Having sufficient vs striving for more

[IsleWalker]

Belle--

For me the operative word is not "enough" but abundance. Abundance says you have more than enough. That does not mean that you constantly crave more--wealth, food, things. Abundance means you no longer crave--that you are content and sure that you will be cared for. That's the key, to me.

Yes, there is a part of abundance that will require us to "work"--but it will be in ways that we enjoy/are expanded by.

I guess this sounds like pie-in-the-sky talk to some. But I really do feel it comes from a sense of security--I am alright; I will be taken care of; No one/no thing can harm me. My spirit is infinite. My life will be as abundant as I expect it to be.

In general it has worked in my life, although there are areas that i still struggle with--having to do with my own creation/independence. But, I'll figure it out one day.

Lora

Originally Posted by Ecthalion

Abject poverty is much more likely. The poor vastly outnumber the rich and in order to have a few rich you need many poor. Why can't we all be equal?
There's nothing wrong with wanting more, but not at the expense of others.

What others are you speaking of ...

[Belle]

Originally Posted by God-Like

In one sense, we came with nothing and we leave with nothing ..


x daz x

Love it!

But is this concept used to keep the masses down in so many parts of the world. I'm speaking less about ourselves but more as a method of control fo others.

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by Ecthalion

Abject poverty is much more likely. The poor vastly outnumber the rich and in order to have a few rich you need many poor. Why can't we all be equal?
There's nothing wrong with wanting more, but not at the expense of others.

Your assumptions are from a zero-sum-game perspective: Like there is only so much to go around and if someone else has, I will have less.

It is possible that there is enough for all. I don't really know how it works, just that it can. You begin to ask for abundance things, and they begin to happen in creative ways that you might never expect.

Think of the California couple that recently found $14 million on mint gold coins buried in their yard.

Now, of course, most of us don't have such miraculous methods, but they are miraculous nevertheless.

And, as to having everyone equal, doesn't the Communist model teach you that that doesn't really work? There is a motivation thing built in to people that tends to want to make some people more equal than others!

If you feel you will always be in abject poverty, you probably will. [And that doesn't mean I am blaming people in poverty for their own condition. Some may choose their positions for learning in their own way, others may never have had the opportunity to hope for abundance.]

Lora

Originally Posted by Ummon

I think the attitude of striving for more is putting us in danger of being killed off as a species because what we do not recognize is that "more" has unexpected costs like ocean acidification, health effects, and irreversible climate change.

its not striving for more. but the insecurity within leading to greed and jealously. people do not have control over their mind and cravings but they want control over nature with energy security and all the comfort. they become irresponsible towards nature causing pollution and deforestation leading to global warming n climate change. this is now threatening our existance as species.
if we focus on striving for more within to become better to get rid of anger greed jealousy we can still grow materially but that would be sustainable and responsible growth.

[IsleWalker]

Originally Posted by bkveda

people do not have control over their mind and cravings but they want control over nature with energy security and all the comfort.

bkveda--

These issues, like many, are things that can cause you to focus on only what's wrong, what's lacking, negativity. You can choose to focus on them.

And I'm not saying that we don't take responsibility for our use of natural resources/the Earth. But there can be solutions--and all the hand-wringing and accusations in the world will not help those solutions manifest.

You say that people don't have control over their minds and cravings. That is only true because they see things as limited; they may have it now but it might be gone tomorrow, therefore, get more, stockpile more. It's from a position of lack instead of abundance. Even the idea of abundance begins to reduce those feelings of vulnerability.

After being concerned about these things the majority of my life, I've chosen to believe that these issues can be solved, but that my worrying about them will not lead to any substantive solutions. It's just not how I want to live my life.

Lora

Originally Posted by IsleWalker

Belle--

For me the operative word is not "enough" but abundance. Abundance says you have more than enough. That does not mean that you constantly crave more--wealth, food, things. Abundance means you no longer crave--that you are content and sure that you will be cared for. That's the key, to me.

Yes, there is a part of abundance that will require us to "work"--but it will be in ways that we enjoy/are expanded by.

I guess this sounds like pie-in-the-sky talk to some. But I really do feel it comes from a sense of security--I am alright; I will be taken care of; No one/no thing can harm me. My spirit is infinite. My life will be as abundant as I expect it to be.

In general it has worked in my life, although there are areas that i still struggle with--having to do with my own creation/independence. But, I'll figure it out one day.

Lora

Abundance is term that balances both contentment and striving for more. one can use abundance only when one is content and feeling abundance causes material growth. needy n greedy can never use abundance technology. abundance presupposes contentment.

[BlueSky]

If you have a headache do you say the universe has provided me this headache and not take an aspirin?

Originally Posted by livingkarma

What others are you speaking of ...

As I said, in order to have a few rich you need many poor. The others I spoke of are the poor necessary for one to be rich. Being rich is at the expense of others.

[Belle]

Yes but what about using this as a method of control? To stop other people from bettering themselves?