Attracting True Abundance

We are all told to chase our dreams, hunt down opportunities and pursue success at all costs.

What if this was not about chasing, but attracting?

The Vidura Niti of the Mahabharata mentions this:

नाम्भोधिरर्थितामेति सदाम्भोभिश्च पूर्यते । 

आत्मा तु पात्रतां नेयः पात्रमायान्ति संपदः ॥ 

Nāmbhodhirarthitāmeti sadāmbhobhiśca pūryate | 

Ātmā tu pātratāṃ neyaḥ pātramāyānti saṃpadaḥ || 

This means that "An ocean never begs [for water], yet it is always full of water. If one makes oneself worthy, riches come to the worthy person by themselves (of their own accord and without asking)"

This is a very simple, profound image. The ocean does not invite all the water, yet every single drop of the water on earth eventually finds its way there, for a very simple reason - the ocean is deep, vast and capable of receiving all the water coming its way.

As the verse mentions, the ocean has patrata, that is worthiness, capacity and readiness.

Chasing something by default means that something is running away from you. This is a mindset of scarcity, that is, there isn't enough of it, so you have to grab what you can.

Instead, think of the rain. When you hold out a small vessel in the rain you collect a few drops of rain. When you hold a bucket, you get much more. The rain is the same, whether it is a small vessel or a bucket. It is the vessel that makes the difference.

So the simple conclusion is that, when you expand your capacity you attract more.

How do we as humans expand our capacity? We have to sharpen our intellect, that is, we should never stop learning and we should also strengthen our character.

So remember, people want to work with the best. All the work flows towards competence. When you become exceptionally good at what you do, you no longer have to ask for a seat at the table, it comes.

Next time you feel stuck or frustrated and desperate, take a deep breath and remember the ocean. Stop your energy asking for a way out and start investing your energy into creating value within yourself.

When you focus on the ocean within you, all the rivers will find their way to you.