joy, for rest, for fun, for life.
My coach recently wrote about something that caused me to pause. She observed that the church tends to focus on the struggle. The overcoming. The salvation from life’s problems. And she asked where could those already living in abundance find guidance on how to actually live there?
That question stopped me in my tracks. And I had to take an honest look at my own life. Is my life abundant?
Two things can be true at the same time. You can be navigating a real challenge while still appreciating and celebrating the blessings that are evident in your life. Both are real. Both are life. The struggle does not cancel the abundance. And the abundance does not erase the struggle.
Let’s acknowledge that you are a strong, accomplished, powerful woman who has experienced great success while still managing life’s challenging moments. Because you frequently operate on autopilot, getting all the things done, I am inviting you to take inventory of the abundance in your life, despite any struggles..
It is in the gratefulness, the appreciation, the recognition of the goodness that is already here that your capacity increases. The capacity to problem solve. To be strategic. To make decisive moves.
There are dreams, goals, and purpose beyond what you have experienced, yet. And sometimes the path to them runs straight through gratitude for what is already in your hands.
I am doing that from the 16th floor of a building I did not pay for, in a city I enjoy, writing a letter to women I believe in. Being grateful for this experience.
This is abundance. And I celebrate seeing it as such.
Now I want to leave with some questions to ponder.
What if you stopped? Laid all concerns aside for just a moment. Remembered how amazing you are and how blessed your life has already been. And let that be enough for today.
What abundance might you notice? Not perfection. Not problem free. Abundance.
Share what you notice. Because the more we put the energy of thanksgiving into the world, the more beauty we all get to experience.
Thank you for this article Trini🧡
The abundance I appreciate is being of right mind and good health, despite it all. The ability to spend time with and enjoy the four children I have birthed and my 3 grands and the fact that we all have healthy relationships with each other. I enjoy the ability to kick back whenever I want to and enjoy a good meal and a beautiful glass of wine by myself and be good with just the simple things.