I recently was walking around the heart of Miami and saw 40+ story apartments surrounding me. Each of these rooms cost multiple thousands of dollars to live per month and I was astounded that there were so many people here who could afford it. How could they do it? And how could there be so many rich people?
An abundance mindset is the belief that there is more than enough of something to go around, whether it be resources, opportunities, or love. This mindset is opposed to a scarcity mindset, which is the belief that there is not enough of something to go around and therefore we must compete for it.
Having an abundance mindset can be incredibly useful in many areas of life. For example, in a business setting, an abundance mindset can lead to collaboration and innovation, as opposed to competition and hoarding of resources. A story that illustrates this is that of two companies that are competing for a limited number of customers in their market. The company with an abundance mindset might focus on expanding the market and finding new customers, while the company with a scarcity mindset might focus on stealing customers from the other company. The result is that the company with the abundance mindset is able to grow and thrive, while the company with the scarcity mindset becomes stagnant.
In personal relationships, an abundance mindset can lead to more fulfilling and healthy relationships. For example, a person with an abundance mindset might believe that there is plenty of love to go around and therefore they don’t need to fear losing love from their partner. This can lead to more trust and openness in the relationship. On the other hand, a person with a scarcity mindset might believe that there is not enough love to go around and therefore they need to constantly compete for their partner’s affection. This can lead to jealousy and insecurity in the relationship.
There is money to be made. You just have to get it.
People are making a killing (millions of dollars) literally from playing a GAME or SINGING or DANCING or PRETENDING (acting). These industries show that the world is a much more abundance place. Never before in history could people even think of making a living from such an obscure impractical thing that wasn’t specifically tied to utility.
The world has gotten a lot smaller with globalization and allowed us to deliver and capture value in all sorts of new ways.
There are people making millions playing video games like pro gamer Faker or Youtuber PewDiePie.
There are tons of industries that make millions, if not billions, from LUXURY and ENTERTAINMENT -optional activities. These include:
- The video game industry (Sony, Nintendo, Playstation, etc.)
- Sports industries (basketball, soccer, football, cricket, etc.)
- Chess
- The fireworks and dynamite industry
- Diamond rings and necklaces
- Luxury yoga products (luluLemon)
- Luxury clothing
- The Music industry
The list goes on and on.
LONG GONE are the days where one of the ONLY things you would pay for is food.
LONG GONE is the era when the most important and ONLY professions were tied to hunting, cooking, or farming food.
And those days will never come back. Generally speaking, almost all domains of progress are progressing in a positive direction. I’m optimistic about the world. The book Abundance by Peter Diamandis explains this in more detail.
We have:
- better education
- more resources
- better heating and cooling
- better plumbing
- better access to more information
- better, cheaper entertainment (TV, Netflix, YouTube, etc.)
- better, cheaper transportation (bus, train, Uber, planes, etc.)
- spending money to do with as we please
- access to more varieties of quality food from all over the world at cheaper prices.
- Less deaths and war overall globally
The list goes on and on. Babies die less. Humans live longer.
There is PLENTY of spending on unnecessary products and services no matter how you look at it. There is abundance.
And this occurred even in the greatest recessions and Depressions as well. There’s always someone who is rich. And I believe that all bad times will past eventually to return to greater prosperity.
Now, I’m not saying the world is perfect. There’s plenty of really tough, horrific issues that we need to address like global warming, sex trafficking, racism, discrimination, shootings, needless deaths, illnesses, and so on.
There will be horrific events that will continue to play out: nuclear warfare, terrorism, contagious viruses that kill millions, and so on.
But does that mean the world isn’t an abundance place? No. We are making progress in the right direction despite all of this. There’s still a lot of tough work to be done but incredible people, but it is a better world than it was 50 or 500 years ago.
Back then, beheading’s, discrimination, premature deaths, and senseless deaths were a common thing.
Does this mean that it’s easy to step in front of this abundance of wealth? No. It’s a highly competitive world and fun occupations like video gaming or sports has a flood of people trying to fill a few positions that pay a killing.
What you can do is find possibilities that intersect these three areas:
- Your interest and passion
- Your potential objective competence to be really great at a skill compared to your competition
- The marketability of that skill (Will people actually pay for this?)
And slowly start moving there.
You might not make millions initially, but a couple hundred extra dollars doing something that you love isn’t a bad start.
Baby steps. Have the right Abundance Mindset. And you’ll be on your way.
One of the key benefits of having an abundance mindset is that it allows you to approach situations with a positive attitude. When you believe that there is enough success to go around, you are more likely to take risks and try new things, because you know that even if you fail, there will still be opportunities for success.
For example, consider two entrepreneurs who are competing for the same contract. The one with an abundance mindset may approach the situation with confidence, knowing that even if they don’t win this contract, there will be other opportunities in the future. In contrast, the one with a scarcity mindset may be more hesitant and fearful, feeling that they have to win this contract or their business will fail.
Another benefit of an abundance mindset is that it allows you to be more generous and supportive of others. When you believe that there is enough success to go around, you are more likely to help others and share your knowledge and resources. This can create a positive feedback loop, where your generosity leads to more success for yourself and those around you.
For example, consider a salesperson who is trying to help a colleague close a deal. The one with an abundance mindset may be more willing to share their knowledge and expertise, knowing that their colleague’s success will not take away from their own. In contrast, the one with a scarcity mindset may be more hesitant to share, feeling that their colleague’s success will come at their own expense.
Here are 5 ways to develop an abundance mentality:
- Practice gratitude: One of the simplest and most effective ways to develop an abundance mentality is to practice gratitude. By focusing on the things you have, rather than the things you lack, you can shift your mindset from scarcity to abundance. Try keeping a gratitude journal and writing down a few things you are grateful for each day.
- Reframe your thinking: Another way to develop an abundance mentality is to reframe the way you think about situations. Instead of focusing on the negatives, look for the positives and opportunities. For example, instead of thinking “I can’t afford it,” try thinking “How can I afford it?” or “What are my options?” This can help you see that there are always possibilities, even in challenging situations.
- Be generous: Another way to cultivate an abundance mentality is to be generous with your time, money, and resources. When you give to others, you are sending a message to yourself that there is enough to go around. Plus, the act of giving can be rewarding in itself, and can help you build strong relationships with others.
- Focus on abundance: Another way to develop an abundance mentality is to focus on abundance in your daily life. This can be as simple as noticing the abundance of food in your refrigerator, the abundance of clothes in your closet, or the abundance of opportunities available to you. By focusing on abundance, you can train your mind to see the world in a more positive and abundant way.
- Surround yourself with abundance: Finally, another way to develop an abundance mentality is to surround yourself with people who have an abundance mindset. This can be friends, family members, or colleagues who are positive, supportive, and generous. By surrounding yourself with these types of people, you can learn from them and adopt their mindset for yourself.
- In conclusion, an abundance mindset is a valuable mindset to have because it allows you to approach situations with a positive attitude, take risks and try new things, and be generous and supportive of others. By cultivating an abundance mindset, you can create opportunities for success not only for yourself, but for those around you as well.
