Switching from a scarcity to an abundance mindset (Part 2)
Written by Alex Poeter
We all want to feel abundant so we can feel safe, protected and taken care of, but in our pursuit of abundance we often exhibit the opposite: a scarcity mindset. Creating a deeper understanding of how this dynamic impacts our lives and work is what I explored in Part 1.
Now, let’s look at some ideas for how you can start to embody more of an abundance mindset. In Part 1, I talked about how abundance is not just about money or material possessions – it’s about something much deeper. And embodying an abundance mindset is precisely about that: Connecting to this deeper place within us of feeling abundant.
Your instinct might be to try to identify what you believe you’re lacking, and trying to get more of it. But this is counterproductive: If we want to experience abundance but we focus on what we’re lacking, we keep projecting a scarcity mindset into our actions and decisions.
The key, then, is to tap into a feeling of abundance despite the perception of lack. I want to invite you to shift your focus to areas of your life and work where you can notice abundance:
Where in your work and personal life can you feel that you have enough?
What riches do you get to enjoy in your life that you can feel a deep sense of appreciation for?
What do you have plenty of that you might be taking for granted, and which could make you feel more abundant if you were able to see it with a newfound appreciation?
When we step back and take a moment to become aware of how many gifts we already get to enjoy, we can see many things that we’re taking for granted. And each of these is an opportunity to step into an abundance mindset so we can generate a feeling of safety and being provided for. For example, I live in the Boston area where it can get quite cold during the winter. So, whenever I get to take a hot shower during these months, it feels like a mini spa treatment, and if I focus on that, it feeds my sense of abundance.
Another effective tool is to see the potential for abundance in the way we love, support, listen to, care for, and give to others. Doing any of these things more of allows us to be the source of abundance because there is no real limit to how much we might want to give. And I don’t mean that just quantitatively (amount), but qualitatively (depth) as well. Even if we just commit one act of love per day, giving it our all makes us the source of abundance and thereby allows us to embody an abundance mindset.
The more we can shift into a deeper feeling of abundance by appreciating what’s already present in our life and by being the source, the more we'll see new opportunities to create and experience abundance in the areas we’ve been experiencing lack.
So, what’s something in your life you get to have plenty of and that you can feel deeply appreciative for right now? That’s it! You got it!