Lately in my life and in my practice, I’ve been hearing from family, friends, clients (and oh yes, my own self!) a lot of statements that are grounded in a lack-based mindset. A lack mindset, or scarcity mindset, is one that is familiar to us all. You may hear it in the form of: I don’t have enough money, I don’t have enough friends, I’m not happy enough, I’ll never get a good job, I don’t have what they have, I wan't more. In society, we’re often told through the media, especially social media and various advertising, that we don’t have enough and we need more. This stuff can really become ingrained in our beliefs and can seep into our daily lives of not feeling we have enough or that we are enough. Even growing up, we may have had family that struggled with money, or we didn’t have many friends in school, or constantly worried about the future and with fears of not being successful. This can totally impact our beliefs. These beliefs that we don’t have enough end up becoming a lack-based reality and our overall mindset when we approach life. It’s rooted in fear and it is a problem-focused mindset. Our views of the world tend to narrow and we focus on things that cause us more stress while we hone in on what we don’t have. We end up missing out on the things that are right in front of us, the beauty in the world around us and the abundance we really do have in our lives. When we focus on the lack, that is all we continue to attract into our lives.
And hey, I get it. It’s hard, especially in this day in age. But why are we not focusing on the abundance in our lives instead? Well, a few things come to mind. When everyone else around you is focusing on the lack as well, it becomes pretty easy to give in and say similar lack-based stories to one another, thus increasing our scarcity mindset. We live in a world where it’s easier to write negative reviews on a page rather than positive ones. We are surrounded by images that tell us we need more to be more. We have limiting beliefs that we ourselves are limited, we think our resources are depleted, we have bills to pay, we have social lives to maintain and we have experiences we want to enjoy, and that is totally understandable. However, what if we approached all of these things differently? What if we came from a place of abundance, rather than from a place of lack, fear and scarcity?
So, what is an abundance mindset? Abundance mindset is feeling and believing that you have enough, feeling the gratitude for everything you have, and knowing that there is way more to come. I've mentioned this in previous posts, but I want to stress that this isn't just a "think positive!" thing. You really have to feel into it, practice it and immerse yourself in it. Abundance is knowing that you are attracting greatness into your life. When you experience an abundance mindset, you feel empowered, motivated, engaged with your surroundings, and you are flexible in your beliefs for what’s out there. You’re not fixed on only one limiting thing in an anxious way; you’re feeling optimistic about all the opportunities and availabilities that are coming your way. You see a bigger picture, you embrace opportunities and change, you continue to learn, you adapt to your surroundings and open yourself up rather than close yourself off. Your energy shifts, you feel full in many ways and you invite growth into your life. Sounds pretty great, huh? So, how does begin to shift from a lack-based mindset to an abundance-based mindset? Here are a few ways that I try to incorporate abundance and attract it into my life, and maybe they'll help you, too!
Shift Your Thought Patterns
I invite you to envision a switch. Like a switch to turn the lights on and off. Flip that switch from a place of lack to a place of abundance. Shine the light on the incredible things you do have in your life. This isn’t about just simply forgetting the problems or turning off the light and running out of the room. It’s about mentally checking in with yourself when you notice that you are in a lack-based mindset and shifting that focus to an abundance-based one. When you believe you don’t have enough money, enough friends, or that everything is scarce, your attitude and the way you present yourself in life ends up reflecting exactly that. Kind of like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Our thoughts, beliefs and actions have so much power, so let’s try to utilize and channel that energy wisely! I love using visualization exercises because I find them to be quite powerful. With this visualization, you can catch yourself and reroute your thought pattern to one of abundance. With practice, those thoughts of lack will be the road less traveled as you keep bringing abundant thoughts into your life. Try to do this visualization every day when you notice your mindset to be a scarce one until it becomes second nature. If you notice yourself slipping, that’s okay! This is an exciting time for change. It might feel uncomfortable, but honestly, that just means you are growing!
Gratitude
I think I mention gratitude in nearly all of my posts, but that’s simply because it’s an incredible thing to practice. When you practice gratitude, it’s not about just listing off things quickly in a book and then jetting off to your day. Gratitude takes patience and comes from a place of true appreciation. When I practice gratitude, I like to sit with it for a little. I’ll close my eyes, take some deep breaths, and meditate on what I am so thankful for in my life. I feel what comes up for me when I am practicing gratitude (moments of joy, love, kindness, and I’ll even laugh when I think of funny memories that I’m grateful for). I’ll also get specific… like, really specific. Instead of saying “I’m grateful for my friends,” I’ll say a particular friend or group of friends, and I’ll say why I’m grateful. “I’m grateful that when I was sad yesterday, I called my friend and they told me a hilarious story about XYZ and it made me laugh so hard and I felt so much better.” Like that! Try it for yourself and notice the changes that surround you.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness will help you get out of your anxious thoughts and will help you focus in real time. It helps to invite awareness into your life and encourages you to be attentive to what’s currently going on in this moment in time, without holding any judgments or expectations. In The Little Book of Mindfulness (Collard, 2014), the benefits of mindfulness that are mentioned are: increased relaxation and feelings of calm; having more energy; increased enthusiasm; higher self-confidence; and less stress, anxiety and depression – and that’s only to name a few! Focusing on your breath is a great way to start to practice mindfulness, and to also begin noticing your surroundings when you’re out and about. Take note of what you see, be aware of your surroundings and simply just be. Noticing what comes up for you, savouring the moments and focusing on the present is also great when you practice mindfulness. Also, try to not set an expectation for your mindfulness practice. Whatever happens, happens – try not to judge the outcomes or judge yourself. It takes practice and you will soon notice the difference in your outlook and new abundant mindset!
Reframe
I love lists. Lists are fun! So make a list of the common lack/scarcity-based phrases you tend to repeat to yourself and others. Write them all down. Now, I encourage you to write the opposite or phrase it in a way that reframes the lack list into something that’s more abundant, full of gratitude and that puts you in a place that is open and ready for change. Instead of focusing on the problem, focus on the solution. Think of times that you’ve gone through similar scenarios and remember how you persevered and got through it. Celebrate it, too! Write out a list that will focus on your solutions and optimism, and that welcomes change, growth, and opportunity. Try to be as open-minded as possible and trust the process when you write out this list. This list will help you with my last tip:
Make a Mantra
In the list you created above with all your super awesome abundant phrases, I invite you to create a mantra for yourself. Create a mantra of maybe 3-5 phrases and repeat those to yourself every day. Go an extra step and say ‘em out loud for good measure. Your mantra might be something like: “I am grateful for all of the abundance in my life; Money comes into my life and surrounds me; I am attracting wonderful friends; New opportunities are at my doorstep every day; I am full of joy and have plenty to be thankful for; I deserve the abundance in my life.”
I hope these tips work as well for you as they do for me. When I find myself slip into a scarcity mindset, I try my best to remember not to judge myself for it. So try to keep that in mind for yourself as well. If you have questions about this or want to learn more, send me an e-mail! If you’re looking to schedule a session to transform your life and mindset, fill out a booking form below ☺ Have an amazing and ABUNDANT day everyone!
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