Posted on the wall at my favorite acupuncturist’s office is a little sign that says:
There is one cause of disease: stagnation.
There is one solution: circulation.
Indeed, this is a law of the universe. Health, vitality, aliveness, abundance, joy, excitement, connection, appreciation, and so on are all signs of circulation. Energy is moving. Give and take are happening. There is flow. Everything in nature depends on movement, flow and circulation. Even inside of trees sap is running. And quantum physics is showing that even what you think of as solid matter is in fact moving (and mostly empty space—isn’t that a trip?).
It’s so interesting that when you feel like you don’t have enough, what do you tend to do? You tend to contract, pull in, conserve? If you lose money you thought you could count on, you cut back on your expenses. If clients leave, you cut back on your support. If you lose your job, you stop going out to dinner, maybe cut back on your food altogether.
On the one hand it might make sense—temporarily. Less money coming in, you want less money going out, right? Otherwise you will really be in a pickle. So you stabilize yourself. Determine what you’ve got, what you need, and make plans.
But if you stay in that contracted state for very long—even more than a few hours or days—stagnation sets in. Circulation has been cut off. Flow slows down and then stops. And over time this becomes your expectation and then your experience of life: not enoughness, scarcity, lack. And if it goes on for long enough it does create illness in the body. Unfortunately, it’s an epidemic.
The solution: a splurge! Something fun, pointless, even outrageous. Something just because you want to do it. Just because you want to have it. So often when you are contracted you long for something else, but you don’t allow yourself to have it. Because you think you don’t have the money. You don’t have the resources. It would be irresponsible to spend money on something “frivolous” (i.e. something other than what you need to survive). But then notice that your standard for living becomes what you need to survive—and that’s just the level at which you operate: survival.
Why a splurge and not a stretch? Well, for those who are in a contracted state, a splurge is a stretch! And yes stretching will help open the flow again. Yet a splurge has a special quality. A splurge is fun. It should make you smile, even giggle. It’s like: oooooo, I wanted that and now I get to have it????? Te he, te he!! Stretching often is not that pleasurable.
Doing something you have always wanted to do (Abraham would say it’s in your Vortex) will open up the flow of abundance. I know it sounds wonky from a logical point of view, but it makes total sense energetically. Longing pents up energy while action moves and directs it.
So what you can splurge on? It could be buying yourself flowers every week. I just bought myself a big bunch of lilacs – they are SO beautiful and fill my office with the most incredible scent. They are only available for a couple of weeks a year and I relish their beauty and sweetness. Flowers make me feel really abundant.
It could be going out to a restaurant you’ve always wanted to go to. It could be taking the afternoon off from your business and going canoeing or riding on a ferris wheel or a horse. It could be taking a painting class, or baking (and eating) an outrageous cake, or buying an apple tree for your yard.
It doesn’t have to be big and expensive (although that can be very exciting)—it just has to be something you’ve been wanting and denying yourself. And enjoy!
Why are you in business if you can’t enjoy it?! Working hard needs to be offset with deep enjoyment. In Waldorf Education they call it breathing in and breathing out. Working with your mind is awesome and important—that’s breathing in. Then you need to open your right-brain and playfulness—that’s breathing out.
It’s a law of nature—ebb and flow, in and out, waves moving. Let yourself be supported by the pulse and river of life that runs underneath all the chatter and busyness of your business life.
Open to life-force energy. Open to Spirit. You will enjoy yourself more, and your success will flow.