Divest Day 16 of 21: From Scarcity to Abundance

Do you ever find yourself thinking I don’t have time or I can’t afford to? Scarcity defines much of modern life. We fight wars over scarce resources like oil, one in five children suffer from hunger, and governments and people around the world are cutting back because money is scarce and promoting austerity.

But when we look closer, we see that much of this scarcity is made up. This is largely because the war economy takes what has always been free - food, water, land, entertainment, etc - and monetizes it, making resources available to only those who can ‘pay’ for it. We have more than enough food for everyone in the world, but economic poverty makes people go hungry.

Our culture of scarcity tells us that there will never be enough money, time, etc, compelling us to guard tightly what we do have. It tell us that more for you is less for me, making us feel envy. It causes us to make decisions from a place of fear and lack.

But since we know scarcity is largely imagined, we can shift into a new story - that of abundance. When we act from abundance, we believe there is always enough, we freely share with others, and we are optimistic, visionary, and trusting. That kind of mindset can transform our lives and the world around us, and it starts with each of us.

Today’s Pivot

Today, practice cultivating an abundance mindset by looking around at what you have, and seeing what you can give away or share with others. Do you really need all the clothes in your closet? What about your books, games, kitchen stuff, etc?

If you don’t have material things to give away, how can you share your time, skills, and passion to help your community?