I've never felt abundance like I have during this recession.

It's a paradox. As my monthly income has dropped to its lowest level in years, and the sales cycle is longer than I ever imagined, I'm experiencing abundance.

Photo by *sean.

Abundance looks like this:

• Getting a gift certificate in the mail for a 30-minute massage,  from an SEO consultant I used once, several years ago.  Just in time to treat myself on my birthday. 
• Finding that the certified massage therapist is in training to do healing energy work. In return for another body to practice on, I'm getting free "energy work" for the next nine months. (BTW–if you want to get in on this and you are in the Boulder area, contact Joni Rumsey, jonilynn4 [at] msn.com. In addition to giving *great* massages, Joni is a natural healer and has a wonderfully gentle demeanor.) Photo by Perfecto Insecto
• Hearing that my sons opened up a bank account at 1stBank and that the first $50 was matched by the bank. Free money!
• Spending time with extended family at a first communion,  a high school graduation, and over a long weekend in the mountains. Meeting
  new people at a pot luck for the choir my husband sings in. Enjoying
  home-cooked dishes throughout. Bringing a big pot of fresh, sweet,
  buttered corn-on-the cob to share. Playing Monopoly and Boggle and miniature golf with family and enjoying every moment of it.
• Finding my favorite candy (Enstrom's Toffee), on sale at a local grocery store, at less than $5 a pound, when it normally is $19 a pound.  In the orange juice section, no less! Go figure.
• Running across an Origins store in Boulder that advertises complimentary facials. I signed up with my sister, mom, and nieces for a ladies' afternoon out. 
• Enjoying the personality and love of my cat, Yama. Our first family pet, he's doted on by everyone, to which he responds with loyalty, rich purrs, and "head butts." 
• Taking a decorative jewelry box with small compartments and turning it into a collage of my kids at different ages, as a Mother's Day gift for my mother-in-law. I had fun looking through old photos and she had fun receiving the end product. 
• Sampling beginning tai-chi at the local recreation center, for less than $9 a lesson. Doing chi gong (another form of energy work) with my mom on Sunday mornings.
• Flowers blooming in my backyard, with a wonderful fragrance that fills the air. 
• Getting help, left and right, from the participants in the Networking Naturally Program, to help improve the next version of it and build it into a thriving business. 
• Taking two-hour naps on the weekends and not feeling like I needed to do anything more than give into the urge.
• Receiving free coaching and consulting from a marketing expert over many months, as he starts up a new business to help small business owners. Again, I'm a test case as he hones his craft. 
• Connecting with my husband in lively discussions on politics, public policy, and education. 
• Having a long lunch at the perfect restaurant with my sister and mom, paid for by a gift card received last Christmas.
• Discovering that the Lululemon Athletica store in Boulder provides a free yoga class on Sunday evenings, with invited instructors each week. Photo by judepics.
• Having time with my kids on the way to school every morning, and getting their viewpoint on everything from driving (cool) to award ceremonies (not cool) to summer jobs (cool if it involves computers.) 
• Receiving a gift card for a local bookstore from a fellow coach, as a thank you for a recent referral. 
• Connecting with some great people on Twitter and finding blogs like The Inspired Writer, with gorgeous photos of flowers.

There's more, but that's plenty.

Abundance comes in many forms–in relationships, time, meaning, health,
peace of mind, intellectual stimulation, expertise, and yes, money.

I'm convinced that abundance is about my state of mind–being able to see it, sometimes right in front of me, and being grateful for it. It's magical in how it appears. Recognizing abundance seems to create even more abundance. 

How are you experiencing abundance? 

Photo by The Marmot.