We began our week together with a discussion of why “UnLearning” is so important.
Now moving forward we’ll focus on the third of three areas that I have come to realize we must address with our “UnLearning”. Let’s talk about why the sooner you can release and overcome scarcity or the fear of lack, the better off we all can be.
That’s our topic on this edition of “Becoming Today”.
Are you ready to let go of what for far too many has been a multi-generational issue. Scarcity and lack. Yes this also deals with being afraid of those concepts, but all can be overcome.
Again like fear and doubt these are battles we all fight in our minds. However they can won and we can work towards becoming healed and relieved of the,
Web MD defines this fear of lack as “A scarcity mindset is when you are so obsessed with a lack of something — usually time or money — that you can’t seem to focus on anything else, no matter how hard you try”.
The medical science also presents evidence that not “UnLearning” these behaviors can lead to physical and mental health ailments.
“Focusing on something you don’t have can take a toll on your mental health. You can get “tunnel vision” when all you think about is the unmet need. Scarcity mentality also has other impacts on your brain and can even cause it to work differently.”
Not something I want to deal with and I do not believe you do either.
Still it’s something that has existed for centuries as flipping through the Bible you can read, in Genesis 50:21, God saying, “So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.”
Plus the promises found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”.
He has been, is and will always be faithful to HIs promises, so why worry? Why doubt? Why live in fear?
There is no reason to, you simply need to make the decision to change your mind. You can do that at any moment in a given day, so are you willing to now?
We say we are ready for things.
Ready for things to get better. Desiring for more. Even claiming to be ready for change.
But are we really?
So, “people get ready….”
What does it mean to be ready?
A simple definition of ready is ‘in a suitable state for an activity, action, or situation; fully prepared’.
So to truly be ready, first you need to be ‘fully prepared”.
Prepared is explained by these separate but simultaneously required explanations:
-made ready for use.
-ready to do or deal with something.
And fully means completely, entirely, 100-percent, to the furthest extent, without reservation. For purposes of our conversation that would be altogether committed without reservation to the idea of being ready.
So pulling it all together for our common understanding to be ready is to put yourself in a suitable state to take action without reservation to achieve a goal, outcome or result.
Are you prepared for that?
Then get ready to deal with some steps to ensuring you are remaining on the path to your desired “Becoming”.
“You don’t need no baggage,…”
In ensuring you are fully prepared for the effort that lies ahead in “UnLearning: Scarcity” and readying yourself to receive rather than lack you need to answer this question:
Are You Ready To Accept Change?
Whoa… wait a minute let me turn the volume down, I was just blown away as I heard nearly 16-thousand of you scream YES!!!!… in unison.
However, while I appreciate your zeal, you need to pause for a minute.
Are you truly ready for this step?
It takes more than a willingness or a desire, it requires genuine work to ensure that you are open to accepting.
Realize first you don’t always get what you think you want, but if you try sometimes, you might just get what you need.
In learning how to accept we are “Becoming” able to live a life with gratitude. T
hat simple act of true humility is pleasing to God. Accepting of child-like trust, to receive without the burdens of judgment shows we are evolving. “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.“ (Matthew 18:3-4 BSB)
Even for those with this knowledge and many who not only know but have understood it as a belief, still accepting help can be uncomfortable. However remember there is no shame in asking for help nor freely accepting it. Giving and receiving are an integral part of life.
While a majority of people genuinely enjoy lending others a helping hand, for many it remains tough to be on the receiving end.
While we know it feels good to support others through acts of kindness there are a few reasons why it remains uncomfortable to embrace the acceptance of the same kind of assistance.
These include a fear of being vulnerable, having a feeling of unworthiness and those who continue to hold onto shame. Accepting help does not make you weak nor is it a sign that you have failed in some way. If someone is struggling with low self-esteem, they are more than likely also dealing with past beliefs tied to shame or feeling guilty.
As I typed this last paragraph I think those are topics we’ll need to address in depth in a future visit, but for now let’s accept that shame and guilt are unnecessary, unhealthy emotions. Furthermore in regards to our conversation today, you can begin to release them by simply saying, “yes”. Yes I can. Yes, I will accept your help. It truy can set you free.
“All you need is faith,…”
Understanding that, now you need to reflect upon this inquiry:
Are You Ready To Do The Work?
Anything truly worth receiving requires effort. Are you determined to make the commitments to dedicate yourself to the cause?
Examine your beliefs about receiving
Undertake some self questioning to determine what could be causing you to be hesitant or putting up a barrier of resistance. What’s stopping you from accepting help? Do you feel undeserving? Why?
Allow yourself to be vulnerable
Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. In order to accept help, you need to let go of control. That may be the most difficult obstacle to overcome. Nevertheless it is required in order for others to step in and help.
Admit if you’ve ever felt weighed down by your past?
Of course you have.
We all have.
The good news is we don’t have to keep that weight upon us.
If your past is holding you back from co-creating a life you truly love. Let it go. The past- not your dreams and desires. By learning how to release the old hurts, shame, guilt, grief or even times of despair, you are helping to rescue yourself from a life of resentment, or a false attitude that you really don’t deserve anything better.
These kinds of pain can be difficult to release. Nonetheless it can be done. While we can never fully take away what happened, we can choose to survive and go beyond by thriving. Life is far less about what has happened to you, it is principally about how you decide to respond to it.
You can not create a state of “Becoming”, if you aren’t willing to let the former or current realities go. Are you ready to do some releasing?
To let go of past hurts, you need to make the conscious decision to release control of the situation.
However, this can take time and practice. Be kind to yourself as you practice refocusing how you see the situation, and celebrate the small victories you have already received.
“Don’t need no ticket,…”
So now that you’re willing to accept change, understand the change you get back may be not be what you had calculated and and you’ve embraced the idea that you need to be committed, diligent and steadfast toward the need for effort and action, then one more question remains:
Are You Ready To Ask?
You can not receive something if you don’t ask for it. Conversely we are assured that if you ask your needs will be met.
The Bible is full of examples on this step, and receiving assistance, guidance, support, recompense and even zeal are all among the more than seven thousand promises God makes to us that are recorded there.
As it is written in Matthew 7 verse 7, ““Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”.
And the promise is further emphasized in the next line, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened”.
Any doubts? Consult
However make sure you are also asking with proper intention or as James 4 verse 3 notes, “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives…”.
So how should you ask? That too is revealed in the word:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
With an attitude of gratitude present your requests and do so with tenacity.
That’s something we previously discussed in depth in a conversation we shared called, “Tenacious On Purpose”.
To be purposefully tenacious is acting intentionally. With reason and uncommon determination in a consistent, dedicated manner.
Not being swayed, continuing forward in spite of any obstacles or perceived challenges.
Remaining steadfast, persistent, assured, affirmed and forbearant until we successfully fulfill our goal or objective. Then,…
“You just thank the Lord!”
Being ready to receive is a process.
It requires multiple steps and time, but of you truly are believing you too can be receiving, which can also be described as:
accepting
acquiring
collecting
drawing
earning
gathering
getting
inheriting
making
bringing in
The commonality between all the descriptions is that you are being rewarded.
Opening ourselves to receiving is allowing for promises to be delivered, rewards accepted and earning a greater sense of self and “Becoming”. It is a major step towards “UnLearning Scarcity”. To allow yourself to receive rather than lack.
So are you ready to receive?
I can not answer the question for you, because while we walk along this shared path, we all have different callings, missions and purposes. Only you can fully understand what it is you need to receive.
Work the steps, make sure you are liberal with you utterances of gratitude and praise and people you are ready to receive,… whatever “it” may be for you.
Let me know where you are in this process and if you’d like to explore further discussions about and then make sure you join us tomorrow, when we’ll take a look back at our week long focus on “UnLearning”, here on “Becoming Today”.
Oh and did you notice some italicized quotes, I didn’t mention sprinkled throughout today’s conversation? Did they seem familiar? Reinforcing our message, those are the words of Curtis Mayfield, from his classic, “People Get Ready”.
Becoming Today with Rochelle Jeanette 