Mindset 1: Abundance

The abundance mindset carries a win-win perspective – Stephen Covey

Abundance vs Scarcity

Let’s do a simple exercise: Breathe in and hold your breath for a few seconds. How long did you do it for? A few seconds, maybe a minute? No matter how long you hold your breath, at some point, you have to release what you are holding to receive more of what you need. This principle holds in our minds as well. Perception can become the enemy of the mind when it initiates a scarcity mentality. A scarcity mindset runs on the fuel of fear and leads to the destination of passivity. An abundance mindset, on the other hand, has these two consistent habits at its core:

Consistent gratitude: It is difficult to receive anything when your hands are closed. Gratitude is a positive charge to an abundant mindset. Author Wayne Dyer says, “The first step toward discarding a scarcity mentality involves giving thanks for everything you have.” Your heart enlarges with intentional gratitude. Space for complaining and jealousy, which reflect a scarcity mindset, is non-existent. People who practice consistent gratitude are resilient and can recover quickly from failures and setbacks. They never see the glass half empty or half full. They see it running over! Look around you and within you long enough, and you will notice you have something to be grateful for. Gratitude requires intentionality, noticing what we often take for granted, and showing appreciation. It means we must seek opportunities to be thankful. We tend to get stuck in the muck and mire of negatives, but we can pull ourselves out with gratitude. Using gratitude, we can train our minds to view life from an abundance perspective. Watch your mindset evolve into abundance as you make gratitude a habit. Consistent gratitude leads to generosity. 

People who practice consistent gratitude are resilient and can recover quickly from failures and setbacks.

Consistent generosity: Generosity is one of the best ways to build bridges instead of walls. It’s the willingness to add to others by giving your time, talent, and treasures. Leadership expert Dr. John Maxwell calls this being a river instead of a reservoir. Generosity is an impact-making habit regardless of size. It informs the recipient that they matter and that they are seen. Generosity goes directly to the heart. It goes beyond what you do for someone. It’s how you make them feel that leaves an indelible mark. It reflects empathy and creates a mindset of abundance. Generosity creates an abundance mindset and infuses us with a people-centered outlook by diffusing competition and building relationships. No one succeeds in this life on their own. Reaching our goals requires the cultivation of relationships. 

Generosity creates an abundance mindset and infuses us with a people-centered outlook by diffusing competition and building relationships.

Final Thought: You can never go wrong with gratitude and generosity. They are twin habits that will always lead to an abundance mindset. Practicing these two habits every day will result in a tremendous change in your outlook toward life. Try it! Make an abundance mindset your asset. 

Keep on keeping on!