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Your mindset is a determinant of how your life is and will eventually be. Today we’ll look at how you can start to have an abundance mindset instead of a scarcity mindset.
According to Steve Maraboli, “Once your mindset changes, everything on the outside will change along with it.”
What does this tell us? It simply means that if you want to live an abundant life, then you need to adopt an abundance mindset. If you want to be rich, then you’ve got to think rich. If you want to be sexy, then you’ve got to have a sexy mindset (for some reason, that sounds really sexy).
Stephen Covey defined the term abundance mindset or abundance mentality in his book, The Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People. He said it is “A concept in which a person believes there are enough resources and successes to share with others.”
He also mentioned the opposite of abundance mentality which is scarcity 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, and 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.”
Scarcity mentality makes a person believe that opportunities are few and that another has to lose for him or her to win, without considering the possibility that all parties could win, which eventually leads them to having complacency, doubt and indifference and in turn leads to failure.
How to have an abundance mindset
In order to live a successful life, you need to be constant and intentional about developing your emotional and spiritual life. Having an abundance mindset allows you to take full advantage of any opportunity that comes your way, get your creative juices flowing, and live a happy and satisfying life.
It is true that you can’t just wish things into existence or reality, but when you wish for things, you must take certain steps towards making your wish a reality. Some of these steps include being positive, practicing gratitude, welcoming open mindedness and the likes. In one word, it means having an abundant lifestyle.
On your journey to learning how to have an abundance mindset, you must understand that abundance isn’t about having an excess of resources at your disposal, instead it is about having a deep level of satisfaction in your mind, soul and heart. You must be willing to care for yourself and others around you. You must be ready to believe and accept that you deserve the best and you have the power to get it.
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Rhonda Byrne said, “People who have drawn wealth into their lives used The Secret, whether consciously or unconsciously. They think thoughts of abundance and wealth, and they do not allow any contradictory thoughts to take root in their minds.”
If you truly want to learn how to have an abundance mindset, here are 10 efficient and practical tips that will help you:
1. Focus on Positivity
As humans, we tend to be more aware of the bad things that are happening in our lives than the good. We worry so much about not having a car or a lot of money (or a rich boyfriend or husband) that we forget about the gift of life and health. In order to cultivate an abundance mindset, you need to be optimistic and focus on the positive things that are going on in your life.
When you are faced with a difficulty, look at it as a puzzle that you need to find a solution to instead of seeing it as an obstacle that won’t allow you to reach your goals. Adopt a win-win mentality. Someone else doesn’t necessarily have to lose for you to win; look for collaborations instead of competitions.
The moment you begin to focus on the good things that are going on in your life, your mind will be opened to the possibility of better things to come. For example, if you don’t have a job, don’t focus on the fact that you don’t have one, instead focus and think about the abundance of possibilities in the world to get a job or create a job for yourself. You will be surprised at how ideas and opportunities will begin to present themselves to you out of the blue.
Don’t hesitate to spread positivity to others also. Zig Ziglar said, “Positive thinking will let you do everything better than negative thinking will.”
2. Always practice gratitude
Constantly practicing gratitude is a very powerful tool that most people tend to ignore. When you learn to be grateful for the food you have to eat, the shelter you have over your head and the air you breathe, this easily turns your bad mood into a good one and helps you focus on more positive things.
Make it a habit to appreciate something you have in your life everyday when you wake up. If possible, get a journal and write down at least 10 things you are grateful for everyday, no matter how little. Just as Eileen Caddy said, “Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.”
3. Be open minded
A very important habit that you must cultivate on your path to learning how to have an abundance mindset, is having an open mind to things. If you close your mind to just one thing or one line of thought, you are hindering yourself from seeing and exploring other possibilities.
To have an abundance mindset, you need to be willing to see things from a different point of view and be open to change. According to A.J Darkhor, “Always hear others out and remain open-minded; the day you think you know everything is the day you have the most yet to learn.”
4. Be organized
One of the best ways to achieve and maintain an abundance mindset is to be organized. Take control of your schedule and prioritize your important activities. Clean your environment and declutter your workspace. When you are organized, your workflow will go smoothly and you are ultimately welcoming an abundance mindset.
5. Don’t compare yourself to others
It’s okay to admire what other people have and to wish for better things and work towards acquiring them, but one thing that will hinder you from having an abundance mindset is comparing yourself to others.
It might be difficult not to, especially if these people are constantly flaunting their achievements and possessions in your face, but you need to realize that we were all created differently and our lives are set at a different pace. People only post their “best life” on social media, they hardly ever post the ugly, so don’t let what you see on social media make you feel like you are not doing enough.
If you feel yourself constantly scrolling through social media and comparing yourself to one person or the other, then it’s high time you take a break and feed your mind with more positive content.
In the words of Suzy Kassem, “Whatever your passion is, keep doing it. Don’t waste time chasing after success or comparing yourself to others. Every flower blooms at a different pace. Excel at doing what your passion is and only focus on perfecting it. Eventually people will see what you are great at doing, and if you are truly great, success will come chasing after you.”
Desist from comparing yourself to others and welcome an abundance mindset into your life.
6. Be Generous
To cultivate an abundance mindset, you need to learn to give. There is a sense of achievement that comes with being able to help a person in need, how much more the joy you would bring to their heart through the simple act of giving.
It’s not only money or material things that you can give out, but you can also give your time, energy, positivity, advice, knowledge, volunteering, e.t.c.
By having abundance, it means you have enough to yourself and more than enough to give out, so don’t hesitate to be generous with what you have. If you want to attract greater things to yourself, then you need to open your hands and heart towards giving to others.
7. Be growth oriented
In order to have an abundance mindset, you must be constantly ready to up your game and be on top of your game in anything you do. You must be willing to learn new things and widen your horizons.
You must also believe that your basic abilities can be developed into greater things through hard work, dedication, and persistence, supported with your brains and talent. When you are growth oriented, you are directly aiming for an abundance mindset.
8. Surround yourself with people that have an abundance mindset
In order to have an abundance mindset, you need to constantly walk and surround yourself with people who already have that mindset. Be selective of whose company you keep.
By surrounding yourself with people who have an abundance mindset, you are also attracting it to yourself and the positivity, creativity, generosity and organized attitude of these people will rub off on you.
You know that saying, “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are?” Well, it’s not just something parents say to their kids to sound wise. It’s legit. Nonetheless, do feel free to say it to your kids so you sound wise! We won’t judge you.
9. Don’t waste your time
If you want to live an abundant life, then you must learn to always put your time to good use. Time is precious and it waits for no one. The earlier you realize that and you begin to work in line with it, the better for you.
Use your time to do important things that will contribute to your all round development. Avoid anything or anyone that would serve as a time waster to you. Do the difficult tasks first, and watch the smaller ones fall into place. Invest your time in doing the things that make you happy. And yes, have some fun and enjoy yourself.
Make sure that you make the most of every minute you have. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in life is to waste your time.
10. Give yourself a constant reminder
When you have an abundance mindset, in order to keep up with it and not slip back into your former way of life, you need to constantly remind yourself of it and why you adopted it in the first place.
Read books, watch videos and listen to podcasts that will constantly help you to keep up with your abundance mindset. Stay away from anything or anyone that would pollute your thoughts.
You can also create affirmations to serve as a constant reminder for yourself. In the words of Bryant McGill, “You can become instantly successful with a simple thought, but long-lasting and pronounced success comes to those who renew their commitment to a mindset of abundance every minute of every hour of every day.”
Finally, you must look out for any scarcity mindset you have and work on replacing it with an abundance mindset. Now, you may not even know that you have a scarcity mindset. Make a habit of listening to your thoughts and really feeling your feelings.
Some common examples of scarcity mindsets include:
- Always feeling like the victim
- Constantly feeling angry, unhappy, impatient and powerless
- Having a narrow mind and always being confused
Once you are able to identify these scarcity mindsets, replace them with the abundance mindset and then top it off with the other tips on how to have an abundance mindset explained above.
I assure you, there will be something entirely different about the way you relate to people and situations. It shouldn’t come as a surprise when people start asking you what your secret is.
You might also want to check out:
- 15 Bad Habits You Should Break For A Happier Life
- 14 Things You Will Regret Not Doing Sooner
- 15 Morning Routine Habits For A Productive Day
- How To Wake Up At 5 AM Every Day Without Feeling Tired
Don’t forget to pin these 10 tips on how to have an abundance mindset for later!
Now, don’t keep it to yourself! Be sure to share—that’s the point of having an abundance mindset!
You can pin it to your abundance or manifestation board on Pinterest or share it to your favorite social media platform. Thank you!
