Unseen Abundance—The Illusion of Lack

 “In the abundance of water, the fool remains thirsty.”

A quote that resonates deeply, striking the soul like a punch to the solar plexus. It is a call to awareness, a challenge to presence—a mindful reckoning of where we stand in relation to ourselves, our humanity, and our existence.

It is impossible to find what is lost if you are searching in the wrong place. This paradox entangles many of us. Often looking outward, convinced they exist somewhere beyond us. Yet, as the Yin-Yang suggests, everything exists in duality. The Cross captures this paradox too: its vertical axis pointing to the divine and the depths of suffering, while horizontal line spans the plains of human existence.

Duality has been a recurring theme in our discussions, encapsulating the nature of our being—light and shadow, order and chaos, creation and destruction.

Yet, awareness of our own shadow can be unsettling. Many reject it, fearing its depths as something dark, even occult. But denial robs us of the insights it freely offers.

The Beach Encounter 🌊⛱️

On a recent visit to the beach, I met two young women reconnecting after years apart. They had been college friends, now walking vastly different paths—one deeply rooted in her conservative upbringing, the other embracing a more secular open-minded way of life. As always, I struck up a conversation—about the beach, the weather, the pristine water conditions. But, as conversations often do, it took an unexpected turn, revealing more than just our differing worldviews.

We spoke of shadows—the unconscious forces that shape us, the silent influences behind our choices. The more conservative woman grew visibly uncomfortable. Her body stiffened, her posture shifting as she doubled down on her convictions.

“The only thing I would say needs to come under obedience is my dressing. I like sexy clothes and dress a bit provocatively at times.” In that moment, I recalled the words of my whale-minded friend: “You cannot convince a lion to go vegan, lest they forget how to hunt .”

She wasn’t ready to acknowledge that multiple truths can coexist. She hadn’t yet grasped that to master something, one must first understand it.

The Scorpion and the Frog 🦂🐸

The classic parable of the scorpion and the frog comes to mind. Ask anyone which one they are, and most will declare themselves the frog—never the scorpion.

But what if, even for a moment, we considered that we are both?

Both the scorpion and the frog reside within us. Only by embracing this truth can we begin the journey toward self-sovereignty.

The Path to Self-Sovereignty 🔑🚦

Self-sovereignty is the conscious awareness of who is in control—who is driving our choices, shaping our reactions, dictating our decisions and indecisions. Are we operating from past trauma? From societal conditioning? From environmental or cultural influences?

We each have an emotional landscape, painted by time, space, and experience. While context may differ, we are all susceptible to external forces—forces that Todd Rose describes as collective illusions.

Collective Illusions: The Invisible Cage 🌀🪤

In Collective Illusions, Rose explores how societal narratives shape our decisions—often without our awareness. We conform to perceived group expectations, even when they contradict our private beliefs. These illusions thrive because we assume others believe something to be true, so we align ourselves with that belief—fearing rejection, judgment, or isolation. In doing so, we become prisoners of a system that does not serve us, mistaking consensus for truth.

But what happens when the consensus is an illusion?

What if the very things we fear to examine hold the keys to our freedom?

Breaking Free from the Illusion 🚪⛓️‍💥

Self-sovereignty demands that we question not only our choices but the unseen forces shaping them. Are we truly living by our own values, or merely conforming to the expectations of an invisible majority? Collective Illusions reveals how we often surrender to belief systems that do not serve us, mistaking public opinion for personal conviction.

This illusion is particularly dangerous when it blinds us to our own dual nature. We are conditioned to reject the darker aspects of ourselves, fearing that acknowledgment equals acceptance. But true self-awareness requires embracing both the shadow and the light, recognizing that within us resides both the scorpion and the frog.

The woman at the beach, unwilling to explore the depths of her own internal conflicts, exemplifies this struggle. Her convictions were not necessarily her own, but a reflection of the belief system she was immersed in—one that dictated obedience without inquiry. She had been taught to fear the shadow rather than learn from it, to suppress rather than integrate.

Yet, the paradox remains:

Only by understanding our darker impulses can we master them. Only by acknowledging both sides of our nature can we transcend illusion.

Carl Jung once said,

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.”

What we do not confront controls us. What remains hidden dictates our choices. The scorpion within us stings—not because it is inherently malevolent, but because it acts according to its nature, unseen and unexamined.

True Sovereignty: The Power of Choice 🛤️🦅

True sovereignty is not found in blind adherence to a system but in conscious navigation of one’s inner landscape. It is the recognition that the illusions of the collective need not be our truth.

We must be prudent in the seeds we sow, lest we find ourselves reckoning with a tree bearing bitter fruit.

To Sum Things Up, The Water Has Always Been Here 💭⚖️

Lack is often an illusion, a mirage born from conditioning, fear, and unexamined beliefs. We search for what we already possess, unaware that the abundance we seek has always been within reach. But to drink deeply from life, we must first recognize our thirst—not for external validation, but for truth, for sovereignty, for the courage to see ourselves fully.

The journey toward self-awareness is not about rejecting the scorpion within or denying the frog’s trust. It is about understanding both—about walking the delicate line between instinct and wisdom, between shadow and light. True freedom is not found in resisting our nature but in mastering it.

May we step forward with eyes open, no longer mistaking consensus for truth, no longer searching in the wrong place for what was never lost.

Until next time, stay curious, stay present, and keep the conversation going.