On my way back home one afternoon, I read this on a jumbotron.
「 “ There’s 110,570 poor population and the number decreases from last year's 117, 360 population….” 」
First, that’s a lot of people. I am sure if you’re reading this from Europe or any parts of the world with less population than we do, you can imagine having a dedicated single city filled with people categorized as poor. To think that we have such a huge poor population in this place was a fact that was quite mind blowing to me. It hit me hard.
What intrigued me about that number was the fact that we easily forget these things. You see, I grew up surrounded by people who have this mindset, “ If it doesn’t happen to you, us, or our next of kin and family members. Then, it doesn’t happen”. A lot of us live as if our scarcity and abundance are two different things. What I’ve come to learn is that they are yin and yang, complementing one another.
Some of us don’t wake up thinking about scarcity a lot. You and I probably have unlimited internet, food, water and worldly desire within your grasp. Some of us probably aren’t as worried as those 110,570 on how to pay our bills. Yet, we still wanted more and more. We even have the audacity thinking that things are scarce. Well… no. They are not.
That figure on that jumbotron, invited me to reflect and think of all the abundance I’ve taken for granted.
Unknowingly, I did a little experiment with myself. I signed up for a language learning application just because a friend referred me to. The free version of the app gave me a 90 minute chance to talk to others or interact with people. When I had that 90 minute limit, I was focused on what I wanted to do. Time was precious and I tried to make it count. However, a few weeks after signing up, I decided to get the VIP version which enabled me to talk for an unlimited amount of time. And you can guess, rather than making it count, I drift away here and there unfocused on my original purpose. Some conversations were great though but those great ones happen under 90 minutes.
This is why I keep going back to the core idea of minimalism but more importantly,I started seeing it more as a bridge that connects scarcity and abundance. Just as that language app situation above, you see, with minimalism I could have been more intentional about it. I could use all the other perks that come with being unlimited to actually boost my learning. Rather than talking aimlessly , I could opt for more quality conversations.
There are many things in life falling under that same scenario. I am sure at one point you will experience those too.
More often than not, I see people associating abundance with good qualities. The truth is, they can be a challenge in itself. Think about the abundance of time, money, food, even our living spaces. Like sure, they can be great but they also come with challenges just as scarcity would. In the end, it is what bridges you to connect the two that will determine a lot of the outcome of your life. The lifestyle and philosophy that you choose to live with.
Writing this, I gained clarity. There were many things in life I’ve taken for granted. Things that may never come back to me that I took for granted. But it’s life and it’s all a lesson.