The year 2020 promises to be full of massive transformational energy due to a shift in the Saturn-Pluto conjunction that has been in effect since the early 80s. This unique planetary alignment causes, among other things, a break down of societal structures, and as our external world is simply a reflection of our internal world, it forces us to explore our deepest shadows in an effort to understand why the status quo no longer serves.
Rather than being fearful of the dark side, however, shadow work is a powerful tool that can help us disassemble accepted ideals - both internal and external - and gain clarity for new and better ways of being.
A common shadow I've noticed within students and clients is scarcity - the shadow of abundance. A quick glance at today’s world would indicate that we are abundant beyond all expectation! Information is at our fingertips; social media connects us to more people than ever before; and modern conveniences such as grocery stores and prepared meal services save us precious time in planting, sowing and harvesting our own food. Yet many people feel they simply don’t have enough. Money, time, love, stuff, career opportunities - you name it - there’s not enough.
Simultaneously, there’s so much rhetoric around creating our own world through the law of attraction, we can start to feel lost or confused if we can’t figure it out and get to where we want to be.
But here’s a little secret… solely focusing on abundance actually returns us to a state of lack.
Why? Fixating on abundance means the attention or awareness is placed on what you don’t have and how to get it, which only attracts - you guessed it - more of what you don't have. So let’s take wanting out of the equation altogether.
Shadow work means we take two polarities - two sides of a coin - and integrate them rather than accepting one side and dismissing the other. Therefore, in working with abundance, the first step is to acknowledge and accept that the external world includes scarcity - and that’s okay.
Once we consciously acknowledge that scarcity exists, we're provided with an opportunity to walk right into the eye of the storm - when you feel in lack, give back.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but giving back in ways such as volunteering your time, donating to a charity, providing your services at no cost (in moderation); babysitting a friend’s child so they can attend a job interview; or even signing up to plant trees in your community empowers you feel abundant amidst the scarcity. It forces you to see past the lack and ask yourself how you can pay it forward anyway. This practice immediately integrates the shadow, while placing you into a vibration of abundance - not to mention it just feels so damn good!
Over the next couple months, I personally had/have several opportunities to pay it forward including having been a panelist alongside several kick-ass women at the Follow Your Dreams Pop-Up Panel event on March 1; leading a FREE class at Lululemon Oshawa on Sunday, March 8 in celebration of International Women’s Day; and on Wednesday, April 8 donating copies of my book The Confidence Project to women at The Denise House - Emergency Shelter for Women and leading them in a practice. This is in addition to my ongoing Heal pop-up class from which all proceeds go to The Denise House.
We’re riding a heavy collective wave of scarcity across the world, and giving back is the only real way to lift yourself out of that low-frequency vibe and launch yourself into the higher vibrations of love, connection and wholeness. When you’re vibrating in that space, you can’t help but feel full and you will absolutely start to see abundance manifest in your outer world too. So don’t run from the shadow of scarcity - embrace it! Despite how you may be feeling in areas of money, relationships, career - whatever - find ways in which you can give back.
The only way out is through, dear souls, and what you’ll receive by giving is priceless.