Abundance vs. Scarcity: Do you say YES or NO to the 29 Gifts Challenge?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Cami Walker -- 29Gifts Founder on September 28, 2008 at 7:24am

Thanks Staci. You're probably right. I think the number one person we don't want to disappoint is OURSELF when we hesitate to start something we want to do. Often I try so hard to be perfect or do things perfectly, it paralyzes me and I end up doing NOTHING. I always say I am a recovering perfectionist.

Mbali -- the medicine woman who inspired this project -- once told me that perfectionism... always thinking your are not good enough... don't do well enough... aren't enough... is a form of scarcity thinking.

Annie... one of my best SF friends who used to allow me to boss her around at an ad agency where we used to work together... once went to this fancy dancy time management seminar because I suggested improving her time management skills in her quarterly job performance review. When she came back to the office the next day, I asked her, "What's the most useful thing you learned yesterday?"

Annie's reply to me was: "Perfectionists never get anything done. You need to let me make more mistakes."

Annie taught me a BIG lesson that day. Life is about progress, not perfection.

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Permalink Reply by Sharon D-29 Gifts Ambassador on September 28, 2008 at 11:46am

I am so glad I moved forward the 1st time I got the email, I jumped at this because Spirit nudged me to move on it.
It has changed my life.
Those closest to me have seen the change and support me, especially my husband, he loves the new me!
I have invited alot of folks, and have at least 18 personal friends joined during my 4 rounds here.
Not every one blogs online like I do, and it OK.

I do not go a day without someone getting a questioning look on their face and an earful of how wonderful my life is BECAUSE of the challenge.
I am planting seeds.
Some will grow.
Many will reseed.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to be in this experience from early on, and hope to see it continue with the rate of growth I have seen since I have been here, only some 108 days ago we were a mere 434 members!

I know many people create a consciousness of lack, not enough, and my spiritual adviser told me, there is always enough of everything!
There is enough time to do anything you want, if you have your priorities straight!

Life is kinda like that too, we have enough of everything as long as our priorities are straight.
I have enough of what I need, most of us do, we just want more.

I do not have more time than what there is, I do not have more stuff than I have, but I do know if I let go of anything, a vacuum creates and more sucks in, every time!

Nameste!
-s

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Permalink Reply by Sabriyah Fatimah on September 28, 2008 at 12:34pm

I think you are right that people refuse to participate because of a scarity mindset- either they think they do not have enough time or enough money. It isn'about money really, or time. So far no one I have invited has signed up. I am still hopeful though. They are all really wonderful giving people so I am actually surprised.
Your teacher Mbali is so right. My thinking that I am not ___ enough is a kind of scarcity thinking. This type of thinking has held me back for too long. Thank you for this reality-check gift. Cami you rock!

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Permalink Reply by Dita on January 16, 2010 at 11:36am

Yeah, it's not about money, and sometimes very little time is needed.
The most simple things might bring joy to anybody elses life.

One day (during the christmas holidays) I really didn't have any idea about what to give. It was snowing, cold, I absolutely did not feel like going out of the house. I was home, in a bad mood, with my 3 years old son.

Suddenly I decided to make a little snowman for him on the balcony. Well, a snow bird actually. With eyes made of pistacia shells and a piece of carrot in the face. My little son was just so glad, all the week he talked to the snowbird, wished him a good morning and a good night, and I even had to make a snowbird baby,

So this was a 3 minutes 0 Euros / Dollars gift which was one of my best ones so far, and it brought as much delight to me as to him.

Edith

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Permalink Reply by Sharon D-29 Gifts Ambassador on January 18, 2010 at 9:04pm

I LOVED this story! Thanks for sharing it!
-s

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Permalink Reply by Amber on September 28, 2008 at 2:56pm

I have to admit, I almost didn't sign up because I thought I had 'too much on my plate' as well, & maybe I do. But like you said, participation is optional...& when I do get the spare moment to come catch up on people's givings & post some of my own, it's just fabulous. A part of me was thinking I wouldn't be 'allowed' to participate, or that I'd 'get in trouble' if I didn't give something everyday. I actually thought it meant you had to literally give something of yours to someone at first! LOL
I can say that, even with taking care of a 2 year old, a 3 month old, a dog, & a cat while my husband is in Iraq, going back to college & still trying to keep this house in some sort of order, every so often I still have the time to come back to the site. & even on the days that I don't have time, I have definitely noticed myself keeping track of my everyday givings & making mental notes at the end of the day of everything that I was able to give.
Actually, I keep getting things in the mail asking for donations to this or that charity, ones that I really believe in, & though money is pretty tight for me right now, I put each new one on the bottom of a stack & every month I give what is left over in my checking account at the end of the month. It's never much, but I believe that every little bit helps & it's just a very easy way for me to give something at LEAST every month, though I know small things are given everyday whether we are always able to take note of it or not.

To sum it all up, thanks for the site Cami, it is offering so many great things to us all & I'm so glad I happened to stumble upon it!

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Permalink Reply by Dita on January 16, 2010 at 11:21am

Hi Amber!

I just read this one.
No matter if you donate to charity or not, I DO believe your gift is the perfect gift.
You're GREAT, you're giving so much,
Keeping all going, with two little children, your husband absent - YOU'RE JUST GREAT!!!
And I am sure you are a great mother, because with the positive attitude that made you sign in here sure you are.
This good mindset you give IS YOUR CHARITY.

As to donating to charity: it never should feel like an obligation. I believe, that 1 Euro, Dollar or whatever from the heart counts more than 100 under obligation. And besides, there are many other things to give.

There's a story I read I think it was in a Catherine Ponder book.

A poor lady, a widow with many children, called at a spiriual helpline because she ran out of money and food and the children had not been eating for a day. The counseller said, that before receiving she has to GIVE. The lady was in despair, she said: "But listen, that's exacly the problem, I have NOTHING, what for Gods sake should I GIVE?"
The counseller insisted that she HAD something to give, because EVERYBODY HAS something to give. She advised her to look around on what she could give. The poor lady thought about this for a while, then she realised the beautiful flowers in her garden, She picked a bunch of them and brough them to a sick neighbor, The neigbor was very delighted and very grateful. Then she went home to her kids, put a new tablecloth on, and the best plates. She sat down to make her shopping list, as advised by the counseller.
Suddenly someone from the Sunday school came in - they had made a collection and handed her 40 Dollars (in the 1950s or 1960s).

So I think everybody here has the very right thing to give.
And will receive what is needed most.

Good luck & Take care!
Edith

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Permalink Reply by eve wong on September 28, 2008 at 4:09pm

Someone I met in ZA has tattoos on the inside of his wrists that say on one "Try Again" and on the other, "Fail Better." That's apt for most of life. If we waited until we could do things right, we'd never do anything at all.

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Permalink Reply by kai charles on September 28, 2008 at 4:45pm

It is interesting people have blocks to this program. When that happens I just have to believe that they are meant to "get" this process thru another source. I have also heard people say that they give all the time and that they don't like the concept of "having" to do it 29 days straight I've tried to explain the concept but some people just aren't open to it.

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Permalink Reply by Cami Walker -- 29Gifts Founder on June 30, 2009 at 3:45pm

I think it's great when someone says no to this because they give every day already (most of us do) or it just doesn't appeal to them as something they want to do. I think many of us resist things that require discipline or daily attention.... I know I do. The "nos" that bum me out are the ones that say they like the idea of this and would like to do it, but they can't because they don't have enough ____.

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Permalink Reply by sjh1031 on July 14, 2011 at 1:22pm

I understand those people because I often feel like I have nothing to give, but I'm slowly learning it isn't true. We all have something to offer. Keep trying to understand those people who feel that way. They just don't see their contributions as having a value.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Gentile on September 29, 2008 at 9:06pm

I remember reading something by Steven Covey (i think) that wwent something like this:
People who come from a deprivational mentality look at life as "me vs. them" and want to keep whatever they can amass for themselves. More for me means less for them kind of thinking. It makes their world smaller and smaller eventually because people don't want to get close for fear of being "sucked in" Yet those who live from abundance look at things as "we or us" where their life is made bigger by the sharing of their "wealth" however you measure it (or don't measure it). Their world expands and their circle of friendship expands, and in that expansion, there is more of "me" to go around. You find time to do everything you want to do. You find the money you want to find. You find the love that has been elusive and mysterious to others.
You never know how the people you meet or the lives you touch or the contact you make with and in the world will affect others - positively or negatively. There is much to be said for opening your heart to this and living the phrase "Namaste!" When approached this way, all relations are holy, all are divinely inspired and blessed, and the abundance that is the currency of the universe is available at no additional cost.
This is my blog post for today, done in a different place than our usual. I will cut and paste (oh boy, arts and crafts at midnight!)
Namaste!

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