Fear can be very motivating! And in a lot of ways that can have its usefulness. You can get a LOT done in the fear mode. You can gain qualifications in fear mode. You can get a job in fear mode. You can get a mortgage in fear mode. You can even get ‘apparent’ success in fear mode. And it’s not surprising that so many of us are living in this state of fear. We may not even realise it… Every single day we are bombarded
with messages designed to stoke our fears about security, scarcity, wars and conflict that increase our sense that there is ‘not enough’…we are bombarded with messages that we need to be better, smarter, more educated, fitter, thinner, whatever, in order to be okay (because somehow we are also ‘not enough’)… and then we are encouraged to appease and cover over our resulting fears and insecurities with material ‘stuff’… by buying something, eating something, drinking something, or distracting ourselves with TV, video games, social media, etc., in order to feel better.
It’s a vicious cycle of fear, followed by numbing that fear… followed by anxiety, cravings, addictions and even depression.
The thing is, there’s a really high price to having the fear switch in our brains
stuck in the ‘on’ position all the time. It keeps our adrenal glands pumping non- stop and it leads to all kinds of stress- related conditions like muscle tension, headaches, and even excessive weight gain especially around the abdomen. It can also lead to poor ‘knee-jerk reaction’ type decision making, leading to situations where even though we are crazy busy, we’re just spinning our wheels and not making much progress towards our dreams. So fear is really one of those things that’s most useful in ‘fight or flight’ type crisis situations – when it can really save our butts – but not so great as a constant motivator in our lives. It can be tough to break out of the fear
mode once we’re in it, though, because it can be self-perpetuating. When we are stuck in this fear and consumption mode 24/7, it makes it hard for us to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. It really can hamper our ability to feel simple joy, happiness and peace in our lives. Is there a better way? What is real success and abundance,
free from fear? What does it look like in practice? How do we choose it? And how can we all collectively change our mindset and choose a better way for the future of our planet? What I’ve come to learn is that we
have to realise three key things in order to make the shift from scarcity
and fear-based thinking, to abundance- based thinking. 1. We realise that abundance is a state of being rather than a state of having Abundance is not how much we own, or what kind of car we drive, what degrees or other types of social status we have... It’s how we treat others. Are we loving? Are we kind? Do we come from a place of generosity of spirit, deed and word?
2. We realise that abundance is something we do together No one is an island. If we want real change for our planet, we have to do it together. Abundance has to become a true social movement, an ethos and a way of living that has deep roots in our social structures and way of collective thinking if we are to head off the dangerous macro-level changes that are taking place on our sparkling blue planet.
3. We realise that abundance is created when we place a high value on helping others When we shift our focus away from ‘me me me’ to ‘we we we’ instead, that is when our personal addictions, cravings, and unattainable desires start to drop away. All I can say is trust me on this one. Try it and you’ll see. There’s a special ‘charge’ you get from helping others and no amount of stuff, shoes, cars, manicures, or even thrill- seeking adventures can quite match that special ‘charge’ – but you have to find that out youself by giving it a go. Finally, we can sum up these three key
realisations into one: Abundance is an internal choice. Choose it today. n
Julie Ann Cairns is the author of the book The Abundance Code, published by Hay House and is spearheading The
Abundance Code documentary (June 2016) which explores, through 15 powerful interviews with thought- leaders from around the world, how our world and our collective consciousness can make the paradigm shift from scarcity thinking to an abundance-based way of being. Our very survival depends on it.
JULY 2016 7
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