Abundance in Life: Both Good & Bad...

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They say too much of a good thing can't possibly be bad right? Depends on what exactly it is we are speaking off...

It is true that while there are many good use cases for some things in this world that we have as an abundance. Take water as an example. Why is it that water is such an abundant resource in the world yet there are times that those living in impoverished nations can't get clean drinking water? The answer to that question ignites another debate - around money.

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We have plenty of money in this world - yet we can't seem to find ways to help those most in need. Money is a funny thing...it doesn't even truly exist. It's man made. We created it and gave it "value" in order to conduct business needs. Had this never happened perhaps we wouldn't have many of the problems we face in the world today. Maybe society would simply "function" and fulfill the needs of the people without a monetary reward. Our Utopian lives we so often wish for might have been reality if "money" had never been created. Even precious metals really don't have an inherent monetary value. Man made it that way so that we could "acquire" what we felt was necessary in our lives. It's a funny thing and perhaps another topic for another day...

The purpose of this post however is to discuss something that I personally have had an overabundance of in my own life; and what that did to me. I am living in this current physical life with an overabundance of many things. My life is lived far above the poverty level and there are many things in my life I see that I truly don't need in order to "exist" and live a "good life." I'm VERY THANKFUL for all that I have and it is through an "awakened" perspective that I have been able to scale back and give more without the expectation for anything in return. It is truly a blessed place to be from a personal life perspective.

That said, my life wasn't always this way. I was born in an impoverished area in Western Pennsylvania, U.S. with very little to my name. My mother raised my little brother and I on her own; working 3 jobs at times to put clothes on our backs and food on the table. I didn't know what being "poor" meant until about the 6th grade when the figure pointing began when I would wear the same shirt to school sometimes 3 days a week. It was around my time in high school that I became determined that my life would "count." I was determined to "make it." At the time, I didn't know what "it" was but I knew it wasn't living a life paycheck to paycheck without a means to an end.

I dropped out of high school at age 18 (was always a good honor role student but that is a longer story that I'll get to one day perhaps), got my GED, and moved one thousand miles away (1,609 kilometers) with nothing to my name. It was truly me against the world. So at this point in my life; I had one thing and only one thing that I had an overabundance of ----- Stress!

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Stress is a natural occurrence within the body that is supposed to arise from adrenaline. When a body is "in stress" it is within that existence for safety and to achieve a once again calm and at peace state. Adrenaline rushes through our body as a natural defense mechanism for when we need to attain safety. This dates back to in time when we were roaming the earth as hunters and gatherers. Without this given ability we may not have survived as a species. But in today's world there are very few, thankfully, reasons for "flight or fight." We don't have a lot of needs to use adrenaline in today's modern world, yet when we stress ourselves out constantly we are pumping that adrenaline through our bodies without finding enough time to be calm and at peace. This is actually a very poisoning type of process for the brain. It does not allow us to think as clearly and intuitively as we were designed to be able to do. It is harder to "tap into" our source or higher selves for perspective when we are in a stressed state of mind.

I spent the entirety of my 20's "chasing the dream." Attaining and proving to myself that I too - a high school drop out, could "make it." While this was great motivation and drive for me, it eventually put me into a state of depression and anxiety. Far too many days I didn't believe I had accomplished "enough." Even though I had attained my first home at the young age of 22 and was earning a good salary at that point in time with a new car - - - it wasn't enough. I saw what "success" looked like on TV and in the magazines and I hadn't achieved that level yet...or at least I hadn't "awakened" yet to realize I already had achieved much more than I really needed - even at that young age. I had food without needing to worry about hunger, I had shelter and a good living for a young man in his twenties, and I had obtained a good promising career - one to which today I am still within.

Yet because of my restrained viewpoints and desires to achieve more, I began to have heart problems. I was having anxiety attacks and heart palpitations - often so bad that I would rush myself to the hospital fearing I was having a heart attack. Eventually I insisted on getting an EKG to ensure my heart was in good shape. It came back in perfect condition with no abnormalities or dysfunctions. I was relieved to find out my heart was good, but baffled as to why I was having these issues. Little did I realize my overabundance of stress I was placing on myself to succeed was causing the problems.

As I worked through my 30's I began to realize a few things. I stumbled across some reading by Dr. Eben Alexander. I read his books "Proof of Heaven" and "The Map of Heaven." All through my life I've been an individual asking about life and why we exist. His books helped put me into a life long quest to find personal meaning of existence. I've since read hundreds of similar stories and books to help me find more meaning, learning, and perspective. In his two books mentioned above he speaks on "afterlife experiences" he encountered while in a life threatening coma, induced from a severe meningitis condition he was diagnosed with. While in this coma his consciousness continued onward and he experienced some incredible experiences that he was able to describe upon his recovery. Prior to this situation he had been a practical, analytical, left brained doctor with little to any view or belief on the afterlife.

At about the age of 33 I began to realize through my own spiritual awakening experiences that life does indeed continue beyond this physical life that we see around us. This "awakening" of sorts has given me the perspective I've needed to realize how successful my life is and how no matter what - - - it's all just simply "an experience." We all continue on after this physical life. Our consciousness will always be... Our soul is what matters and nothing that mankind says we should do to become successful really matters at all. We define our own success...

I am confident that had I not had this awakening and realization I would likely have had an actual heart attack or even worse I may not even still be living this current physical life. But I am still here and with a renewed sense of accomplishment and calm within me. There is little in this life that causes me to return to a level of overabundance in stress or anxiety. I've often been quoted as saying that I could wake up one day with every single materialistic thing in my life stripped away from me (money and all) and I'd still be happy. That is something that I am indeed VERY THANKFUL for as well...

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It is my goal to help all those I encounter realize that they too can enjoy a great stress free life; a life of true enjoyment and bliss. Not matter what level of financial success you think you need, you truly do just need to have safety, a roof over your head, enough food and water supply and you can create your own heaven! It truly is all just a state of mind...

Be mindful and well everyone...

Book References:

http://ebenalexander.com/books/proof-of-heaven/

http://ebenalexander.com/books/the-map-of-heaven/