We are all intersectional beings. Our life is intersectional, individually and collectively. How do we practice intersectional living and the abundance mindset?
by Zhou Fang, Intersectional Group
Before we are professionals, we are human beings. As humans, we need food, water, shelter, healthcare, education, community, love, nature... which makes us all intersectional. No exception.
To live a decent and dignified life, we need resources. Yes, you guessed right, money is important. What else? Yes, we mentioned food and shelter. Of course, healthcare and education are important, too. We are social animals so yes, family, community, and friends are vital. As humans we also have emotional needs such as love, compassion, care, emotional support, psychological safety, etc. What kind of animals would we be if we didn't have nature? So of course, mother nature is integral to our well-being, too.
See, we need so much just to have a decent and dignified life! Will we ever have enough? The answer is, YES. But how? By actively practicing the Abundance Mindset.
Conventionally, especially in the western culture, abundance is associated with "ample" "affluent/wealthy" "plentiful" or "more". It is not a faulty concept. However, it is a concept that has been hyper amplified, exaggerated, and celebrated under the Capitalistic system. Now, I want to introduce another way of practicing the Abundance Mindset. What if we interpret abundance as "there is enough for everyone?" What a novel concept! In fact, it is a mindset that's been appreciated and practiced in many cultures and societies in the world. In a more collective community, members take just enough, no more, no less, from the well of resources. For example, in Japanese culture, public space is for everyone to use and respect. Do I need a space in the subway? Yes. Do I need more than the space I need in the subway? No. So everyone takes just enough space and leaves space for other passengers. Another example, in Chinese culture, people sit around a round, turning table to eat. Why? So that everyone can take the food they need in front of them and don't take more than they need. You like the duck? Take a chopstick-full. Then turn the table for the people sitting next to you. You get more variety too! Because the napa cabbage next to the duck is also delicious.
"There is enough for everyone" is the Abundance Mindset that I and other practitioners advocate for and practice everyday. It is the opposite of the Scarcity Mindset. Imagine if we all feared of scarcity, what would we do? We would hoard resources. We would want "more, more, more". It is the ruling mindset under the Capitalistic system.
Now you say, yes, I am in, I don't want to be afraid of not having enough all the time. I want to embrace the Abundance Mindset! How do we practice the Abundance Mindset?
1. Start small. Every time at the grocery store, every time when you are tempted to buy more than you need or in bulk just because "what if I need this" or "just in case", try to resist that urge. (note, we should all have some emergency items in the pantry. but "some" is not "more")
2. Be consistent. OK so you didn't buy that 5-pound frozen meat or the 10-pack toothpaste. You even let go of the BOGO ice cream deal. Are you graduated from the Abundance Mindset course? No. In our capitalistic and consumeristic world, temptations are everywhere. It's already September, of course it is time to shop for a new sweater. But what about the one you only wore once at the holiday party last year? We need to be consistent.
3. Be mindful. Sure, the sweater you wore at the holiday party last year isn't wool, it's cotton. You need something more refined and warm. Perhaps that is a good reason. But before we make that call, pause, think about the "why" and the "want", then make decisions accordingly. Mindfulness itself is something that requires practice.
4. Be in community and hold each other accountable. One thing that's been happening in my neighborhood (SE Portland) is that people open their gardens and welcome neighbors to take what we need. In the summer, there were veggies, herbs, and flowers. Now, in early fall, there are fruits with "free to pick" signs by them. The other day, my neighbor and I came across a bowl of free plums. Initially I said, "hey let's split these." Immediately after saying that, I realized that I wasn't being abundance-minded. So I added, "actually, let's each take two and leave the rest to other neighbors." See, the Abundance Mindset takes practice!
5. Learn from Mother Nature. Mother nature is THE embodiment of Intersectionality. She has always been generous. She provides us air, water, foil, wood, fire, life, the whole ecosystem. However, if/when we cross the line, she will teach us lessons. We have seen and experienced the impacts from over-farming, deforestation, overfishing, overmining, polluting... and we continue to learn from those lessons. When we keep asking for more from Mother Nature and not doing enough to take care of her, aka throwing off her balance, we will pay. We see this kind of imbalance plays off in society all the time: the wealthy getting wealthier while the needy getting needier; medicine, even basic medicine, is only accessible for those with means; cooler temperature and shades only exist in affluent neighborhoods; expats moving to more affordable communities but pushing the locals out due to the elevated cost of living; etc.
6. Incorporate other practices into the Abundance Mindset practice. The practice of Abundance Mindset alone does not keep us from the harms of the scarcity mindset and Capitalism. As mentioned earlier, the practice of mindfulness, as well as empathy, compassion, collectivism, and intersectionality, are all integral for an intersectional living.
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In community,
Zhou Fang (方舟)
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