There is a natural law of abundance which
Pervades the entire universe, but it will not flow
Through a doorway of belief in lack and limitation
– Paul Zaiter
I discovered the above quote about abundant living from Lynn Twist’s book, “The Soul of Money.” Given the spirit of scarcity in the air right now, it seemed like a good time to talk about how to get into the spirit of abundance!
Most people get sucked into the quicksand of scarcity at some point or another. As an entrepreneur, I’ve certainly felt it at points. It’s especially hard to avoid at times like these, when so many forums are focused on negative emotions. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Ready to shift your mindset? Keep reading for tips to move your thinking from a place of scarcity into abundance.
Abundant Living Tip #1: Focus On What You Do Have
It’s easy to dwell on what you don’t have. But where does that get you? Not only is it unproductive, but it can actively hold you back in your life and career.
That’s why the first step to live from abundance is to focus — really focus — on what you do have.
Here’s an exercise that I like to do when my thinking starts to gravitate towards scarcity:
List 10 things that you receive or have each day.
Here are just a few examples:
Your home.
Loved ones.
A good conversation with a friend.
Freedom.
Food in your fridge.
The coffee shop nearby.
Ice cream!
A stable internet connection.
Can you list more than 10? Yes! Keep going as long as you’d like.
The more you put on your list the more you will become present to all you DO have. While writing down the things you’re grateful for when you’re feeling down is a great way to pull yourself out of the rut of scarcity, doing this exercise every day will pay off in the long run when you realize it’s been 3, 4, or 6 months since you’ve even felt the feeling of scarcity rearing its ugly head!
Abundant Living Tip #2: Make This Your Mantra: “I Have Enough.”
In her aforementioned book, Twist suggests that we often succumb to the mantra of “not enough.”
Before our feet hit the floor, our first thoughts are “I didn’t have enough sleep,” followed by, “I don’t have enough time.” She says that whether these thoughts are true or not, they occur to us automatically — before we can question or examine them.
The opposite can be true with a little bit of discipline.
Try to catch yourself in these moments. Start to fill your brain with the people, places, or things you experience “enough” of. For instance, when you feel full after a delicious meal, acknowledge it. Think about all of the people who do return your calls. Or when the train or bus arrives right when you step on the platform.
Pretty soon you’ll be automatically thinking about how easy it is to be grateful for all the positive things in your life.
Abundant Living Tip #3: Be Generous
Generosity isn’t just about money. It can be about giving your smile, compliments — even your time.
What you appreciate will appreciate you back, so look for ways to be generous. Thank everyone. The bus driver who deals with traffic all day. The waiter who steers you away from a particular dish. Hold the door open for someone. Try to “pay it forward” — give your barista an extra $10 and tell them to apply it to the next person’s order. Talk to the shy person in your office. Call a friend or family member to tell them how much you appreciate them.
Being generous isn’t expensive. Generosity requires little or no money — but it can make you feel like a million bucks.
You’re Only as Abundant as Your State of Mind
According to Twist, “We spend most of the hours and the days of our lives, hearing, explaining, complaining, or worrying about what we don’t have enough of. It has become a kind of default setting. It becomes the reason we can’t have what we want or be who we want to be.”
But it doesn’t need to be that way. These three tips can help you take yourself out of that default setting. When practiced regularly, your new default setting will shift. Before long, you’ll feel like the richest person in the world.
What makes you feel abundant? Leave a comment — I love hearing from you!
