Last Tuesday, before I went to Singapore Airport, I prepared S$70 (two $10 notes and one $50 note) and put them in my pocket to pay for taxi and buy some souvenirs.

When I paid for my taxi ride, I took the two $10 notes from my pocket and some more small change from my wallet, then I went inside the terminal.

When I was going to buy souvenirs, I put my hand into my pocket and suddenly I had a feeling of despair. I couldn’t find my $50 note anywhere! I searched all my pockets, my backpack and my passport wallet. I opened my wallet and counted the money…that $50 note was missing. It was nowhere to be found. My first thought: Did it fall out of my pocket when I paid the taxi? Did it fall when I walked to and from the GST refund booth?

At that time I realized that I need to change my thought and attitude because it was turning negative. I tried to console myself by thinking: Perhaps there was someone who needed the money more than me and I was just a conduit to make it happen.

At first it was hard to accept that I could’ve lost that $50 note. It was not a small amount for me. However I pressed on thinking and entertaining the thoughts that I was used by God to become a conduit to give someone who needed the money more than me. I also kept thinking that $50 was really a small amount in comparison to my net worth and it was not something that I needed to be upset about.

When I finally accepted the fact that I lost that $50 note and let go…I felt peace. By thinking that $50 was something that I could give easily because I had a lot where it came from,I had an instant boost of feeling abundance. By thinking that $50 notes could help someone in need, I felt even better.

It’s funny how things happened in life. When I fully accepted my situation, started to think positive and feel better, I continued to do my souvenir shopping. When I bought a box of chocolate for my parents and paid for it…There it was ! I found that $50 note! It was neatly folded on the side. It was so weird because I was sure that it was not there when I checked my wallet the first time. Apparently when I took some small change from my wallet paying for the cab, I folded the money and put it inside my wallet.

I was not sure what really happened that morning but I learned very important lessons:

1. Let go, really let go and feel peace. How often do we keep on holding what we have lost? It is as though it vanishes from our physical reality and starts to exist as a burden in our mind. Why do we keep holding onto something that exists as a burden in our mind? Let it go and feel peace. Finally I understand what’s written in the Bible “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30)
2. I also understand one more aspect of the saying “the more you give, the more you receive”. When we give with the right motivation, we will have the feeling of abundance and this feeling will attract more abundance into our lives. You feel rich by giving! The more you give, the more you feel the riches in your life and this feeling attracts even more riches.

Learn and Grow!

Last night I had a profound insight about ABUNDANCE.

We’ve been lead to believe in scarcity, that THE PIE (wealth pie, resource pie, etc) is limited. If there are more people eating the pie, everybody will get less. The scarcity mentality believes that there isn’t enough of everything for everybody. This scarcity mentality discourages sharing and giving because if you give, you’ll have less. I used to believe in it, but my experience in the last week taught me that there is actually abundance for everybody everywhere.

Do you remember my post on May 29th, 2008 when I won vouchers from Gramedia just by sitting in front and asking question during Adi W Gunawan’s seminar? I shared my vouchers, worth Rp. 25,000 each to four teachers sitting near me. Then today I won a voucher from Sekawan worth Rp. 110,000. I used this voucher to buy three books for door prizes, so it would bless three more people.

The same amount of money Rp. 100,000 going around and around through me, has made me happy at least 9 times and enabled me to help seven people to have a book. Why happy 9 times? First time, I was happy when I won the Gramedia vouchers. Then four times when those teachers were thanking me. The sixth time when I won the Sekawan voucher. Then another three times when these people won a door prize. Total 9 times HAHAHA I believe that there will be more happiness to come.

Imagine that a simple act of asking question and sharing can start a chain reaction of blessing to so many people. Simply Awesome!

Another lesson that I learned from this – the principle "the more you give, the more you receive" is real and it is a catalyst for abundance. By sharing what I receive instead of keeping it for myself, I’ve helped to bless many people along the way. I actually received 10% more than I gave in term of money value and priceless feeling of joy, being blessed and appreciated.

Whatever blessing you have received from God, be happy to share with others…God will provide and make it grow so that there will be abundance.

Learn and Grow!