7 Ways to Practice Abundance
For many of us, the holidays can be a real bummer. Intertwined with the merriment of the season, we may find that we can’t afford gifts we wish we could give. We may find our hearts hurting- we don’t have the family we wanted. Or the relationship.
It’s easy to feel a lack of abundance. And the sharp contrast of the rest of the world’s holiday cheer makes it hurt even more. Often, we associate abundance with money. And when we don’t have enough money, then we don’t feel abundant. But money is just one of many incarnations of abundance. There are so many ways to experience ‘plenty.’ These seven practices are some of my favorite ways to weave abundance into daily life.
1. Make stock
Turn vegetable peels, bones, rinds, trimmings, and food scraps that would otherwise be garbage into a medicinal broth. True alchemy! I aim to do this once a week, storing scraps in a four-quart Cambro along the way. When I’m ready to make the broth I chop up a few whole carrots, stalks of celery, and ginger. Keep in mind that too many garlic/onion skins will make it bitter. Add enough water to cover the scraps and simmer for about an hour. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer and voila! I often have such an abundance of broth that I end up freezing in quart containers or giving some away to friends.
2. Propagate houseplants
Many houseplants can be propagated by pinching off a leaf/section of leaves and placing the cut end in water. Refresh the water weekly. Once you notice it’s growing roots you can plant in soil. I often save tiny jelly jars for propagating plants and give away to friends while it’s still in the water. Some of my favorites to work with include inch plant, begonias, and spider plants.
3. Take beach walks
During the initial depths of COVID-19, my partner Ricky and I would go for a weekly walk on the beach. Week after week we found ourselves accumulating a sweet little collection of sea glass, shells, and other beachy baubles. Treasure can be found everywhere in nature! Don’t live near a beach? Discover nature’s abundance in a park, hike a woodland trail, or go for a drive. You don’t have to physically collect items in order to appreciate the abundance of treasures.
4. Grow a garden
Whether it’s a potted herb or a full on vegetable garden, growing food (or aromatic plants for that matter) is an abundance practice as old as time. A garden will encourage a surrender to the process of cultivating abundance. A sense of trust in the natural flow of life. And more likely than not, you will have more flowers/herbs/fruits/vegetables than you know what to do with.
5. Save candle drippings
After burning pure beeswax candles I couldn’t help put save all the odds and ends- hardened drip trails and stubs that remained after the wick burned down. I now have a box of pure gold that will get melted down to make more candles.
6. Designate a gifting closet
…or drawer or secret stash. When you receive gifts of things you’d never use or finish a book you’ll never read again, why not put them in the gifting closet? Didn’t like that 4 pack of fancy tonic waters? They’ll make a cute cocktail kit! Next time you’re in need of a last-minute gift, get invited to a yankee swap, or want to give a gift just because, you’ll have a nice little stash of abundance to dig through!
7. Keep an ideas/inspiration list
In my phone, you’ll find many lists. Almost all of them are inspirational lists: ideas for self-dates, wisdom to myself, Birchstone spa ideas, product ideas, places to travel etc. etc. When you’re feeling empty it can be refreshing to visit your inspiration list (or gratitude list for that matter!), taking note of the abundant ideas and adventures right at your fingertips!
Truthfully, abundance is all around us. We often just have to take notice! Lean on these seven abundance practices this holiday season (and beyond) for a more joyous, fulfilling out look on life. You may have noticed, too, that a lot of these practices will naturally include sharing. What a beautiful cycle to enter into- abundance breeds more abundance :)