What do you think about when you think about abundance? Money? That is what most people think of, and that is a place it shows up or doesn't. It is easy to see the zeros in the bank, or the lack of zeros. My personal belief regarding abundance moves way beyond the bank account, and is in many ways, is connected. For example, if I have had to trade abundance in one area for abundance in another, do I have abundance? If I have traded time with family, or time for self care, for money, do I have abundance? Which takes up more space in my spirit, the "lack" in my life or the "abundance" that results?
This way of thinking comes after years of trading one for the other. For many years I pursued the success in a career. In that pursuit, I missed much time with family. Grandmother's birthday parties, nieces and nephews being born, growing up and having children of their own. I'm an not at all sorry for the path I traversed, because it landed me here. There is no way I would understand the trade offs if I hadn't made the trades. But it was a trade and it did not result in abundance. Yes, it was a decent living, but what lacked in my life was sold pretty cheap in the end. We don't know until we know, and now I know.
When life changed directions, without my consent, I was forced on to a different path. This path was riddled with financial uncertainty and opportunities to reevaluate. Stepping through the fear and meeting those challenges with various new tools. Studying various forms of self improvement opened so many doors. Prayer, meditation and self evaluation had been a part of my life for years, but exploring new and different ways to practice and apply these tools had resulted in so much abundance.
The abundance in my life isn't just showing up in a bank account. I have been provided a way to start my business, and that is really just the icing on the cake. The real abundance has been in time. Time to spend with loved ones. Time to learn. Time to show up for the people that need me. It seems to be a circle of abundance. One seems to fuel the other. They are all connected. Each blessing feeds the next blessing. I can't separate them, they are woven together in a beautiful tapestry. There have been challenges, but almost every moment, I have what I want and want what I have. Abundance is not even close to what I thought it was, it's even more!

I know, it has become so cliché to say, “I’m living my passion”.  Until it happened, I never really believed it when someone said that.  It sounded too “otherworldly” or like someone would try to sell me some scheme once I bit.  But now that I am living it, I seem to have more and more people in my life that live their passion. 
 
The best part of my job is that…it doesn’t feel like work!  It feels like I get to play all day and get paid for it.  The fact that I get to make other lives better in the process, is just part and parcel of living my passion.  Starting my day with getting connected to God and letting that connection be the fuel for my work is living within my values.  This time was once a tool for “getting through the day without losing my mind”.  Same action, entirely different motive. 
 
So, the best part of my job is…  EVERYTHING!  Feeling like my “why” is not only certain, but attainable.  Knowing that my natural gifts and my education are joining forces to make the lives of others better is very fulfilling.  Helping others find their “why” and live their passion…there is nothing better!  The best part of my job is making your life better.
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It’s hard to say, which comes first, feeling blessed or being blessed.  I can tell you this, and it is a fact, not theory; the more blessed I FEEL, the more blessed I AM.  Now this may seem like fluff or wishful thinking, but it is an absolute fact.  My default setting is “now what? See?  I told you it would all go to hell!”  And for many years that is exactly how my life went.  I would expect things to not work out, things wouldn’t work out, and I would confirm to myself how on point I was about how crappy things work out for me.  Then, as an assignment in school, I started expecting things to work out, ON PURPOSE.  Every time my head would start telling me how bad things were going to be, I would reframe and think how blessed things will turn out.  One thing at a time, my life was getting blessed.  Business challenges getting resolved, financial situations turning around, relationships growing in a blessed direction.  Even now, my default negativity will sneak up on me and things will start a downward spiral.  I will change my mind and things start go right again.  Make what you will of it, but I am an absolute believer!  My challenge to you is to think in a blessed direction ON PUROSE and see what happens.  It is a little harder than you expect it to be, especially if you have a negative default, but it is so worth it.  Just try it, let me know what happens.  If you don’t follow through, you can’t say it doesn’t work.  Try it, let me know what happens!  Good thoughts produce good results, promise!