Today’s mindset topic, abundance vs. scarcity, is one that has impacted my own life, as it has Stephanie’s, countless of our clients, as I’m guessing it has YOU too!
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We play a little game at the beginning of this episode and ask you to play along too! Stephanie says a word, and I say the first thing that pops into my head, and invite you to do the same. The words are
- Comfort Zone
- Money
- Success
- Sharing
- Focus
I won’t spoil the fun by giving away my answers, but what I can tell you, is that my answers would have been a lot different four or five years ago.
I’ve learned so much about inviting abundance into my life, and in this episode I share my personal story about the moment EVERYTHING changed for me… the moment I made a decision from a place of abundance despite all my fears that came from living with a scarcity mindset my entire life. (I was potty-trained in an out house after all due to lack of indoor plumbing!)
The late Steven Covey coined the terms Scarcity Mindset and Abundance Mindset, and just so we are all on the same page, people who operate from a scarcity mindset believe that there is never enough. They really see life as having a finite amount of everything…money, success, love, recognition. It’s as if life were a pie, and if the person sitting beside them gets the biggest slice, then they simply won’t get dessert. They therefore cling to everything they have, afraid that at some point they are going to come up short.
When you have a scarcity mindset, thoughts and actions come from a place of lack When it’s time to make decisions, fear and paranoia set in, making it very difficult to make life decisions that will lead to self-growth and abundance. When you are living in scarcity mode, you create feelings of jealousy, stress, and anxiety because you are constantly comparing yourself to those around you and living in the fear of the unknown.
Stephanie also lived with a scarcity mindset most of her life. Don’t get me wrong by the way, we both have thoughts based on fears and scarcity at times to this day, we’re just able to recognize tham and work through them!)
Stephanie shares about how her scarcity mindset led her to some of the most costly decisions of her life, not to mention years of unhappiness
Fear of scarcity causes us to have tunnel vision… looking only at what is right in front of you for fear of there not being another option. You eat the chocolate cake because there may never be another chance to eat the chocolate cake. You settle for a less than ideal relationship because you may not have another chance to love. You choose the quick fix diet program rather than the long-term investment in your health and wellness.
We then talked about the flip side… the abundance mindset. An abundance mindset is one that flows out of a deep sense of personal worth and security. It is a belief that there is more than enough for everyone, and this where life becomes full and we are able to dream and think big. Abundance creates freedom.
Stephanie then gives you three ways to start you on your road to developing an abundance mindset.
The first is to focus on what you have. There is no quicker path away from scarcity than gratitude. When you focus on the things that you are most grateful for in your life, you naturally pull yourself out of the scarcity mindset. To show gratitude is to appreciate, and to appreciate literally means to increase in value. This actually creates the abundance.
Next, Look for the opportunity in life’s circumstances. When we are thrown curveballs in life, the temptation is to come at it from a scarcity perspective. “Why is this happening to me?” or “Why don’t I ever get ahead?”
There is another way to look at these circumstances however, and that’s to identify where the opportunity lies. What can I learn from this? This leads directly to abundance by producing growth and development.
I think we can look at all that is going on in the world right now, and discover that there are opportunities to be found.
For example, though COVID is a terrible virus that has caused much destruction and death, we can choose to look for those opportunities such as a slower pace of life and even a very chance for many to revisit the benefits of a healthy vegan lifestyle. The virus has also inspired many people, including my own boyfriend, to start their own online businesses.
We can also look at the horrific events that have sparked powerful protests across the country and world, as allowing us an opportunity to have very difficult conversations about racism, and begin working collectively to change the systemic injustices that have oppressed people of color throughout history.
Finally, develop the belief that you are enough. This can be the most challenging, but also the most impactful when moving from scarcity to abundance. So many of us struggle with our self-worth. The belief that we are not enough comes from a very deeply ingrained system that we are generally not conscious of. We challenge you to bring the subconscious programming keeping you in self-defeating thought patterns into your awareness.
When you find yourself comparing yourself to others or questioning if you are deserving, take a step back and view these thoughts with compassion and curiosity, then challenge them. Explore the feelings of unworthiness that are attached to these beliefs.
We won’t sugar coat this… Changing these deeply-ingrained core beliefs takes work. It requires an investment in yourself. For you to turn your scarcity to abundance, you must suspend your belief system for just a bit, and make that investment in your own development.
I share the stories of incredible clients like Dawn, who got the courage to not only invest in her growth by working with us, but afterward, by operating from abundance, a whole new career path opened up and she is happier, more fulfilled, and definitely wealthier financially.
We’ve had many clients actually get the courage to launch their own businesses, when they would have likely stayed in the security of the jobs they dreaded going to each day until they retired.
We’re not talking about voodoo magic here… It’s really about putting yourself in a position so that you are ready to receive, which has nothing to do with materialism or another person. It all begins with the belief that you’re worthy, and that everything you want and need are available to you.
We’d love to hear about your experience listening to this episode, and how helpful you found it to be (or not to be)! Email [email protected]. I read and reply to every email myself because your feedback is so incredibly valuable… This podcast is for YOU!
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 4 | Episode 7
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Ella Magers, MSW
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