It’s the end of the year, my favorite time for
reflecting on all that has passed and looking forward to a fresh year with new
goals and rhythms.
In 2021, my word of the year was “abundance” (as
opposed to scarcity), and I had to remind myself of that more days than not. I
know that our God gives good gifts—lavish gifts, even—and He doesn’t hold back
or worry if there will be enough. This is because He Himself is enough.
This affected nearly everything I did from how I spent
my money to how I spent my time to how I treated my friends.
Abundance says, “He is enough, and He will provide enough.”
Scarcity says, “There’s never enough, so you should be afraid and hold
on to what you still have.”
I made several goals for the year, one in each of the
seven categories of life in which Dave Ramsey recommends goal-setting: career, educational,
family, financial, health, social, and spiritual. For each one, I kept my word
of the year in mind and set goals that reflected the abundant life I wished to
live out. The abundant life is already fully ours in Christ Jesus.
While only about half of my goals were fully
completed, I felt good about what I accomplished this year, whether I had set a
goal around it or not.
For example, it wasn’t in my original plan to switch jobs midway through the year, but that’s what I chose to do. I didn’t plan to buy a car and move out of my parents’ house the same summer I switched jobs, but here we are. Little choices and little changes led me to meet people and form connections that moved me into the position I am in today…
- Being open to an interview connected me to the job and workplace I now love.
- Going to a dinner (that I almost didn’t go to) led me to meet an alumna from my college whom I would recruit to work with me at my new job.
- Talking about my need for a roommate and place to live led to more living situations being sent my way and landed me my current roomie.
Madeline, I have been dealing with the concept of abundance in my own mind! Your blog has just reinforced this. I know in the past when I have put faith into the words I speak to myself, great things came to pass. I feel as if my life now would benefit from this mindset shift.
ReplyDeleteI actually have an interview today for a position I have waited for. :)
I'm so glad that this met you right where you were. Coming out of 2020 and 2021, abundance is a very different mentality from the scarcity mindset we have been forced into. Congratulations on your interview!
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