Let me ask you a question.

ARE YOU A GLASS-HALF-FULL OR GLASS-HALF-EMPTY KIND OF PERSON?

When you think about the future, do you see limitless opportunities or multiple barriers?

Do you get excited about international travel and interaction with other cultures?

Or do you tend to be suspicious of people who are different from you?

Do you try to learn from mistakes and failures? Or do you beat yourself up over them and stop trying?

Be honest. Depending on your response, you either have an abundance or scarcity mindset. If you answered affirmatively to the first half of each question (i.e. glass half-full, limitless opportunities, and excitement), you likely have an abundance mindset.

Congratulations! An abundance mindset accelerates personal growth in unimaginable ways. BUT not everyone is like you.  

If you answered affirmatively to the second half of each question (i.e. glass-half-empty, multiple barriers, beating yourself up), you are probably operating under the scarcity mindset. You are concerned that there is never enough and may feel like a victim. This article is intended for you!

We’ll answer four critical questions:

1. What is an abundance mindset?  

2. What’s the difference between a scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset?  

3. Why is an abundance mindset important?  

4. Can mindset be changed?

WHAT IS AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET? 

Steven Covey’s 1989 bestseller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People coined the term “abundance mentality.” “

People with a scarcity mentality tend to see everything in terms of win-lose. There is only so much; and if someone else has it, that means there will be less for me. The more principle-centered we become, the more we develop an abundance mentality, the more we are genuinely happy for the successes, well-being, achievements, recognition, and good fortune of other people. We believe their success adds to...rather than detracts from...our lives.” - Stephen Covey

An abundance mindset helps you:

• Create meaningful life experiences.

• Pursue new, interesting opportunities.

• Live a full and satisfying life.

• Find happiness even amid struggle.

• Feel inspired and creative.

People with an abundance mindset see the potential to move beyond present circumstances and have hope for a brighter future. They feel empowered, rather than constantly frustrated and overwhelmed.

Just to be clear, feeling negative emotions is not abnormal or bad. We can find deep healing when we process darker feelings like fear, anger, and sadness. It’s when we refuse to confront such feelings that we find ourselves stuck in them, as though these feelings are begging us to acknowledge and work with them. 

Constant positive thinking is just as unhealthy as constant negative thinking. 

That being said, a scarcity mindset often arises when someone avoids acknowledging and processing negative emotions. The way out is to examine your thoughts and choose to think in ways that are more balanced.

SCARCITY MINDSET VS. ABUNDANCE MINDSET

Let’s dig a little deeper into the contrast between an abundance mindset and a scarcity mindset.

Those who hold a scarcity mindset tend to see life as a pie, where every time someone takes a slice, there is less for everyone else. They tend to focus solely on what they don’t have rather than what they already have.

They find it difficult to share and to be generous, even if they have plenty to share. Rather than working through negative feelings and thoughts, they stay mired in them.

They tend not to take responsibility for their choices and hold onto bitterness and resentment towards others.

People with a scarcity mindset are constantly in competition and survival mode. They often blame others rather than focusing inward on the difference that they themselves can make.

On the other hand, individuals who have cultivated an abundance mindset are thankful for the little things and the big things, looking for blessings amid challenges.

While they recognize that resources are not infinite, they generally hold that there is enough to go around. They seek out opportunities for growth, are happy to collaborate and share, and they feel successful when others around them are also successful.

People who have an abundance mindset tend to have a healthy sense of self-worth and security. They know how to listen to others in order to understand, rather than simply to reply.

People who have an abundance mindset see failures as opportunities to learn and grow. They take responsibility for their choices and forgive those who have wronged them.

An abundance mindset tends to come with more gratitude, contentment, generosity, and contribution.

There is one caution I want to make about toxic positivity. Positivity can certainly be helpful, but it becomes damaging when it excludes the reality of darker emotions and suffering.

Toxic positivity is a phenomenon of our culture that enforces messages like, “Positive vibes only,” and “Choose happiness.” You may have experienced it when you’ve told someone about a bad day, and he or she said something like…

“Look on the bright side!”

“Stay positive!”

“Be grateful for what you do have!”

“At least you still have _________.”

“Cheer up!” 

Some Christianized versions of toxic positivity include phrases such as…

“God has a plan!”

“God works all things for good!”

“You just need to pray more, and you’ll feel better.”

“Just have more faith.” 

The problem with forcing people who are suffering to “just think positive” is that we are not empathizing or showing compassion.

Rather, we are trying to make ourselves feel more comfortable in the midst of the genuine darkness, suffering, and evil that exists.

If you decide to cultivate an abundance mindset, be sure that you…

1. Don’t suppress negative or dark feelings. Instead, work through them and see what it is they are trying to tell you. You may need the help of a counselor to do this.

2. Don’t force others around you to conform to your process of shifting to a different mindset. Let other people have their own journey. By changing yourself, others around you may be inspired to change, too.

3. Don’t close yourself off from reality. Suffering is real, and there is a lot of it. It’s true that we have made significant progress in certain areas, but in other areas, we are still struggling. Mental health trends in America have seen a continuous decline for the last decade. Remember to acknowledge both the light and the darkness.

4. Cultivate compassion and empathy for others. Be willing to mourn with those who mourn, as well as rejoice with those who rejoice. It’s okay to simply be present with someone in their sadness or even their anger. You don’t need to offer positive platitudes or to try lightening the mood. Like Mary at the foot of the cross, we can simply bear loving witness in the midst of someone’s pain.

It’s important to bring attention to the phenomenon of toxic positivity, particularly because we have a fallen tendency to blame others.

Many people who insist on maintaining positivity at all times often blame the misfortunes of others on their “negative thinking.” They maintain that all suffering is due to a lack of mindset training. 

This gets absurd, especially when we look at the reality of the cross. It would be ridiculous to assert that Jesus’ suffering was a result of negativity and a lack of correct mindset.

That being said, some forms of suffering are created by ruminating negative thoughts and choosing to see things in a negative light. Therefore, the abundance mindset is certainly useful and important.

Let’s go a little deeper into why it’s important. 

WHY IS AN ABUNDANCE MINDSET IMPORTANT?

True transformation requires an abundance mindset. As faith believers, we are called to transformation, not tweaking. 

One of my favorite writers is Matthew Kelly of Dynamic Catholic. Each book Matthew publishes is short but impactful. He takes a 2,700 year-old-text (the Bible) and simplifies it into powerful, digestible messages. 

Matthew Kelly was the first person to help me make a connection between the abundance mindset and a spiritual focus on becoming the best version of myself. 

When you try to become a better version of yourself daily, you can’t help but be excited about what tomorrow holds. You think about today’s mistakes but don’t dwell on them. You treat stumbling blocks as learning experiences and move on.

When you operate from a place of abundance, it means you are open to new opportunities. Rather than focusing on a lack of possibilities, you instead look at what is possible. You start to see the doors that are open instead of the doors that are closed. 

When you make mistakes or fail, you don’t panic. Instead, any prior mistakes can be acknowledged and treated as a learning experience. Your past is no longer a script for your future.

An abundance mindset aids you personally and also accelerates growth on many other levels.

Men become better fathers, husbands, and sons. Women become better mothers, wives, and daughters. Your family will notice a positive difference in you, and it might just shape their perspective on life. In the workplace, you’ll be focused and driven but will also keep your priorities aligned. 

Once your family and workplace have benefitted from the “new” you, you’ll think about how you can use your gifts to help others in your community (or the broader world). You’ll be generous, wanting to give even more than the standard 10% tithe.

An abundance mindset is freeing, and it’s where transformation begins.

CAN MINDSET BE CHANGED?

The short answer is YES! The Chopra Center offers several suggestions to move into an abundance mentality, including: 

1. Become aware of your thoughts through mindfulness. Notice the types of thoughts circulating in your head and make a conscious effort to shift towards abundance.

2. Practice gratitude. Keep a gratitude journal, recording at least 10 items daily.

3. Recognize the unlimited possibilities. Focus can be incredibly powerful but also unhelpful if your focus is too narrow and you fail to notice other possibilities.

4. Cultivate and share your passions and purpose. Serve others by sharing your unique gifts and providing value.

5. Think about what is going right. Human brains are wired to notice the bad more easily than the good. Take a holistic approach and play to your strengths.

The scarcity mindset is very prevalent in spite of the significant progress we’ve made on the biggest social issues.

We have the highest living standards of any generation in history. Our World in Data shows how global living conditions are changing. Poverty, illiteracy, and childhood mortality rates have dropped significantly since 1950. Political freedoms stemming from democracy and postsecondary education rates have soared. 

Yet 90 percent of people think the world isn’t getting better, according to Our World in Data. 

The media focuses on bad events such as the pandemic, war, natural disasters, and mass shootings. It’s quite rare to see any news channel spend more than five minutes of a 30-minute show on “feel good” segments. 

We don’t get to see our everyday heroes on TV or in the newspapers; police officers, firefighters, teachers, and missionaries make the headlines for conflict and controversy, not when things are business as usual.

Though we have made a great deal of social progress, there’s still more to be done.

Despite the good work happening in our neighborhoods and communities worldwide, 1 in 10 people today still live in extreme poverty. To solve big problems like poverty, we need to stop living in isolation and collaborate.

This is where the abundance mindset comes in. When we believe we have enough and feel free to share, we can give our time and talents in the service of others. 

Cultivating an abundance mindset makes it easier to get behind a cause and garner support from others who are interested in advancing the same social change. 

Because you stop worrying about whether you have enough, your mind becomes open to creativity and problem-solving. You’re better able to see how you can contribute your time, talents, and resources to improve the world around you.

One of the ways you can support positive change in the world is by investing in companies that are doing just that. In other words, you can help make a difference by investing in alignment with your values.

WorthyNest® clients and I create a financial plan that helps them contribute to causes they care about. This can include things like leaving a legacy for their children and grandchildren, investing in companies that share their values, and earmarking funds for charitable donations.

At WorthyNest®, we guide parents through important financial decisions using a values-based approach. Contact us to explore a one-on-one relationship.