I quite agree with Bush Material of UPNG (The National, Feb 20) that our ancestors never had any idea about poverty.
Poverty is a misleading word that carries negative emotional weight – synonymous to a lack of something (mental, physical, spiritual).
Our ancestors were surrounded with an abundance of what nature provided. In short, they were rich. There was nothing they could imagine that was lacking. They knew how to create and attract abundance.
But then, there came the new societies that were introduced to the word “poverty”. When you think of the word “poverty or poor”, how do you feel? Does that feel good?
I don’t think so, unless one has acute emotional numbness. The more you focus on lack or poverty, instead of abundance, the greater the weight of negative emotion you feel.
Today, our society is wrongly programmed, from infant to adulthood, to focus more on lack, instead of abundance. There is hardly any gratitude when they receive a blessing.
There’s nothing one could lack in PNG. Look around yourself. You should be grateful for what you have.
Poverty is simply an illusion created by our own mind.
In fact, you’re totally responsible for what you’ve created so don’t blame external forces. You have the creative power to create anything, including poverty. Therefore, be careful what you’re thinking of or focusing on. You get what you set your mind to do.

Jay
UPNG.