MZD - Ep 96 Cultivating Abunda

Mountain Zen Den Podcast

In Episode 82 we introduced the concept of Cultivating Your “Garden of Well-Being”. Those qualities in your life that you desire to have more of, and that would help make you a better person. Things like Presence and Gratitude, Hope and Faith, Love and Simplicity, Joy and Tranquility, Beauty and Wonder, Health and today’s subject – Abundance.

Today we’re talking about cultivating a spirit of abundance and What Nature Teaches Us About Wealth & Abundance.

Money is generally the first thing that comes to mind when people think of wealth and abundance. But having riches, that is, being wealthy and having abundance in your life is so much more than having a lot of money in the bank and accumulating things.

Gifts and resources such as health, freedom to live and love as we choose and have the time to pursue and enjoy them, along with family, friends and other relationships and associations… these are all signs of abundance in our lives. And we should pursue and enjoy them with unceasing gratitude!

That being said, there is nothing wrong with accumulating and having a lot of money.

American new thought writer Wallace Wattles reminds us,

“To be really rich does not mean to be satisfied with a little if you are capable of using and enjoying more. The purpose of nature is the advancement and development of life. Every individual should have all that can contribute to the power, elegance, beauty, and richness of life…The desire for riches is really the desire for a richer, fuller, and more abundant life.”

Jesus said, “I came to give you life, and life more abundantly.”

Look at the world that was created. There is not just one species of bird, fish, animal or tree or flower fungus. But a countless variety that is continuing to change and grow and evolve over time. Even the rocks themselves display an amazing array of characteristics, colors, densities and the like - Granite, gneiss and schist, igneous, metamorphic, sedimentary.

Think about it, there’s not just one life zone, ecosphere or habitat, but a multitude – cool luscious woodland forests, wild, cacophonous jungles, vast open plains, sweeping prairies, rich living deserts, babbling brooks and rolling rivers, endless blue, green and gray oceans… Not one star but billions and trillions and quintessagazillions beyond what the eye can see! (I just made that word up by the way…). You get the idea, whether you zoom out or zoom in, you begin to comprehend abundance and combination of resources in our lives and at our fingertips… In the natural world, there is always more than enough, and more being renewed day by day.

But the order of the world and the way life works often means we need to work with, appreciate and cultivate these resources.

The original meaning for the concept of Meditation meant – “To Cultivate.”

Cultivate: - verb (used with object), cul-ti-vat-ed, cul-ti-vat-ing.

1. to prepare and work on (land) in order to raise crops; till.
2. to promote or improve the growth of (a plant, crop, etc.) by labor or attention.
3. to develop or improve by education or training; train; refine: to cultivate a singing voice.
4. to promote the growth or development of (an art, science, etc.); foster.
5. to devote oneself to (an art, science, etc.). Even devoting oneself to personal growth.

If you have ever grown a garden or crops you understand the concept of cultivation.

As I’ve said before, growing a living thing requires focus, intention and preparation. It requires a bit of time, sweat, and focused energy, consistency & upkeep, especially when it comes to weeding… The entire process is what we might refer to as “work”. But the reward waiting at the end of the harvest yields an abundant crop of desired results. It’s the way of Nature; the way things were designed to work.

I hope this concept helps in our meditation, giving you a visual today, as you picture yourself continuing to cultivate your “Garden of Well-being”, and specifically Abundance.

There is so much more we could discuss about this concept, but we’ll have to revisit and explore deeper another day. For now, suffice it to say, we are all living, dripping in gifts of abundance and once we recognize that, express gratitude for them and begin to cultivate them, they show outwardly in our lives in beautiful and endless ways.

So, as we begin today’s meditation I invite you to remember that Nature is the best environment for cultivating abundance, renewal and personal growth.

Music for today's show provided courtesy Jeff Van Devender/JavaMusiK.com