A new take on self-sufficiency

On this day I want to talk about self-sufficiency - something which has such a strong mainstream meaning (I think) and conjures images of kitchen benches laden with homegrown produce and busy farmlets or backyards full of animals, fruit trees and vegetable gardens.

This has been my basic concept of self-sufficiency for many years, and one that I still aspire to, however a couple of days ago I was flipping through a magazine at my part-time job and read a sentence which was along the lines of 'what is sufficient for me?' and really did one of those double-takes you see in cheesy movies. It completely opened up a whole new meaning for me - does it do that for you too?

Here's my take on sufficiency, based on some serious heartstorming and discussion with my bakery co-workers after reading said quote:

Are we truly self-sufficient, no matter what we've put in place in our lives, if we're wanting more than we authentically need?

You see, the way I understand this, sufficiency is not about thinking small, playing conservative or keeping yourself in the same place in order to 'save yourself for something better'. These actions serve only your ego, and as such do not provide enough for your whole being - they are not sufficient.

When you aim as high as you can imagine there's no room for ego - its only you - your heart and soul. When you play small, its your ego that speaks up, telling you you're not enough.

Sufficiency is about clarifying and honing down on those things that are most important - your soul's callings, your purpose in this life, your highest passions.

These are the structures within which all other decisions can be made. Taking action upon these needs leads to a life of self-sufficiency - nothing more, nothing less. And in this way sufficiency can feel both big and small. But its authentically yours - your voice, your angle, your experiences, your dreams, your successes.

And that's all we can be right? Authentically ourselves creating our own self-sufficiency.

Wishing you a beautiful day filled with opportunities to feel that this life is sufficient for you.