Abundance vs. Scarcity: Do you say YES or NO to the 29 Gifts Challenge?

[Cami Walker -- 29Gifts Founder]

The most common reply I get when I invite someone to sign up here and commit to give their 29 Gifts is, "I'm TOO busy. There's TOO MUCH on my plate already. I can't add one more thing to my daily 'TO DO' list."

The intention of this project is to help people become more conscious and learn to celebrate the gifts they ALREADY give everyday. That book you read to your little girl last night before bed; that's a gift. The dinner you whipped up the other evening for your next door neighbor; yep, that's a gift too. Showing up to work without complaining and doing your job well; you guessed it, it's a gift. It all "counts."

It's hard for people to believe that they actually don't have to add ANYTHING to their daily to do list to successfully complete this Challenge. All that's needed is a shift in perception so you're mindful of the gifts you offer to the world.

If you WANT to share about your experience publicly here on our website, we encourage that. It will help you stay conscious if you do so. But other than spending thirty seconds to set up your profile, participating on the community website is 100% optional.

My personal opinion is that when I'm telling myself I'm TOO busy to say YES to something I want to try; I am in a scarcity mindset. It's totally cool if I say, "I don't want to do that because I'm not interested." Great. I made a choice to say no to something because I don't want to do it.

But if I'm thinking or saying, "That sounds interesting. I'd maybe like to try it but I don't have enough time, money, energy..." I am holding a very limiting belief that is blocking the flow of energy in my life.

I estimate approximately 500,000 people have heard about this project by now with all the media attention we've gotten and viral activity I've been able to track in very rudimentary ways. I wonder what percentage of people *wanted* to say yes, but couldn't because of their scarcity mindset?

TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE SAID YES AND SIGNED UP: Congratulations on being open and willing to accept abundance in your life! I predict you will be the recipient of COUNTLESS gifts.

[Maureen Forbes]

Oh so true. The more you give the more you receive. Speaking from experience.

[staci leahy]

i can't speak for anyone else, but you know it took 138 emails from you to get me to sign up. and i really like you. *wink* i didn't want to sign up and then be a slacker and thus a disappointment to the person (you) who asked me to join. i wonder if that applies to some of those more personal requests?

fwiw, i've been frustrated too. i've sent numerous personal emails to friends/family ... 5 new members. i put it out there in the ms connection newsletter ... 1 new member. i put it out on craigslist ... 1 new member. i put it out on the mommy message board i'm a member of ... 2 new members. i put it out there on freecycle cafe ... no new members that i know of. that's THOUSANDS of people. certainly not to negate those folks that did sign up as a result of those efforts, but ARGH(!) when you think of all the potential members that could've come from those venues it's a bit disheartening. and then i become torn between getting a new member to add to the numbers versus getting a new member that really WANTS to carry through with the challenge, ya know?

after 138 emails from you, i was ready to be here. i didn't know it at the time, but i should've been here at email number one. (or at least 2......) time and repeated efforts. we know how good it is. we'll just keep showing them. if you build it, they will come...... =)

[Cami Walker -- 29Gifts Founder]

Thanks Staci. You're probably right. I think the number one person we don't want to disappoint is OURSELF when we hesitate to start something we want to do. Often I try so hard to be perfect or do things perfectly, it paralyzes me and I end up doing NOTHING. I always say I am a recovering perfectionist.

Mbali -- the medicine woman who inspired this project -- once told me that perfectionism... always thinking your are not good enough... don't do well enough... aren't enough... is a form of scarcity thinking.

Annie... one of my best SF friends who used to allow me to boss her around at an ad agency where we used to work together... once went to this fancy dancy time management seminar because I suggested improving her time management skills in her quarterly job performance review. When she came back to the office the next day, I asked her, "What's the most useful thing you learned yesterday?"

Annie's reply to me was: "Perfectionists never get anything done. You need to let me make more mistakes."

Annie taught me a BIG lesson that day. Life is about progress, not perfection.

[sharon]

I am so glad I moved forward the 1st time I got the email, I jumped at this because Spirit nudged me to move on it.
It has changed my life.
Those closest to me have seen the change and support me, especially my husband, he loves the new me!
I have invited alot of folks, and have at least 18 personal friends joined during my 4 rounds here.
Not every one blogs online like I do, and it OK.

I do not go a day without someone getting a questioning look on their face and an earful of how wonderful my life is BECAUSE of the challenge.
I am planting seeds.
Some will grow.
Many will reseed.

I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to be in this experience from early on, and hope to see it continue with the rate of growth I have seen since I have been here, only some 108 days ago we were a mere 434 members!

I know many people create a consciousness of lack, not enough, and my spiritual adviser told me, there is always enough of everything!
There is enough time to do anything you want, if you have your priorities straight!

Life is kinda like that too, we have enough of everything as long as our priorities are straight.
I have enough of what I need, most of us do, we just want more.

I do not have more time than what there is, I do not have more stuff than I have, but I do know if I let go of anything, a vacuum creates and more sucks in, every time!

Nameste!
-s

[Sabriyah Fatimah]

I think you are right that people refuse to participate because of a scarity mindset- either they think they do not have enough time or enough money. It isn'about money really, or time. So far no one I have invited has signed up. I am still hopeful though. They are all really wonderful giving people so I am actually surprised.
Your teacher Mbali is so right. My thinking that I am not ___ enough is a kind of scarcity thinking. This type of thinking has held me back for too long. Thank you for this reality-check gift. Cami you rock!

[Erin - 29Gifts Community Manager]

I think the scarcity mindset is a throwback to instinctual desires of self-preservation. Fortunately, we don't need all the crap we collect in our lives, and smiles, hugs, compassion, and consideration are unlimited resources that multiply as we give them away. I have personally had the experience of learning that it's often those who possess the least who give the most.

[Amber]

I have to admit, I almost didn't sign up because I thought I had 'too much on my plate' as well, & maybe I do. But like you said, participation is optional...& when I do get the spare moment to come catch up on people's givings & post some of my own, it's just fabulous. A part of me was thinking I wouldn't be 'allowed' to participate, or that I'd 'get in trouble' if I didn't give something everyday. I actually thought it meant you had to literally give something of yours to someone at first! LOL
I can say that, even with taking care of a 2 year old, a 3 month old, a dog, & a cat while my husband is in Iraq, going back to college & still trying to keep this house in some sort of order, every so often I still have the time to come back to the site. & even on the days that I don't have time, I have definitely noticed myself keeping track of my everyday givings & making mental notes at the end of the day of everything that I was able to give.
Actually, I keep getting things in the mail asking for donations to this or that charity, ones that I really believe in, & though money is pretty tight for me right now, I put each new one on the bottom of a stack & every month I give what is left over in my checking account at the end of the month. It's never much, but I believe that every little bit helps & it's just a very easy way for me to give something at LEAST every month, though I know small things are given everyday whether we are always able to take note of it or not.

To sum it all up, thanks for the site Cami, it is offering so many great things to us all & I'm so glad I happened to stumble upon it!

[evie]

Someone I met in ZA has tattoos on the inside of his wrists that say on one "Try Again" and on the other, "Fail Better." That's apt for most of life. If we waited until we could do things right, we'd never do anything at all.

[kai charles]

It is interesting people have blocks to this program. When that happens I just have to believe that they are meant to "get" this process thru another source. I have also heard people say that they give all the time and that they don't like the concept of "having" to do it 29 days straight I've tried to explain the concept but some people just aren't open to it.

[Cami Walker -- 29Gifts Founder]

I think it's great when someone says no to this because they give every day already (most of us do) or it just doesn't appeal to them as something they want to do. I think many of us resist things that require discipline or daily attention.... I know I do. The "nos" that bum me out are the ones that say they like the idea of this and would like to do it, but they can't because they don't have enough ____.

[Steve Gentile]

I remember reading something by Steven Covey (i think) that wwent something like this:
People who come from a deprivational mentality look at life as "me vs. them" and want to keep whatever they can amass for themselves. More for me means less for them kind of thinking. It makes their world smaller and smaller eventually because people don't want to get close for fear of being "sucked in" Yet those who live from abundance look at things as "we or us" where their life is made bigger by the sharing of their "wealth" however you measure it (or don't measure it). Their world expands and their circle of friendship expands, and in that expansion, there is more of "me" to go around. You find time to do everything you want to do. You find the money you want to find. You find the love that has been elusive and mysterious to others.
You never know how the people you meet or the lives you touch or the contact you make with and in the world will affect others - positively or negatively. There is much to be said for opening your heart to this and living the phrase "Namaste!" When approached this way, all relations are holy, all are divinely inspired and blessed, and the abundance that is the currency of the universe is available at no additional cost.
This is my blog post for today, done in a different place than our usual. I will cut and paste (oh boy, arts and crafts at midnight!)
Namaste!

[Cami Walker -- 29Gifts Founder]

Wow, Steve. Wonderful insights. Thank you for sharing. I hope you're working on your submission for the 29Gifts Book!