Picking and Poking at Poverty Mind
Crystal posted this on April 16, 2008
~Michael Neill
Michael Neill’s words—which headline the Finance and Money chapter of X Marks the Spot—got me rethinking poverty mind. And not in terms of money.
What if what Michael says about financial security is the same for our emotional security? Then emotional security stems from a belief that we can get more love, more friends, more acceptance, more appreciation, and more attention whenever we want. It would follow then, that insecurities are rooted in fear that those things are in short supply.
Is the same true for ideas? If it is, it means that people who believe in bottomless idea buckets feel safe when sharing their notions and helping others brainstorm. On the flip side, people who are secretive about ideas and miserly with feedback are reacting to a concept that the ideas they have are the only ideas they’ll ever have.
And then there’s time. Pema Chodron asks us, “Since death is certain, and the time of death is uncertain, what is the most important thing?” Our time is surely finite, but does that give us a right to be stingy with it, or would we serve ourselves and others better by handing over this unmeasurable treasure by the bushel?
We’re probably hardwired to hoard when there’s a shortage. But I feel it’s critical for a healthy spirit, a functional family, and a harmonious planet that we treat love, ideas, and time like the renewable resources they truly are. Since the beginning of the beginning, we—as a species—have fought with others (and ourselves) over things we imagine are in short supply.
Why is it easier to scrap over scraps than to cultivate resources that can’t be used up?
Which is all to say: when it comes to earning a living, how do we choose a service to offer? Selling something we have plenty of and the market lacks is easy-peasy. But what do we do when the knowledge and skills we have in ready supply aren’t met with high market demand?
Or maybe even more challenging, what if what’s in demand is something we have, but we feel a need to clutch it close to our chest? Indira Gandhi said “You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist,” and to that I add: you can’t accept payments that way either.
Sorry. I usually post answers, but today I’ve got nothing but questions. There’s never a shortage of those.
Et tu? Let me know below.
Tagged with: In General · Quotations · wonderings
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35 Responses to “Picking and Poking at Poverty Mind”
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Wow. What a thought provoking post. I’m not sure I’m qualified to answer those questions, but you sure have me thinking about them.
But you know, I think the same *is* true for emotional security, ideas, and time.
My own personal beliefs - because my time here is limited, why not share it with someone else? And ideas - well, I can’t take them with me and I’d rather see them live on after I’m dust. Friends? I make friends easily, there are so many great people in this world.
You can’t shake hands with a closed fist. I like that one.
Kelly shared a quote a little while ago:
If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.
—George Bernard Shaw
That seems to fit in here today.
Thanks for sharing, Crystal.
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
Half of my day every day is creating space for the people around me to live outside the box. There is a victim mentality that can only be overcome but responsibility, people acknowledging their own power to shape their life moment by moment.
The question I have for myself is why do I bother worrying about other people…
It’s all about pie.
If you believe the world is like pie..you are screwed.
I will post the Pie Theory very soon.
Wendi Kelly’s last blog post..The Cannoli Tube
Brett—I love that Shaw quote about exchanging/sharing ideas!
Anne Rice had something similar: she wrote of using a burning candle to light an unlit one. Lighting the second doesn’t steal or diminish the flame of the first. They both burn brightly from the interaction.
Rice was writing about vampires begetting more vampires, but the gist is the same
My pleasure, thanks for coming by and adding your view.
Hi Wendi!
Pie Theory…Cannolis…I truly can’t wait to read what happens next
Crystal, I like that Anne Rice quote very much too.
(I like candles, so it speaks to me.)
I also cannot wait to see where this cannoli & pie thing will lead with Wendi…
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
A really great article. I especially like your point about Those things being a renewable resource. My first introduction to your site and it was enough to tell me to subscribe to your feed.
Shawn’s last blog post..Manage Not Only Your Time, But WHOM You Spend Your Time With!
Brett, with your help, Shaw’s going around the world for the first time in a hundred+ years. James may take Oscar Levant around the world next.
Crystal,
First, administravia. My email subscription, which I have checked and checked, is not working. Not as in, it’s being filtered as spam; as in, nothing is showing up at all. Thus, I keep not realizing you’ve been posting until it’s days late and I wander over to look. Can you check whether there’s some hitch?
Next…
This has been said before, but never near so well. Love it. I think you wrote a while back about non-disclosure agreements, the most obvious example of being an idea-miser, but there are plenty of others.
Sometimes I get funny glances for my blog (with people outside of the blogosphere). “You’re giving it away!” (100th post coming tomorrow, after nearly 6 months, WOW! That’s a lot of giving.)
Some folks are surprised that I also (try) to contribute in comments elsewhere.
I started commenting before I started blogging, so that I’m hooked on. It’s irreversible. When I started thinking about a blog, my thought was this: there are far, far more people in the world than I could ever take on as clients.
A lot don’t want to hire me anyway, because they just want to know something.
A lot don’t know me, and if I don’t throw my knowledge out there it’s gonna stay that way.
No matter how many people read my ideas, I can not possibly be poaching my own clients, because the world is too big.
Generosity comes back to you in many ways. I receive as many ideas as I give, and there was already NO CHANCE I was going to run out of ideas. Hehehe. I find dear people I care about, as much as many in the “real” world.
And hey, last but not least, maybe a lot will read me, and realize that while they can implement one idea at a time, that means they’ll always be waiting for the next post to check if they’ve got it all together, so they’d better give me a call!
Your generosity of mind and spirit has already touched me, Crystal.
Regards,
Kelly
P.S. The hardwiring to hoard reminds me of the “last five pounds” I clung to for years and years. This year I finally conquered them. NO HOARDING!
Kelly’s last blog post..The Baffling Results of Wearing Holes in my Black Pumps
Kelly,
That is a really insightful comment from a person who truly “gets it”, who truly understands how everything works.
We live in a big world with a limitless market, and technology gives us access to that market. Why not give away a lot of ideas? The ideas will spread, people learn who you are, and some of them will come to see you.
Seriously, if you wrote a book and gave it away to the world, if everyone - *everyone* - got a copy of it, and 0.001 percent of them sent you one dollar…
You know, the more I read your comment, the more it makes me think. You just made my day, Kelly!
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
Brett,
WHY ARE ALL THE GOOD ONES TAKEN?
Thanks, friend, for the kind words.
Regards,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..The Baffling Results of Wearing Holes in my Black Pumps
Kelly,
(*blushing*) gee, thanks! If I weren’t taken, I’d have to ask you what you were doing tomorrow night
And thank *you* for your continued inspiration.
Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
It is amazing to me to see how powerful the mind can be. We have all been given this wonderful tool that can be used how we would like it to be used. When we use it for good, we can see other people’s lives being blessed all around us.
Brett,
Since you didn’t ask, tomorrow night I have a coffee-date. Modern world. Go out, sit in cafe, decide you have nothing in common with someone without spending too much time or money.
Hm.
What’s that line about wanting a white knight?
Kelly’s last blog post..The Baffling Results of Wearing Holes in my Black Pumps
I’ve never believed in hoarding anything.
I’ve been “giving it away” on the Net since 1991.. and have never regretted it at all. I’ve helped a lot of people for free, but I’ve still made more money than I really needed, so that certainly didn’t hurt me.
I don’t think we are hard-wired to hoard. Most people I know are generous and giving. The miserly and spiteful are out there, but we outnumber them by far.
Tony’s last blog post..Vista Home Premium by Anthony Lawrence
Hoarding isn’t ever good for you. I too learned that on the last five pounds!
I don’t believe anything freely given with love and joy falls short of its mark.
You just might not really know where the bullseye is at all time.
Basic Pie rule: give it away.
Wendi’s last blog post..The Pie Theory: A Story About Pie
Kelly,I should have asked. I’d like to have a coffee with you, I think we’d have a great chat :)-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
Brett,
Single is an utter bore, followed by many moments of becoming set in your ways, followed by freedom and exhilaration… a constant struggle between I love my life and never having to share anything, and yuck, where IS that darn white knight. I can hardly wait to go out tomorrow night. (Oh, oh, Kelly needs an attitude adjustment…)
Inserting emoticon to turn Kelly’s frown upside-down:
Stuck in traffic too long and it shows.
All the comments on this post are awesome! (Well, except this one.)
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..The Baffling Results of Wearing Holes in my Black Pumps
Kelly,
Your white knight is coming, just listen for the hoofbeats. A lady like you deserves nothing less.
You’ll have a great time tomorrow night.
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
Brett,
Right after I wrote that I was thinking of Naomi, saying never type when pissed off. Hehehe. Ah, well.
By the way, coffee with a friend is always awesome.
Later,
Kelly
Kelly’s last blog post..The Baffling Results of Wearing Holes in my Black Pumps
Kelly,
Hey, what you wrote was human and full of emotion. One should never be afraid to show emotion, I think it is a good quality.
Yes, coffee with a friend is awesome… I’m having a coffee right now, talking with my friend Kelly
Awesome.
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
Brett,
One should be afraid to mess with Crystal’s nice blog by going all human. She’s trying to work here.
Besides, that belongs on Harry and James’ blog. Hehehe.
Later…
Kelly’s last blog post..The Baffling Results of Wearing Holes in my Black Pumps
Kelly & Brett—
You’re not messing with anything that I can tell! I like human, and after a long day (and a long post), I am most definitely not trying to work here lol
Though for a moment there, I was wondering if y’all needed a chaperone
Crystal,
I’m not sure we need a chaperone, but another cup of coffee would be good
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
@Brett—Ya know, I was bringing over an extra mug or two for you guys, but got so wrapped in the convo that I sipped ‘em both while playing Comment Voyeur
More replies tomorrow after I finish the PDF apps post…and read Chapter 9
Crystal,
LOL glad that we kept you entertained for a while…
Looking forward to that post - which reminds me, must finish my next one
probably won’t be ready until Saturday but when it’s ready, it will be good.
-Brett
Brett Legree’s last blog post..focus on writing - part 1 - back to the future.
Crystal,
Brett’s darling wife and the eight zillion miles separting us cover the chaperoning pretty well.
Reading this in the a.m., the caffeine sounds like a pretty fine idea. Off to locate a diet Coke.
Until later,
Kelly
Hey Kelly,
If the coffee date doesn’t work out, you’re in the best place to meet your perfect man: the Internet. Don’t laugh! I can vouch for this because Dan and I met in a Yahoo! Windows Support chat room 8 years ago, and have been more-or-less inseparable since the first phone call. A challenge, since when we met he was in Seattle and I was in Baltimore!
Now, of course, like anything else on the Internet, there’s some serendipity in finding what we’re looking for, some fate, and straight-out luck. Now that there’s so much on the Web, the best finds are likely through recommendation, otherwise we have to weed out the SPAM and fake feeds and domain squatters and “File Not Founds”
Hi Wendi! I so loved your Story About Pie post! This made me all misty-eyed:
“Love cannot be handed out, passed around and then run out
Love is endless as the sea, the more I give, it gives back to me.”
And that you created it as a song for your kids actually made me cry! Gotta change the name of your blog…your inspirations aren’t at all little.
Everyone go read Wendi’s Story About Pie, it ties right into what we’re talking about here » »
Hi Tony, and welcome!
Since 1991? Wow, the Internet still had bubble wrap on in ‘91! On the Web, for certain, there’s a lot of giving going on all the time.
I saw a quote from Michael Jordan today, saying he only succeeded as well as he did because he failed as often as he did. Has me wondering if you made more money than you needed because you gave so much of your time away? What a crazy ol’ world.
Thanks so much for bringing an encouraging answer to my frustrated speculations!
Hi Shawn! Thanks for coming by (and commenting and subscribing) I’ll do my best to keep it interesting.
And I just subscribed to JVBlogger too, solely on this sentence: “People risk their lives for what we have”
I’ve been nursing an internal whine lately, and choosing ease over success. I was already working on my “neck up check-up”, but Robin’s post was a kick in the ass that I give to other people, but needed to hear for myself.
Many thanks
*Kelly treads very carefully, hits delete, tries again*
Crystal,
I won’t laugh, it can be done and was even earlier than you and your love…
Met my now ex-husband online in 1995, while showing my mother how to use forums. She still doesn’t get the Internet at all, sadly, and he’s… a rat. All other words that come to mind have to be used at IttyBiz. Someday Naomi’s going to show me how.
Long over that, except that the most beautiful girl in the world keeps us “connected.” I can’t really imagine going that route again, and then there’s the fact that some dude would have to like Delaware a lot, because the nice judge says we stay put.
A little easier just to use bait for local fish.
That’s cool.
“You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist,” nor enjoy coffee-date. Stingy stinks. Life’s way too short not to smile and stay open to moments of beauty.
Hope chapter 9 was a good one!
Until later,
Kelly
Kelly, Well dang!
(which is not what I would have said if we were at IttyBiz).
And I can surely see where it’s easier to work the local pool with open hands and open heart. I’ve put good wishes into the wind for you.
Later!
ps Chapter 9 and I are working towards a mutual understanding
Thanks, Crystal, I’m off shortly. Coffee is gonna seem kinda HOT right now, as I’m sure you know over in MD. Icky! Think I’ll go for iced tea.
Ahh, now that’s a nice evening. Iced tea and conversation.
Later,
Kelly
Terrific post, great new slant on a familiar notion — it’s getting starred in my rss to keep and reread. It works with Gretchen Rubin’s smart take on being an under-buyer or an over-buyer… are we stocking up (anything) to insure we’ll always have what (idea/Q-tip/chicken stock) we need to save time/thought and just reach for it effortlessly… or is it about the fear of running out?
I think it’s about one’s sense of abundance, and that may be item-specific.
Kleenex? Must have one box in each room, can’t have too many boxes.
Ideas? They’re always popping out, people always pay my huge $ for them, I’ll never run out, don’t even have to think about it… there’s always enough.
I can’t salute you with a clenched fist either — great post, thanks.
GirlPie–I just finished my next-to-the-last draft of tomorrow’s post, spending nearly 8 hours on a bench Panera where I can focus. I’m tired of writing, I’m tired of thinking.
Then your comment arrived in my Inbox. And suddenly it’s worth every minute. LoL
Many, many thanks for the thanks, for the new idea about item specificity and abundance, and for Rubin…I’ll check that out as soon as I can.