What is Abundance Mindset and How to Develop an Abundance Mindset?

An abundance mindset means that you believe that there are enough resources in this world and are grateful for everything. Not everyone feels the same and many people develop insecurities by comparing themselves to others.

What is Abundance Mindset?

For an abundance mindset, you need to have a sense of self-worth and a sense of direction. People having an abundance mindset means that they have a positive mindset and fully enjoy their present. They have no fear of losing health, money, or resources. They believe that there are plenty of them in the world. As Marianne Williamson says:

The key to abundance is meeting limited circumstances with unlimited thoughts.

Let’s define abundance mindset by defining scarcity mindset. The opposite of the abundance mindset is the scarcity mindset where a person compares himself with others and becomes jealous of them. He lives in constant fear of losing. He feels that others are using all their resources leaving none for him. Such people believe that happiness, opportunities, and wealth are limited and only some people can enjoy them while others have to suffer.

Many people’s life works on the win-or-loss paradigm. They cannot be happy with the success of others. These people also do not value themselves and are in a constant state of competition with other people. Such people gather around the people who are inferior to themselves so that they feel confident and worthy.

These people struggle in life and are never happy with their achievements. Therefore, one should practice an abundance mindset to be more successful. It is a habit of most influential people and surely something you wouldn’t want to miss. It brings you mental peace and you can focus more on positivity and gratitude.

Difference between an Abundance Mindset and a Scarcity Mindset?

Abundance Mindset

• A person having an abundance mindset is always focused on opportunities for growth and development.
• They have a flexible attitude and can adapt easily according to the circumstances.
• Such people are focused on new challenges and work on aspects that make them feel empowered and confident.
• They are best team workers and inspire those who are around them.
• They acknowledge the efforts of others and are easy to work with.
• They act as contributors giving something for the benefit of all.
• These people always keep a check on themselves and work to become better every day.
• Such person manage to control themselves by making bold decisions and taking risks.

Scarcity Mindset

• A person having a scarcity mindset will always focus on negativity.
• They blame their life circumstances and victimize themselves which lead to stress and depression.
• They waste their energy on overthinking and care much about what they don’t have.
• They experience more feelings of hopelessness, fear, anger, and poverty. The sad part is that these feelings not only affect such people but also those who live around them.
• They spread negativity everywhere.
• They are always unhappy and have a lot of expectations from others.
• Such people are not ready to take a risk and think that whatever they have is less.
• They are not willing to teamwork and never acknowledge others.
• They are always suspicious of others and never trust people.

What are the Signs of an Abundance Mindset?

Some people keep on living their lives without recognizing their mindset. You might not be as negative as you think. Here are the following signs that show you are close to developing an abundance mindset or already have an abundance mindset.

You are productive: If you keep physically and mentally active and use your energy to be a better person, then you are certainly a productive person with abundance mindset.

You are happy with others’ happiness: If you become happy by seeing others happy, you don’t have a scarcity mindset. If you genuinely celebrate with others and are not jealous you are developing an abundance mindset.

You are not stuck in the past: You are focused on what you have and do not live in past, it is a good sign. It means you are an optimist and determined to make your ‘present’ better.

How to Practice Abundance Mindset?

It is not uncommon for people to have a scarcity mindset. Human beings compete with each other and do have jealousy. But when you try to develop an abundance mindset, you will create betterment for all and open the doors of success for yourself.

Here are a few tips that can help you to develop an abundance mindset.

1.    Recognize What is Holding You Back

We all have some psychological struggles and there are many presupposed assumptions that we have. They might develop as a result of some bad experience. You need to recognize what’s holding you back. For example, some people have a past trauma i.e. a bad relationship. If they think that they do not deserve happiness, they will not give life another chance.

Therefore, you must need to practice gratitude and take what life has to offer. It is not easy to be happy and remain happy under all circumstances but one can at least make a try. Do not pay attention to your unconscious fears and take a risk to enjoy yourself again. Remember that life always has more resources and all you need is to avail them.

2.    Accept Changes in Life

What creates the most problems is the absence of acceptance in our lives. Life is full of surprises and there are many unpleasant turns too. We tend to change ourselves, but it completely depends on how we take the change. It is all about our mindset and we can shift it to approaching the change with curiosity.

If you have lost something, consider that it was not much important. Or maybe life has something better for you. It all comes with gratitude. You should learn how to express gratitude even in the worst situations.

However, an abundance mindset does not mean that you are negating your emotions or creating fake scenarios. It is channeling your emotions and feelings towards positivity. Initially, you might feel that you are faking happiness but with practice, it becomes real. Your approach towards situations can easily change.

3.    Focus on Empowering Beliefs

Our beliefs shape the world around us. Sometimes we are so full of negative beliefs that it becomes very difficult to replace them. But they are not impossible to change. All you need is a simple activity.

• Make a list of what makes you happy.
• Think of the positive things that you must be thankful for.
• When in despair, have a look at the list.
• With a little bit of patience and practice, you will note a difference in yourself.

4.    Do Not Be Reactive Every Time

Many people are impulsive. They do not think before reacting and this is what a scarcity mindset is. If you react instantly, you might be wrong and end up making a mistake. It leads to poor choices and loss of opportunities.

If you’re proactive, you focus on preparing. If you’re reactive, you end up focusing on repairing.

John Maxwell

Instead, you should develop a mindful approach and think before acting. It is better to be proactive rather than reactive. Being reactive creates confusion and sometimes you close the doors of a better option. Successful people are focused on their goals and take up the things that pave their way.

You must be very clear about what you want and work on a predetermined path.

• Firstly, you must understand what success is for you.
• Secondly, what are the goals that you want to achieve, and what is the path to success?
• Thirdly, you must be aware of the obstacles that you might face on your way.

Being proactive keeps you focused.

5.    Visualize Your Dreams

Visualization means imagining a future image i.e. you can imagine yourself achieving a goal. It may sound unrealistic but actually, it develops a psychology of winning. It links visualization to success. For example, if you want to achieve a position in the workplace, imagine that you already have it.

Researchers claim that visualization stimulates your brain cells and they react in the same way as you have performed the task. It is a way of making your brain think that you have already achieved the goal. The difference it creates is that when you work to achieve the goal, your brain will function better as it knows what to do.

Visualization needs some serious practice and generates an ideal image of yourself. You can choose a peaceful spot to concentrate and close your eyes for a better effect. Imagine exactly how the success would look like. You will see that ultimately all the things start to happen in your favor. 

6.    Reconsider, Rethink and Practice

Negative or positive feelings develop at a certain age and they continue to develop during the growing years. It then becomes a habit. You might think that all the happiness, success, and well-being is for others, not for you. It develops a sense of constant fear.

It is very hard to forget, but a little practice can change those negative feelings into positive feelings. You can do it in three simple steps:

1. First, reconsider what triggers your negative emotions. There might be something behind it. Write down the situations, events, and people that initiate a scarcity mindset.
2. Secondly, change the pattern of your thoughts. Rethink about them. For example, if you find something hard and say ‘I can’t do it’, replace it with ‘I can do it through hard work’.
3. Thirdly, make a practice of deliberately shifting your brain towards positive thoughts. Tell yourself aloud that you can do anything easily.

7.    Generosity

Generosity is a treasure that returns with an increase. It includes attributes such as kindness, love, sacrifice, and attention. You might note that many people are always surrounded by others. It is the most powerful tool for attracting others. Being generous shows that you have an abundance mindset.

Having people around you can be very helpful sometimes. They can be your guide and tell you about how to solve a problem or point out opportunities. For example, if you are working on a team project, generosity will pay you.

People love to help if you are supportive and give them a credit. You can ask them to brainstorm and probably make a better solution. You might find a mentor which is very critical for your survival. What is difficult for you might not be difficult for others. You will note a definite change in your performance once you practice generosity because it comes back with better rewards.

8.    Do Not Compare Yourself with Others

Comparing yourself with others demotivates you. It is the biggest mistake that anyone can make which leads to scarcity. Nowadays, it has become very difficult to concentrate on yourself only because of social media. People only show the best version of themselves and keep their darker side hidden. It gives the false perception that they are living better lives than yours. It might lead you to anxiety or depression.

Remember that the circumstances are different for everyone. There is no comparison possible between the two people. Plus whatever people are showing on social media is 1% of their life. You might have more happiness than them. Comparison can’t come from abundance mindset, it is manifestation of scarcity mindset.

To avoid such negativity, avoid too much time on social media. Secondly, be thankful for what you have and make a list of your achievements. Celebrate small steps and keep a record. Check how much you have grown and evolved in a week or month. Keep telling yourself that you are the best and going in the right direction.

Closing Remarks

We make life difficult for ourselves by adopting a scarcity mindset. We always compare ourselves with others and feel jealous that they are stealing all the happiness, wealth, and well-being from the world. However, this is not the right approach.

An abundance mindset can bring a positive change to your life. You always live in the present and make efforts to be productive for yourself and others. Generosity, kindness, selflessness, and patience can truly make you a successful person. Determine your definition of success and take a positive route to achieve it.

Key Takeaways: Abundance Mindset

• An abundance mindset is a belief that there are enough resources for everyone.
• The scarcity mindset is the opposite of the abundance mindset where people believe that only a few people can enjoy all the resources and they are being depleted.
• You can adapt an abundance mindset by practicing gratitude.
• Do not ever compare yourself to others as circumstances are not the same for everyone.
• Generosity is the key factor to developing an abundance mindset and drawing people towards you.
• If you encourage others, you can open the doors of opportunities for you.
• Successful people do not get jealous of others and are focused on achieving their dreams.