—
Abundance and excess might seem to some people to be the same thing, they are not.
Abundance is a large quantity of something while excess is more than necessary. These two concepts are deceptive in making people think that they are the same.
There are people who have abundance in their lives who share the excess while there are some people who have excess and would not part with any of it.
Abundance comes from a mindset of being surrounded by the infinite source of things that people can be grateful for having in their lives. More often than not the people who accept having abundance in their lives, have a strong faith or belief system.
There are people who link the law of attraction to abundance believing that the things we seek in life will come to us when we are in alignment with our vision for having them and when we are grateful for them, unconditionally.
Excess, on the other hand, seems to come more from a greedy mindset, people who have excess seem to believe it is acceptable to hoard things beyond their personal need for them.
The people who find excess acceptable typically have the attitude that they are entitled to have more than others. That either through hard work or inheritance, they have the right to have more than necessary.
While there are many things that people would like to have in abundance; support, acceptance, and empathy are just three of them. In each of these three, there is a sense of goodwill and compassion for others.
Support comes in many forms and as such lends itself to being an ideal for abundance. People need and want abundance in their lives and during certain times in their lives, cannot have enough of it. Support in abundance lets others know that they matter and that they can do anything with their dreams.
Acceptance is another concept that can be experienced in abundance and it takes nothing away from anyone else. The fact the acceptance has an unlimited source makes it a great candidate for experiencing abundantly. Acceptance of ourselves and others are the keys to living in abundance, there can never be too much acceptance of who we are and who we choose to love in our lives.
Empathy is such a catalyst for support and acceptance and compassion. The unlimited flow of empathy in people’s lives gives them the support and acceptance that they need most to get beyond what seems unsurmountable. Empathy, as a way of connecting with others, will always serve to build up and esteem people; which is enough of a reason to have an abundant supply of it in our lives.
There are countless, in fact, an abundant amount of, other examples of things in life that need not be limited in any way. The natural order of things that are abundant must be perfectly designed to make sure no one ever runs out of it.
There are inherent biases associated with excess that can create division with people. Excess, more often than not, is associated with greed and most people are turned off by it. There are those people who strive to have excess and might be doing it unconsciously. This makes the mindset a critical component of experiencing excess.
Some of the things that people hoard in excess are money, houses, and possessions. Each of these may serve to portray a lifestyle to others that may or may not be desirable. Excess can be a great divider of people, some want it and some avoid it.
Money may or may not be the root of all evil. While this may sound controversial to some, having an excessive amount of money is not a good thing. There are people who possess millions and even billions of dollars and want even more money. How much money is enough and how much becomes excessive? What is the value and purpose of having excessive amounts of money?
Houses in the USA are larger than ever with the average home in 2019 having 2700 square feet, up from 1400 square feet in 1970. Many people in the USA are living in homes that are far bigger than is needed for the size of their family. How many empty and unused rooms are necessary to portray a certain lifestyle? Having excessive space to live in and thinking it is one’s right, is just another symptom of those living in excess.
Possessions serve to maintain the perception of a certain lifestyle. There are people who collect cars, houses, and art to further impress others with their lifestyle. These things that they have in excess are sometimes at the expense of others having nothing. When is enough of something enough and when is it excessive?
Abundance seems to come from a belief system that there is more than enough of certain things in the world to go around, while excess might come from capitalism.
While there are differing opinions about the status of elements on Earth such as clean air and water, there is an abundance of the things people also need to live and survive like support, acceptance, and empathy. People need these things in abundance.
There seems to a movement underway that that will excess is somehow removed from the rest of the population. This has set in motion more societies of the haves and the have nots than ever before in history. It serves to separate people instead of uniting them.
Abundance might lead to gratitude, while excess might lead to greed. Which side of the coin do you prefer?
—
Have you read the original anthology that was the catalyst for The Good Men Project? Buy here: The Good Men Project: Real Stories from the Front Lines of Modern Manhood
◊♦◊
If you believe in the work we are doing here at The Good Men Project and want to join our calls on a regular basis, please join us as a Premium Member, today.
All Premium Members get to view The Good Men Project with NO ADS.
Need more info? A complete list of benefits is here.
—
Photo courtesy iStock.