Are you a person who has an abundance mindset or scarcity mindset? I was not born with an abundance mind-set. It was quite the opposite for me. My mind was one filled with extreme poverty or as we call it today a scarcity mindset. I have had to learn to think with an abundance mindset. This was such a turnaround for me.
A belief in scarcity was my world and it held me back from living in my true purpose and I lived in this place for way too long, allowing my past to define my future. As I started to work to turn my life around, I realised that my perspective and my attitude would enable me to see differently. This was a choice that was in my hands I could on a daily basis.How we think determines our choices.
When we increase our awareness in our thinking around abundance and scarcity, taking steps to move from a scarcity mindset, this in itself encourages us to make choices that will expand our possibilities and see abundance.
I love this quote “Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” Muhammod Ali
How do I know this is true. In my book Remarkable You, I share my story from where I was as a child right through until I was 34 living with that scarcity mindset, thinking that everything was impossible and that the world owed me. What a turnaround!!
My abundance capacity is now very high. I believe anything is possible if I put my mind to it. But it took an intentional daily action on my part. I had to turn my mind around from allowing my fears of the future to drive my scarcity thinking.
What are you empowering?
The difference between abundance thinkers and scarcity thinkers.
Abundance thinkers
- Believe that there is more than enough of everything a person needs in the world
- Scarcity thinkers believe there is not enough to go around
- While abundance people love to say yes
- Scarcity people feel compelled to say no
These two kinds of people see the world completely different from one another, where in fact both worlds are equally real to each. What they see, experience, and become, is dictated by which world they see. Our perspective will determine what we see and do.
A belief in scarcity holds people back from reaching their full potential. A belief in abundance releases them to discover how far they can go.
Abundance thinking encourages you to make choices that will expand your possibilities. While scarcity thinking causes you to make choices that will diminish your potential.
Abundance calls out to you, “There’s more than enough.”
Scarcity cautions, “Quick, get what you can before it runs out.”
Abundance says, “Go and you will find the resources.”
Scarcity says, “Hold on to what you have, because there are no more resources.” Abundance says, “Your best days are before you.”
Scarcity says, “this is as good as it gets.”
How we respond is determined by the voice we allow to speak in our minds. I wonder if you are like I was – what voice are you listening to at the moment?
This is so important and takes an intentional daily, often moment by moment action, working on our thinking to drown out the voice of scarcity…
In general, scarcity lives on the other side of “no”, meaning people stay where it is safe, while abundance lives on another side of “yes,” meaning they will try something new.
What does it look like to live on the other side of no”?
It’s limiting – because it directs you away from new opportunities
It’s easy – because when you say no, you don’t have to do anything or go anywhere
It’s comforting – because it feels familiar. Many people are fearful of losing the little they do have other, than being excited about gaining something they don’t have
It’s deceiving – because it appears to be safer, buts it not. As author Steven Pressfield says, “It’s one thing to lie to ourselves, it’s another thing to believe it.
It’s crowded – because that’s where average people live. Remarkable You – You are not average!!!
What does it look like to live on the other side of yes?
It’s exciting – because you need creativity to help you figure things out when they’re new
It’s enlarging – because abundance creates more abundance. And the more abundance you experience, the greater your potential for high capacity
Its challenging – because new paths are not easy paths to tread
It’s rewarding – because on the other side of yes, you usually find more yeses
Caution : No is not always bad, and yes, is not always good, but most of the time, living a life of no decreases your options, opportunities, and outcomes, while living on the other side of yes increases you and your world.
Remember that belief drives behaviour. Lack of belief, which is the characteristic of scarcity, holds us back. We hesitate, not because we are unable to do something BUT because we don’t have confidence in ourselves. Believe in yourself! Believe you can! I BELIEVE IN YOU!
If you live with a high abundance capacity mindset and believe that the answer is yes, there is always a way to move forward. It may not be easy to find. It may not be the first choice, but with an abundance mindset, you will grow in these areas:
- Abundance people possess high belief
- Abundance people will unlock and achieve full potential
- Abundance people understand the power of perspective
- Abundance people are generous to others.
Some reflection questions for you:
- When faced with an opportunity – are you naturally a yes person or a no person? If abundance usually means saying yes, what can you do to prompt yourself to say yes more often?
- Belief in abundance begins with a person’s belief themselves. How would you rate your self-belief? Is it a high, medium, or low? What must you do to raise it, and put yourself in a position to embrace a stronger abundance mind-set?
- What are you currently looking at in your life and saying, “there’s no way” – Our perspective is not determined by what we see. It’s determined by how we see, and that comes from who we are. Two people can be in the same situation and see things completely differently. While a scarcity person often looks at a situation and thinks, There’s no way! An abundance person sees the same things and thinks, There’s got to be a better way!
- Pick something important to you – Tell yourself, “There’s got to be a better way.” Then start brainstorming ideas of how you can move forward positively.
Spend some time in your journal working this through – then let me cheer you on to take the action you need to take to become a person with an abundance mindset no matter the circumstances you are in at the moment.
‘A world cannot be made different by indifferent people’ – John Maxwell
Journey well
Love Wendy
