Sufficiency vs. Abundance

Last Wednesday evening I had the privilege of attending the opening San Francisco launch of the Global Sufficiency Network, a network dedicated to bringing the conversation of sufficiency to a global scale. Guest speaker Lynn Twist (the author of the Soul of Money) reminded us that as we enlarge and expand the conversation of sufficiency, we plant seeds for the radical truth that there is enough to go around.

Lynn made an important differentiation between the word sufficiency and abundance, two words that commonly used in the contemporary ecological movement. She emphasizes that although their noble intention is to help guide people out of a paradigm of scarcity they are not the same thing.

In her words abundance can be defined as the flip side of scarcity- having more than you need out of the fear of not having enough, while sufficiency is not an amount or quantity but rather an experience of a radically surprising truth of “enough-ness” that you can’t see if you are chasing money and have your gaze on what’s not there.

In my own practice I have come to understand that in fact money is not one to be “chased”. As Lynn suggests above, as we chase money, even in the cases of development, right livelihood, non-profit work, we are chasing after the prospects of the future (and more specifically fueled by a very natural need to feel secure in the future), but at the cost of not fully living out the present.

It is common knowing in many spiritual traditions that the gifts of life are revealed by paying attention to what it occurring in the present moment. These gifts can be venture and growth opportunities, authentic connections, or a moment of silence and stillness- they are infinite, and usually meant to satisfy what you truly need.

How to practice sufficiency? The possibilities are endless, but if I may suggest, here are three:

• Give money a home and place to land in your life (in simple organized financial structures that work for you). Instead of chasing money, you can establish a clear communication with money around immediate needs and financial goals. Set the plan in action and then let go of the reigns- trust you will be given what you need.

• Engage in a conversation with yourself, with money and your financial situation to see what is being asked of you in this moment- Where is there a need for reflection and de-pression? Where is their opportunity for growth?

• Practice embodying a sense of “it’s enough” by appreciating (which just like in real estate will increase the value of your current asses) and utilizing what you currently have in your life.

Like everything in life, sufficiency is an everyday practice.

Many blessings.

Comments

[Cyndi Smasal]

I watched the Launch live and I'm the Director of Marketing for the Global Sufficiency Network. Here's a link to a video that goes into more detail about the difference between sufficiency, scarcity and abundance. Plus how to live a happy life.

here's the link:

http://globalsufficiency.org/sufficiency