We often think of scarcity as something negative, something that limits us and makes us unhappy. We think that we need more of everything: more money, more time, more opportunities, more choices, more freedom. We think that abundance is the key to happiness and fulfillment.
But what if we are wrong? What if scarcity is actually a blessing in disguise, a catalyst for growth and transformation, a guide to our true purpose and passion? What if scarcity is actually a quality of Time & Space?
That’s the idea that I want to explore in this blog post, inspired by a healing session and conversation I had with Tamara Lucas, an entrepreneur who was a guest on episode 5 of my podcast, A Kind of Meadow. Tamara shared how she always felt like she had to work hard to get just enough money to survive, which I can relate to. We focused the healing session on Tamara’s relationship with money, and what we found was how money / survival / and death are connected in her life.
I used to think that scarcity was a mindset I needed to heal or avoid, but now I sees that scarcity is what makes life precious. Life is scarce. By that I mean the Time & Space we have available in this life is such a small blip within the infinite, and while that scarcity has scared me, I am starting to see that it’s what makes our time and space so sacred. Life and all we do and become within it is to be revered like a rare and precious gem.
Scarcity creates a scope of clarity, that we cannot do “it all,” so it’s important to get really clear about what we want and what we value and what excites us. I believe very deeply that our purpose in life is to Follow Our Bliss, as Joseph Campbell would say, and discover all that we are in the process. Scarcity helps us align with our bliss more clearly.
After the healing session, this insight felt liberating for me, and I wanted to share it with you. Here are some of the ways that I think scarcity can help us find our bliss:
Scarcity helps us prioritize and focus
“People think focus means saying yes to the thing you’ve got to focus on. But that’s not what it means at all. It means saying no to the hundred other good ideas that there are. You have to pick carefully. I’m actually as proud of the things we haven’t done as the things I have done. Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things.” -Steve Jobs
One of the benefits of scarcity is that it forces us to prioritize and focus on what matters most to us. When we have limited resources, whether it’s money, time, energy, or attention, we have to make choices and trade-offs. We have to decide what is essential and what is optional, what is urgent and what is important, what is meaningful and what is trivial.
This can be a powerful exercise, because it helps us clarify our values and goals, and align our actions with our vision. It helps us eliminate distractions and noise, and concentrate on our signal and purpose. It helps us simplify and streamline our lives, and create more space and time for what we love.
Scarcity helps us appreciate and enjoy
“Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” -Oprah Winfrey
Another benefit of scarcity is that it makes us appreciate and enjoy what we have and what we do. In Buddhism, the understanding of impermanence is a sacred ideal, reminding us to value what we have and savor it while we have it. When we know something is scarce, we don’t take it for granted or waste it. We pay more attention and gratitude to it. We experience more joy and satisfaction from it.
This can be a wonderful practice, because it helps us cultivate a positive and abundant mindset, and a sense of wonder and awe. It helps us notice and celebrate the beauty and goodness in our lives, and the opportunities and possibilities that surround us. It helps us live more fully and deeply in the present moment, and make the most of every experience.
Scarcity helps us create and innovate
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” -Albert Einstein
A third benefit of scarcity is that it stimulates us to create and innovate. When we have less of something, we tend to find ways to make more of it, or to use it more efficiently or effectively. We become more resourceful and inventive, more adaptable and resilient, more curious and experimental. We challenge ourselves and stretch ourselves, and discover new solutions and possibilities.
This can be an exciting practice, because it helps us unleash our creativity and potential, and express our uniqueness and authenticity. It helps us learn and grow, and improve ourselves and our lives. It helps us contribute and make a difference, and add value and meaning to the world.
This is definitely a mindset shift for me. I resonated so much with Tamara’s experience. I’ve felt like I’ve had to hustle and struggle to make enough money, and I worry about the future and the unknown. I forget that there is a larger force that is guiding me and supporting me, and that I can trust and surrender to it. I forget that there is a flow of abundance and creativity that is always available to me, if I only allow myself to tap into it. I’ve been so focused on the impermanence of everything that I forgot that it means something else will take it’s place in a continuous cycle of death and rebirth—if I allow it. If I let go. If I surrender.
Scarcity is not something to be feared or avoided, but something to be embraced and utilized. Scarcity can help us find our bliss, by helping us prioritize and focus, appreciate and enjoy, create and innovate. Scarcity can help us live more intentionally and passionately, more gratefully and joyfully, more creatively and meaningfully.
So, the next time you feel like you don’t have enough of something, don’t despair! Instead, ask yourself: How can I use this scarcity to my advantage? How is this scarcity clarifying my options, my path? How is this scarcity guiding me to my bliss?
I hope you enjoyed this blog post, and I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. How do you deal with scarcity in your life? How do you use scarcity to find your bliss? Please share your comments below. Thank you for reading!
