There’s an exercise I give people in my retreats that I call From your Island of Enough to your Land of Plenty. The instructions are to imagine yourself first living on an Island of Enough. You have enough shelter, food, money, work, love. What does this look like?
The first time I did this, I drew an island with a sweet house on the water, lots of fruit trees and tropical plants, a little garden and my family playing with our pets. It felt relaxed, comfortable, cozy.
My second instruction is to imagine your Land of Plenty, where what you love and value is in ample supply. I suddenly realized that what was missing from my Island of Enough was community and art. Fascinating! As I drew this image I created a home that was full of light and space for creating— it was not overwhelmingly big, but felt ample and generous and warm. It invited community— I even drew an archway to my home that said “You are welcome here.”
I learned that my Land of Plenty is more about relationships and less about money— though plenty of money certainly gives us choices and the capacity to be resilient when shit happens. What I’ve discovered by exploring this myself, and guiding others through the process, is that Plenty is a state of being in fullness. It’s not about the stuff we can accumulate, it’s about the opportunities and spaces that we can inhabit. The Land of Plenty includes quality experiences and craftsmanship; we get to luxuriate in beauty and simplicity and love.
Would you like to discover what your own Island of Enough and Land of Plenty look and feel like? Yes? I’ve put together a pdf with the steps and instructions for you to download. It’s a one-pager and you can find it here —-> Wild Money Exercise Enough to Plenty.
I’m trying out a little bit of a new look with the design and I’d love your first impressions!
Not quite ready to jump in? Keep reading below to see an example from the Wild Money Field Journal, by Jeri B.
Wild Money Field Journal
Each Wild Money Field Journal entry is from a real student or client showing their work and image(s) from a particular exercise. It’s a peek into the work being done in real-life and the accompanying shifts and “a-ha’s” that my clients experience.
Jeri’s Island of Enough
This exercise was amazing for me. My island of enough is without color. The coco palms have just a few nuts on them, not enough to share. I am working, working, working, with enough work to keep me busy and sustained (Jill-of-all-Trades syndrome), but I am working on a slippery slope.
I dare not move very far lest I slip and fall. An anonymous faceless person is trying to get me to slide down the slippery slope to retrieve money. It’s a trick and I know it will result in my demise, so I stay put and keep working. The frown on my face pretty much sums it up.
Jeri’s Land of Plenty
My Land of Plenty is full of color. The coco palms are loaded, meaning everyone gets to share in the bounty. I am on the beach doing what I love…teaching using some kind of art as a prop.
I had bucket loads of money in front of me, but they got too full, so I switched to a red wagon. People are lined up to hear what I have to say, and they want to add to the wagon.
There is a path up the mountain made of yellow bricks (follow the yellow brick road) with little huts along the way for enjoying the journey. Where does the road go? Under, then over the rainbow of course….a symbol that “Dreams Really do Come True”…..oh…and I have a sweetie sitting under a coco palm supporting my dream and sending me hearts. Could it get any better?
A Note from Jeri on how the work affected her…
Having come from poverty-consciousness as a child, into some real poverty (aka dumpster diving) as an adult, I have been so grateful for where I am now.
I realized that I have been grateful being on the ISLAND OF ENOUGH because it it such a contrast to the ‘low’ points in my life. But that has kept me from allowing myself to dream and want more. I have stayed in vibrational alignment with WHAT IS instead of WHAT COULD BE.
The receiving retreat gave me an opportunity to expand my dreams and desires, and consequently ask myself some hard questions. I realized how small and stuck I had become, truly afraid of money and how it might change me. This retreat watered my roots and now I am growing and expanding in so many ways. I look at money in such a different way….as a metaphor for other areas in my life where I might be asking for more.
I’m curious what did you notice about the change in Jeri’s perspective. Did you feel a palpable shift when she discarded “enough” and moved to “plenty”?
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3 Comments
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I really appreciated this guided visualization and the images provided of Jeri’s inspiring perspective. Although I didn’t make images, the exercise led me to do some journaling which gave me insights. Your personal comment about knowing that plenty for you is not about money, but about art and community, was enlightening, stimulating, and I relate to it. It helps promote my growth toward a new business model. My old idea is that business success is primarily about numbers and this doesn’t work for me. My new idea looks toward having an art conversation with my community, my audience, where money happens because of that connection. This feels good, feels like I can do it — am already doing it, and is validating. Thanks!
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I also want to thank you for this exercise, because it showed me that what the land of plenty is for me is an abundance of love, of family and true friends, spending time with what’s really important family and friends, living happy moments, I drew a big house filled with family and friends all happy like having a party, I also drew that most of them lived closer to me. I drew people sharing too, like some country in Europe I don’t remember the name but people share their food from their gardens, I think the connection that would made as human beings would be great. This exercise took me to a place like San Miguel de Allende, which is beautiful and it feels like home, where my friends and family are a few hours away, and also there’s art, there are a lot of artists, I get inspired to do art, and contemplate it, it also warms my heart to see families there, people are close to you and are friendly. Also there’s a lot of good and delicious food. I will keep my picture close and see what happens. Thanks again! and many blessings to you.
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[…] Here’s a great blog on the concept of plenty from one of my favorite people, Luna Jaffe. […]
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