In Times of Scarcity, I Dreamed My Way Into a Life of Abundance

Stop waiting for happiness to arrive (It’s already here)

Prayers. Spells. Manifestation. There are many names we give the intentions behind our transformations. Our words are powerful, and our actions are even more so. We create our lives with something as seemingly insignificant as a thought. The thought spirals out and becomes intention, becomes action, becomes the life we’re living.

In times of scarcity, I dreamed my way into a life of abundance.

It started with a personal crisis. A chronic illness that I have escalated. The fact that I had a debilitating cyclical disorder became more pronounced. Then, it shifted into a professional crisis and a financial one when I lost my job due to the symptoms of my illness. I felt like I was losing everything. My health. My job. My ability to provide for my family. My sanity in the midst of all of it.

But somewhere in that crisis of scarcity and fear, I grasped onto hope. I discovered a way to create abundance in a life that seemed filled with loss. It started small, and it grew. It’s growing even now.

I decided that I was not powerless.

There were aspects of my situation that I could not control, but there was much I could do if only I would do it. I decided that I could become more self-sufficient. I began completing projects around my house that I had delayed before — waiting for help or outside guidance.

I decided that I couldn’t control skyrocketing grocery prices, but I could make an intentional effort to grow my own food. Gardening, of course, is an expense, but I already had the garden beds to work with, and seeds are an affordable way to start. I made a list of the produce my family enjoys and began to nurture seedlings indoors while waiting for the seasons to change.

Then, there was the chicken adventure — words I never thought I would utter. I decided that I would raise egg-laying chickens to add to our home. Not only would we get eggs we could eat and eggs we could sell, but we would also have plenty of compost and fertilizer from their coop and run, which I could add back into my garden. I didn’t know how much I would love them. I had no idea the happiness this choice would bring.

I live in gratitude now — even in the midst of struggle.

I walked through my garden during sunset earlier this week and felt a deep appreciation for all that’s growing around me. The fruit trees that I planted that are still growing. The vegetable garden waiting for seedlings to be added, the fledging cool-weather vegetables still pushing through the soil. The berry bushes showing signs of life. The mushroom beds in their shady spots. The chickens scratching in their run, sounds of contentment everywhere.

I dreamed this life into being. I did it one small step and stage at a time. I stopped trying to rush the process to the end and began to enjoy the journey. The fruit trees aren’t yet bearing fruit, but they grew new leaves, and I felt the promise of them. The mushroom beds aren’t yet showing the little caps of growing mushrooms, but I know that they will in time. A leaf sprouts, a flower blooms, a chicken grows new feathers, and I am grateful.

Soon, I’ll be picking strawberries from my patch, biting into their sweetness. I’ll harvest mushrooms and fill a basket with blueberries. One day, I’ll go out and collect eggs of varied colors. I’ll fill our kitchen with a harvest, and I hope to have enough to share with friends.

My doctor found a medication that helped my chronic illness. The job that I lost is facing a lawsuit for disability discrimination that is well-deserved under the circumstances. The career shift opened up new, surprising opportunities. My financial crisis, while not yet resolved, has begun to resemble something like hope. The anxiety that used to oppress me began to ease.

I stopped focusing on all that is out of my hands.

I started focusing on what my own hands could do. I turned my attention inward. I tapped into my resilience, my knowledge, and my resources. My life didn’t magically get better. It has taken effort, and even more than that, it has demanded patience.

When life knocks us down, we have choices. The choices aren’t just to lie there broken or to get up. There are so many small movements between the two. I could focus on what happened or why, or I could use my energy to improve my situation — or I could do both. I could learn the lessons — so I did. I could improve my life — so I did that, too.

I’m still a person who dreams of better days to come.

I’m just not living for them. Instead, I’m living for this moment, now, today. I’m not waiting for life to fall into place to be happy. I have visions for the future, but I’m planting the seeds of that future here and now.

People say that children grow up too fast, that life is short. They’re right. Even my pets leave behind their fledgling stages and become adults. Seedlings turn into plants that last for a season. Everything changes, and I am changing, too.

Prayers. Spells. Manifestation. There are many names we give the intentions behind our transformations. Our words are powerful, and our actions are even more so. We create our lives with something as seemingly insignificant as a thought. The thoughts we choose matter. They spiral out to become intention, action, and the lives that we are living.