Moving from Scarcity to Abundance Mentality

“If you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough,” said Oprah Winfrey.

 And if Oprah’s advice isn’t enough, consider the abundance mindset can add an average of 7.5 years to your life, according to researchers at Yale. 

Opening your mind to possibilities (abundance) instead of limitations (scarcity) will help you achieve more. 

A Harvard study said focusing on one thing intently keeps you from seeing other possibilities. So, thinking for example, “There aren’t enough jobs – I’ll never get one,” takes up space in your brain that may keep you from creating your own job by being an entrepreneur, getting a job in a different industry and working your way up, or many other solutions that could lead to ultimate success. 

But, in America, this attitude can be a shift. To quote Ricky Bobby:  “If you’re not first, you’re last.”

The abundance versus scarcity mindset was first coined by Stephen Covey in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The scarcity mentality means thinking, “For me to have more, it leaves less for others.” 

This is not true, though sometimes it requires a discussion about a solution with another person – simply asking and brainstorming about how a situation can benefit both parties can turn a win-lose into a win-win. It just takes a little extra time and effort, but who wouldn’t want to take out the losing component? Just ask, how can we leave this discussion with you feeling good and me feeling good? You’ll be surprised at what you can come up with together.

Initially in my life, I did whatever it took to beat people in journalism competitions, beat people out to earn editor positions, to win scholarships, to be the teacher’s favorite, to wring the most out of everything I did. I got the jobs I wanted and was promoted quickly, when I went to into the work force. 

 At 44, I can now see that would have kept me from reaching the top, the CEO level. Few CEOs today operate in a scarcity mentality. They know real growth for people, innovations, ideas or companies only happens when we create space where everyone wins. 

Surround yourself with others who have an abundance mindset, and like Forbes magazine suggests, “Start training your mind to loosen its focus and create an expanded awareness. Ask yourself if you had all the time and money in the world and you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you be doing? Questions like that will help to open your mind up to what’s possible.”