Reclaiming Power from Scarcity: A Spiritual Approach to Healing Lack
Scarcity is a master of illusion. It distorts our thinking, contracts our bodies, and convinces us that there is never enough—never enough time, never enough love, never enough money. In week four of the Money as a Spirit Ally course, we turned our attention to this shape-shifting energy and began the sacred work of being curious about it, working with it, and ultimately, understanding it more fully.
But before we dove into the concept itself, we paused to land.
We breathed.
We remembered our bodies.
So often, our relationship with scarcity is born not just from the mind but from the nervous system. It’s visceral. Scarcity shows up in the clenching of a jaw, the tightening in the belly, the shallow breath of dread. As we began the session, we consciously dropped our awareness below the chin, into the soft and wild landscape of the body, asking: What’s here? What’s alive? What’s tight, and what’s spacious?
This practice of somatic noticing is more than mindfulness- it is a retrieval of power from the realm of fear. When we make contact with ourselves in the present moment, we create space for a different kind of relationship with money, one that begins with presence rather than panic.
The Seduction of Scarcity
Scarcity thinking isn’t just about money. It’s a worldview- a seductive spell cast over much of modern life. It tells us that we are perpetually behind, that others are ahead, that we must hustle, scramble, or be left behind. It whispers that resources are finite and that generosity is a risk. It tells us we will never have enough or be enough.
In this lesson, we explored the ways scarcity infiltrates our internal narratives. We noticed how scarcity often masks itself as “realism” or “being responsible.” We acknowledged the shame that so often rides shotgun with scarcity - shame about what we don’t have, shame about our past decisions, shame about needing or wanting more.
And we called it out.
With gentleness, with humor, and with the fierce clarity that comes from spiritual perspective, we illuminated the ways scarcity can distort reality.
One of the most powerful insights we explored is that scarcity is rarely just about money. It shows up in our fear of not having enough time to rest. In our guilt over asking for help. In our belief that love must be earned or that joy must be justified. These are all echoes of the same untruth: there is not enough.
From a spiritual lens, this is simply not the case.
Scarcity as a Spirit
Throughout this course, we’ve been working not only with ideas, but with energies. We’ve practiced speaking to money as a being, welcoming its wisdom and learning how to collaborate with its presence. In this session, we turned our awareness toward scarcity as a presence, too - one we could be curious about and learn from.
When we relate to scarcity as a spirit, we gain some distance from its influence. We can begin to see it not as us, but as an energy we’ve internalized. And once we recognize its shape, we can make choices about whether or not to invite it into our decision-making.
Sometimes, scarcity shows up like a critical voice: “You’ll never make enough.” Other times, it’s a sensation—a clench in the gut when a bill arrives or when we consider raising our prices. Sometimes it masquerades as loyalty, keeping us tethered to underpaying work or old beliefs because they’re “safe.”
When we identify these patterns not as facts but as influences, we open up the possibility of transformation.
Returning to the Truth of Abundance
To challenge scarcity, we don’t need to fight. We don’t need to scream “I am abundant!” into the mirror until we believe it. (Though if that works for you, don’t let me stop you.)
Instead, we practice.
We practice remembering.
We practice noticing where abundance already is. The full moon. A belly laugh. A bowl of soup. The kindness of a friend. The breath that returns to us, again and again.
In our time together, we considered the radical idea that abundance is not something to earn - it is something to recognize. We paused to reflect on the flow of support that has already arrived in our lives: unexpected checks, perfectly timed conversations, the creative ideas that land seemingly out of nowhere. These moments remind us that we are not alone, not abandoned, not cut off from the Source of all good.
This is not about spiritual bypassing or pretending hard things don’t exist. It’s about choosing to see what’s also true. Yes, the bill is due. And also, someone bought a session this week. Yes, there’s debt. And also, you’ve paid every month for years. Yes, money feels tight. And also, you are surrounded by invisible and visible streams of provision.
When we soften into this both/and awareness, we can begin to make decisions from trust instead of fear.
Working with Scarcity: A Practice
To support the shift from scarcity into sufficiency, we explored two core practices during this session. You might try one or both in your own time.
1. The “Enough” Inventory
Make a list of what is already enough in your life. Not perfect. Not ideal. Just enough.
Enough food to get through today.
Enough people who care.
Enough clarity to take the next step.
Let the list be simple, honest, and real. Let it rewire your brain’s tendency to search for what’s lacking.
2. Talk to Scarcity
If you feel brave, invite the spirit of scarcity to tea. Ask:
What do you want me to believe?
What are you protecting me from?
What are you afraid would happen if I trusted?
What would help you feel safe to loosen your grip?
Often, we find that scarcity is trying to keep us from pain- rejection, loss, embarrassment. When we meet it with compassion, we begin to see that it doesn’t need to drive the car anymore. We can also begin to understand why it is in our lives and how we can learn from it, instead of avoiding it or trying to “affirm” it away.
What Happens When Scarcity Loosens?
As we began to loosen the grip of scarcity, something beautiful emerged in our time together: curiosity.
What becomes possible when fear is no longer making the choices?
What might I create?
Who might I ask for help?
What if it’s okay to want more?
What if I can receive with ease?
These are not hypothetical questions. These are invitations to practice a new way of being—one rooted in connection, trust, and divine collaboration.
In Closing: The Shift That Changes Everything
This week, we remembered that we are not powerless in the face of scarcity. We are not doomed to a life of financial fear. We are not alone. There are helpers -seen and unseen -who want to walk with us into a new relationship with money.
This new relationship is built on curiosity, openness, and honesty with ourselves and with others about the ways our money fears have been driving the bus for a little too long. But we are learning and growing and changing into people who are ready to live with greater ease, confidence and faith.