The universe is abundant: you will hear me say this often. After a brief pause some people look at me with amusement, others with curiosity and some with puzzlement. I am happy to share why this belief is at the centre of who I am.

One week before my 14th birthday, my mother passed away after a long and painful battle with cancer. What ensued was chaos in our household. A traditional family unit had lost the glue that held it together. My father came undone. My sister, 18, and I, had to figure out the way forward. We were clueless and the road ahead was daunting and scary. Yet…

I quickly learned that when I stood quietly, I tuned into something that I could not comprehend at the time. In the stillness, the great swirl of the difficult circumstances gave way to a grateful and joyful heart.

Instead of dwelling in the searing pain of my loss, I begun to pay close attention to everything and everyone; to be present, curious and inquisitive; to acquire knowledge; and to practice kindness.

Intuitively, I had discovered what I now know are the basics for tuning into flow of abundance. In the Remarkable Advantage of Abundant Thinking, the author explains that “when you devote time and energy to noticing, new doors open. Serendipity accelerates. You feel like the universe is conspiring to support you.”

Indeed… abundance is, after all, a state of being. Flow with it.

And being in the flow of abundance manifests itself in all aspects of my life. I am a better leader because I fundamentally believe that abundance is present in all my endeavours. There is a place and a space for all of us, personally, professionally and organizationally. Working from a place of joy and abundance has a multiplying effect. As the CEO of a charity, it is the cornerstone of how I lead and abundance coupled with hard work equals inspiration, fulfillment and exponential results.