Turning Scarcity Thinking into Abundance
Thinking: Hurricane Katrina’s Lesson for the Rest of Us
The devastation that has rocked the Gulf Coast recently is almost
unimaginable, isn’t it? I know these are extraordinary
circumstances, but the looting that has been taking place has made
me think about why some people take whatever they want and why
some people only take what they need.
It seems that those who come from a place of scarcity take
whatever they want, perhaps in spite of what they need. But those
who come from a place of abundance in their hearts and minds take
only what they need. As a coach who helps solo service
professionals attract an abundance of clients, I encounter
scarcity thinking quite a bit. (I had to tackle that monster
myself at one point!) A catastrophe like Katrina can shift our
thinking almost immediately from being afraid of never having
enough to being overwhelmingly grateful for what we do have. I'm
sure many of you can tick off thanks for your health, your loved
ones, your home, and your full pantry, at the very least.
What scarcity thinking does to us:
Scarcity thinking makes us hoard. For example, do you “save”
certain clothes to wear for special occasions only? Yet by the
time you decide that the occasion is “good enough” to wear it,
it’s either out of style or doesn’t fit or is in some other
state that makes it no longer wearable? Why don’t you just pull
it out and enjoy it now? Because there’s that little voice that
says you might not have something to replace this one if you
spilled something on it, or it got torn or damaged in another way,
right?
Scarcity thinking stops us from giving. And not giving puts a
plug in all that the universe wants to send our way. One of the
mantras in the Client Abundance coaching programs is “Giver’s
Get.” In other words, the more you give - of your time, your
skills, your compassion, your help and support, and yes, your
money - the more you get back. It may not always take the same
form, but it’s true…the more you give, the more you get.
For example, several years ago there was a family in our
community who lost everything to a house fire. I didn’t know
them and things were tight for us at the time, but I wrote them a
small check and a note with my prayers. A few weeks later, I
received a project that was three times the fees I had ever
received to date.
What abundance thinking does for us:
And this is what abundance thinking does for us. It opens up
possibilities and opportunities that would never have be able to
make themselves known to us if we weren’t open to receiving
them, open to the concept that there is enough for everyone, and
that we are good enough to not only deserve abundance, but to
desire it as well!
The best part of the ‘givers get’ belief is that you don’t
even have to believe it for it to happen in your own life.
Now think about what you would do if you found yourself in
similar circumstances as Hurricane Katrina has ravaged on so many
people. Would you take just what you need? Would you lend whatever
you had left to help another? Would you seek to repay whatever it
is that you “borrowed” in some other way? Recognize if your
thinking comes from a place of not having enough already, or from
knowing that there is always more than enough.
Right now, decide to live life with abundance thinking and
action. Complete the following exercises and watch abundance flow
your way:
1. What is one action you could take to move from scarcity
thinking to abundance thinking?
2. Do you need a physical reminder to change your thinking? A
rubber band on your wrist that you snap each time you find
yourself falling into scarcity thinking can do wonders in a very
short amount of time!
3. Repeat every morning and every night – with feeling!: I
embrace abundance and abundance embraces me.
Do you feel a shift in your thinking already? Good! Now, is
there something - money, blood, time, clothing - that you could
give to the relief effort that may feel uncomfortable as you make
this shift in thinking but you know would feel great once you did
so? Commit today to one thing and just do it. I promise that it
will come back to you in ways you can't even imagine.
|
