An Abundance Attitude will bring you Joy. End of story. If you’re not already familiar with the term – an abundance attitude is built around the idea that there are plenty of resources, opportunities and experiences for everyone to succeed, find happiness and accomplish whatever it is that they want or need. Here at Triumph, we truly believe that living a life with an abundance attitude should be an important part of life’s journey.
An abundance mindset does result in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits and decision making, but before all those things, it enhances the way we set our long-term and, by implication, our short-term goals. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity.
Too Good to be true?
Unfortunately for most of us, this isn’t the mindset we default to. The majority of society teaches from very early in life that there isn’t very much opportunity to go around or that it’s either us or them. So our natural reaction is to keep our hands close to our chest, step on others to get where we need to be and to hide our ideas or we will ultimately lose out to someone else willing to operate in this way. We call this a ‘scarcity attitude’, and it’s probably one of the biggest things holding you back. The problem is that when you have a scarcity attitude you are unable to see the bigger picture or plan for any long-term goals. It is, in essence, a short-term mindset.
People with a scarcity mindset often feel as though they need to spend their entire paycheck quickly as if they don’t they’ll lose the money some other way, or someone will take it, when really what they should be doing is saving and creating a safety net or even investing in the future. Same also applies to other spheres such as relationships. When an abundance attitude is lacking, we tend to want more from others than we’re comfortable giving and to prioritize our needs over others’. When you have an abundance attitude you’re able to see the bigger picture and plan for the future.
We’re all in this together.
Another problem with a scarcity attitude is it usually comes from a place of jealousy and unhappiness. Looking at what your neighbor has and feeling envy is the wrong attitude completely. The only person you should ever be competing with is yourself. When you look at your neighbor and see their success you should send a kind word their way. Most of us are working hard to achieve what we have in life and wouldn’t you prefer it if your neighbor supported you in the same way? This idea is the core idea of an abundance attitude. If we all practice it, then the world suddenly becomes a place of support, appreciation, and motivation. Be grateful rather than jealous as a grateful heart is at the center of an abundant life, and at Triumph we want you to achieve that life as soon as possible
Ok. It’s time to actualize the mindset. So we challenge you; for the next month practice an abundance attitude and see the difference it makes! Learn to appreciate the positives in life and you’ll soon notice how others will follow your example.
How to Defy the Scarcity Mindset and Actualize an Abundance Mindset
Now that we understand the two attitudes, what steps can we take to internalize the abundance and remove the scarcity? It’s actually a lot simpler than you think, and comes from a place of positive best-practice. To make sure you’re on the right track we’ve laid out 5 guidelines to help you on your way.
1. Have Gratitude. Start showing appreciation to those around you, and to yourself. Give compliments freely and support people whenever you can. Behavioral scientist Steve Maraboli says, “Those with a grateful mindset tend to see the message in the mess. And even though life may knock them down, the grateful find reasons, if even small ones, to get up.” Start building your resilience.
2. See Opportunity. View every problem as an opportunity. All you have to do is come at it from a place of optimism and it suddenly becomes much less of a problem. Remember – optimism is contagious so soon everyone you interact with will follow suit.
3. Reflect. Take time to take stock of what you have, and think about your life through a lens of optimism and opportunity. Stop looking at the things you have as finite, and start sharing with others!
4. See the bigger picture – If everyone was to practice an abundance mindset then we would all progress much faster by sharing ideas, resources and general positivity on this planet we call home. On a personal level – understanding that there is more than enough to go around makes it easier to save money and share as you understand that more is available to you. In other words, keep in mind that Abundance Mindset fuels a positive cycle of give and take that leads to exponential growth over time.
5. Understand & Alter Your Mindset. You can improve your life in huge, incredible ways just altering your mindset. Seriously. Practice coming at life from a place of abundance, positivity and sharing and you will see exponential growth to your happiness, success and relationships.
It’s time to stop with Scarcity and lead with Abundance
Now that you have the knowledge and the toolset the rest is up to you. Start flipping your problems into opportunities and remember to shoot a smile to your colleagues and team every once in a while. It goes back to the basic idea of ‘treat others how you’d want to be treated’. An abundance attitude is contagious and it can start with you. Scarcity is you holding you back, so it’s time to change direction and eat by example. Start looking up to the person you want to be rather than down on those you’re not.