Sufficiency Vs. Scarcity

Several months ago I read an article in an Outdoor Photography magazine of all places that jumped out and made me go "WOW"! I don't often read through the articles, but something about this one caused me to take notice. The article was written by Dewitt Jones. I tried finding the article on Outdoor Photography site but you must be a member to read it. 

You see, we live in an age of crazy technology where we are always aware of the constant change of trends, the newest products, the bigger and the better, the haves and the have nots, the who's and the "who-nots". From Facebook to Instagram; From Twitter to whatever else is out there. From thousands and thousands of blogs and websites and don't forget Pinterest! 

Sufficiency (or Insufficiency) and Scarcity are two words that seem to constantly be thrown at us in one form or another. Two words that jumped out of this article at me. I'm revisiting that article today and asking myself am I living life in Sufficiency or Scarcity, more-so in my mind than in the actual, tangible parts of my life. 

Scarcity = Lack, want, insufficiency, shortness of supply

Sufficiency = meet ones needs, adequate, the quality of being enough.

I believe that even more than being tangible realities, these are mindsets that we choose to adopt. As someone who loves  enjoys technology, computers, my camera and the internet, if I'm not careful, the first can rear its ugly head and make me forget the second!

When we live with a scarcity mindset, we forget to enjoy life. We don't have people over because we're afraid our house or our food isn't good enough. We miss all the amazingness around us because we are focused on what we don't have. We don't enjoy our "staycation" or the beauty in our own cities because we wish we were in Hawaii. 

Another word found in this article Dewitt Jones was FOMO: the Fear of Missing Out! Ouch! Below are a few quotes from the article that I thought were very powerful. He also quotes Lynne Twist from her book "The Soul of Money" 

"When we hit abundance with a scarcity mentality, that's what we all slam into. There's more around us than we could ever use, yet we keep on grasping, grabbing, fearful that we'll miss the next new thing." Dewitt Jones

"Once we let go of scarcity, we discover the surprising truth of sufficiency...sufficiency is an experience, a context we generate, a declaration, a knowing that there is enough, and that we are enough." Lynne Twist

How about changing FOMO in to JOMO (the Joy of Missing Out)

"to be content with what I have and where I am and who I am, knowing there was more (more technology, more gear, more images, more love, more gratitude, more _______) always out there waiting." Dewitt Jones

"Sufficiency resides inside each of us, and we can call it forward. It is a consciousness, an attention, an intentional choosing of the way that we think about our circumstances". Lynne Twist

So as you go about your weekend and into the next week ask yourself which mindset you're resourcing. The next time you are afraid of missing out on something because maybe the finances just aren't there or you're afraid of having someone over because you don't feel your home is adequate. The next time you compare your home decor or your clothes closet, your camera lens (cough cough...that's me) to someone elses, give scarcity a swift quick in the rear! 


With Joy UNquenchable,