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For the longest time I thought that abundance was something for other people. I thought that abundance was something that those hippy-dippy life coaches spoke about in an effort to get people’s money.
This was before I became one of those hippy-dippy life coaches. But I digress…
Today, I want to share a tale of abundance. The abundance that has been my life over the last few months. The abundance that has been my heart for the last few months. And the abundance of love that I have experienced in the last few months.
But first…I want to talk about an abundance of cheese.
Early in September, I went to work as a crew member of a Trader Joe’s in Scarsdale, NY. This was the first full-time job I was able to create since I moved from Alabama.
This was a huge break! My 2019 has been a very poor year financially, so having a steady fulltime paycheck every two weeks was a massive break.
Let’s get back to the cheese. This is a weird one.
The first couple weeks working at Trader Joe’s are spent in training. You shadow a more experienced crew member as they work sections of the store – produce, dairy, meat…and cheese. Among other sections.
On this evening – which was in my very first week working there – I was assigned to work with a young woman named Danielle. And we were told to work the cheese section for the next couple hours. And if you’ve ever shopped at a Trader Joe’s, you know how many cheeses they carry.
Seriously! I had no idea how many cheeses there were until I started working there!
I escaped to the restroom for a few moments while Danielle went into the cooler to get started picking out what we needed to stock.
As I go back into the cooler, I hear her laughing.
“Ryan, can you get that box down for me?” Danielle had managed to wedge a box – as we say back home in Alabama – cattywampus against the ceiling of the cooler. I have no idea how she did it, but she did.
Apparently, this box was the keystone for something bigger. Because when I took hold of the box, another box came down. And as the box came down, I was hit with a rainstorm…I mean a cheese storm of dozens of packages of deli sliced swiss cheese. This entire case of cheese hit me in the face.
Slowly…
Like they were in quicksand…
One…by…one.
After what seemed like 20 minutes – but probably more like one – I find myself adjusting my glasses because they got knocked cattywampus on my face.
I glare at Danielle who is laughing like a hyena on crystal meth. I wish I could remember what I said, but I know that I never let her forget the night she almost tried to murder me with deli sliced swiss cheese.
Despite our cheesy beginning, Danielle and I became friends.
From this point forward, I got to know some of the most amazing people I’ve ever known. People who work hard, love each other, and have each other’s backs.
I got to know some amazing stories from some amazing people. I had some really powerful conversations about music, loved ones battling cancer, baseball, and the power of choice.
Let’s backtrack a little bit.
I originally interviewed at this store this past spring. This was soon after my eviction. They didn’t have any hours for me at the time, but the store captain (Trader Joe’s language for store manager) told me to call back after the summer when the fall rush started.
I did. And started soon after labor day.
I worked there steadily for a few months. I had some fun and learned that working until midnight doing a physical job wasn’t the best for my 40+ year old body.
One day in November, I saw something on Facebook that really intrigued me. It was an ad for a copywriter position at an ad agency in White Plains, NY – about a 30 minute bus ride (for my non-driving at the moment self) from where I live in Stamford, CT.
I have applied for dozens of jobs on Facebook but have never heard back from any of them.
I didn’t expect to hear back from this one.
A couple hours after I submitted the application, I got an interview request. I was a little dumbfounded and disbelieving.
We work out the interview time and I go in. Never in my life have I felt so aligned with a workplace environment. Creative, vibrant, and alive!
I interviewed with the company founder and CEO – a woman named Elena. I stayed in her office better than an hour and had a mind-blowing conversation.
This was on a Friday. I received a job offer on Monday.
It broke my heart to have to tell Trader Joe’s Captain Samantha (who was my biggest advocate) that I was leaving. While disappointed it was at their busiest time, she understood.
I share all this because this entire Fall has been a lesson in what abundance truly looks like.
It isn’t simply because of all the work I’ve been doing – and still coaching clients!
It isn’t simply because I can finally see outside of my financial hole and can see getting healthy financially for the first time in years.
And it isn’t because I met some amazing people at Trader Joe’s as well as in my new office with Copy and Art advertising.
Here’s the lesson I want to share with all of y’all.
The abundance is because I’m allowing it. I let it in. I let people help me. I let myself team with people. I let myself receive abundance.
Abundance is available to all. Love, financial security, success – abundance is available to all! You just have to let it in.
Surrender to the abundance.
It’s like my coach recently said to me – you don’t have to fight when there’s nobody to fight.
As we stand on the precipice of a new decade, I’m going to take this abundant heart with me.
An abundant life is available for us all! We have to let it happen.
In closing, while I have surrendered and will continue to surrender to the abundance of my life, here’s one thing I’ll never surrender to.
Everybody with a lick of sense knows that there is only one proper term for the four-wheeled device one pushes in a supermarket or department store to carry your merchandise.
It’s not a carriage.
It’s not a basket. It HAS a basket.
It’s a buggy! C’mon y’all! It’s a buggy!
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