Alongside emergent organizing (which I also have a bone to pick with), there has been a lot of talk about “abundance mindset.” It never sat very well with me. I tried in 2024 to make it my phrase of the year, to try to understand and move towards it, because it’s seemed to important to people I respect. I failed out that year, and have continued to fail out since.
The thing that doesn’t sit right with me, I realized after lingering with it, is that it reminds me too much of Trickle Down Economics. If someone has more than enough, the thinking goes, they will use the wisdom by which they came to have so much to share with others and uplift all. But as history has proved out, Regan was a right cunt about this and other things. It just doesn’t work that way. Elon Musk has true abundance, and none of us (should) strive to be like him.
I’m also not interested in simply making do with whatever we have access to. That way lies tolerated inequity and “fuck you got mine.”
I am instead more and more deeply invested in understanding, striving for, and then being satisfied with “enough.” I like the life I have. It is a bit more than enough. I no longer feel guilt about having enough, while continuing to have an intrinsic desire to be sure others have enough, too. Not just enough to survive. But also not more than makes sense.
Our earth is full of limited resources. Our time is limited. Our access to resources and time should be limited as well, then, while being sure we’re getting enough.
So I wonder — what is “enough” for you? Do you have it? What does rebalancing to “enough” look like for you? What would it mean for the people around you? For the planet?
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