The Power of an Abundance Mindset
Glen / 
26 Comments / 
August 27th, 2008 / 
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Having an abundance mindset is one of the key principles in order to lead a more fulfilling and realistic life. I say realistic because most people go through life in a scarcity mindset, they feel that there isn’t enough of a certain possession or goal to go around so they give up hope.
In reality, there is a total abundance of all the things we crave if we look in the right places so with this post I want to look into the power of abundance and why this mindset could completely change your life.
What is an Abundance Mindset
The knowing of living in abundance is an excellent mentality to have, besides the fact that it is true; it can also unlock the door to seeing the world from a completely different and rewarding perspective. Abundance, the opposite of scarcity, applies to many things that at times we think are rare or there are little of them, some examples include:
- Attractive men / women
- Jobs
- Opportunities in life
- Money
Think about the following scenario. John is an average looking guy and is going on a blind date with a girl named Suzie. It’s been a while since he dated so he gets dressed up, changes his socks and even buys some new shoes. The date doesn’t go so well, John actually really likes Suzie but it doesn’t seem like she was too interested in him and she decides it’s best if they don’t meet again. Suzie goes home and doesn’t even think about the event that night.
John, on the other hand, is distraught. He spent all this money on shoes, put all the effort in, paid Suzie loads of compliments and even paid the bill so that she would like him. He thinks that as it’s been so long since he had a date he has no chance of getting another one soon and sees Suzie as a missed opportunity, hence his negative emotions afterwards.
The reason for John’s negative emotions is actually though a scarcity mindset, let’s look at things more closely:
| John | Suzie |
| Cares a lot about the outcome of the date | Will be happy if the blind date turns out well, but isn’t overly bothered |
| See’s Suzie as a last hope | Understands there are millions of men out there |
| Puts a lot of importance on the meeting | Sees it as another opportunity |
In reality, there are millions of women out there for John. It’s not that he doesn’t know this, it’s just that he’s so focused on the situation with Suzie that he can’t zoom out and see the bigger picture. Because he thinks he has messed things up and has blown his opportunity, he gets very depressed and might even think the world is ‘out to get him’.
Benefits of an Abundance mentality
Having an abundance mentality is not something that is unrealistic. There literally are partners to be met, money to be made and jobs to be had and if you zoom out to see the bigger picture you will notice this as well.
To start seeing life through a more abundant lens, you just simply have to zoom out and see the bigger picture. There are billions of people on this planet so there is always going to be a partner for you. There are trillions of dollars out there so there is money to be made and there are millions of jobs out there and one that will be perfect for you. Whatever it is you are viewing through a scarcity mindset, zoom out.
There are some other benefits to an abundance mindset which include:
1. Willingness to fail
If you have an abundance mindset you are more likely to go out and try things. You are fine to try for a job you like because if you don’t get it then it’s OK because there are lots more to go for. The same is if you see an attractive woman at a bar and go and talk to her, if you aren’t willing to fail then you are probably going to be too scared in the first place.
Your willingness to fail allows you to push for more things in life and try things that would have scared you previously because if things don’t go right, you can keep trying. Your willingness to fail gives you the willingness to go for things, and if you are going for what you want in life, with enough patience and effort you can’t go far wrong.
2. Continue to work towards your goals
If you think you only have a few opportunities to succeed at something, then it’s no surprise that it is easy for you to give up hope. I recently heard of a woman who published her first book at the age of 80 and sold thousands if not millions of copies. Do you think that she would have been able to finish it if she had the scarcity mindset or self limiting beliefs such as not having a chance of success or being too old?
An abundance mindset allows you to keep working on your goals and actually being able to achieve them because you know it is possible and you know it can be done. If you don’t believe you have the chance to succeed then where is your motivation going to come from? See things through the lens of abundance and start to realise your true potential.
3. Less attachment and negative emotions
In the case of John, he became very depressed because he really wanted a girlfriend and saw Suzie as a last chance so-to-speak. The reason for his depression is that he was attached to the outcome of things going well, and because they didn’t he thinks he’s lost his chance of getting a girlfriend. Having less attachment in our lives can lead to a lot less negativity due to the fact that we can move on and know there is more out there, examples include:
- Not worrying about a bad job interview as there are more to have
- Not worrying if a date goes bad because there are more women out there
- Not worrying if an idea fails because you have more to try
Now if you are attached on your idea becoming successful or your interview to go well, and they don’t, then it’s obvious to see why this can lead to depression, anger and disappointment. This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t try your hardest and hope for the best, but sometimes we care too much about things that we can’t control.
When are you going to start living life with an abundance mindset?
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I have seen and heard about the “Abundance Mindset” before but had not gone into details about it. Your post was informative and inspiring.
Thanks
Shamelle
Glad you enjoyed and learned from this one Shamelle, thank you!
Glen,
You have a very good blog here.
Keep up the good work.
That’s very kind of you, thanks!
Yeah..this is definitely getting Stumbled! Great, great post. I have always had an abundance mindset, and have not understood friends & family who had a scarcity mindset. This sums up the differences and allows me to see both perspectives, which I did not see before. That is a sign of excellent writing.
http://yinvsyang.com/
Thanks a lot Peter, your words (and actions) are greatly appreciated!
I think I had an abundance mindset when I was a zygote.
I really like the idea of zooming out to see the big picture. Too often we (I) tend to focus on the task at hand, and not look at it with a broader scope. I’m getting better at this, but the idea of zooming out is new, and one I intend to explore.
There is plenty to go around for everyone, and if we don’t get what we want now (or thought we wanted) we move on. Try something different. And look at the big picture. Thanks, great article Glen!
Exactly! There is plenty to go around for everyone, sometimes we get stuck into thinking that is not the case as we are so wrapped up in our own little problems
Thanks for your comment Lance, much appreciated.
Another great post Glen! Even before I really had a positive attitude in life but I was kind of living in scarcity in terms of generating ideas but after listening to Rhonda Byrne’s ‘The Secret’ I realized that there is more than enough for everyone. Having an abundance mindset definitely will make wonders to your life. Keep the positivity flowing.
Thanks Raymond, you already appear to have an excellent attitude. I’ve seen the first 30 minutes of The Secret (although I know it’s based around the Law of Attraction) so I can see where your abundance through that may come from.
Great stuff, thanks for the comment!
That was a nice primer on abundance vs. scarcity mentality.
I’d love to read your take on how to go from scarcity to abundance.
ari
It’s quite simple ari, zoom out. It’s a bit like asking someone how to be present, a question I know you could answer.
In reality, we all know there is an abundance of everything from women, money, and jobs to opportunities, cars and happiness.
The best way to get to this mindset is to know you are coming from a scarcity mindset in the first place, and then you can adapt and grow. For example, it may take you up until you have 10 women to choose from until you realise you shouldn’t just be caring about any single one of them.
Abundance is a reality, there is nothing to go to or from, it’s simply taking a realistic focus and zooming out of our perceived reality.
Hope that makes sense
Cheers,
Glen
Hey Glen,
I’m a newbie here but I just wanted to say this blog post was great. I really needed a little clarity this week and I got it from this…Thanks!
PS: I too was going to bring up the Secret. If you haven’t watched the whole thing, I suggest you do. It’s totally something you would appreciate.
-Caitlyn
Thanks so much Caitlyn, always great to see new readers stopping by
Hey,
I would just like to say I found this post really interesting, and it’s really inspiring in a sense too.
From reading it, I have realised how much of a scarcity mindset I have, and although I can see the benefits of getting into an abundance mindset, it seems like it would be really hard.
I won’t lie, I am quite the pessimist and I realise that now and maybe that is my problem, just not sure how I could change. Whenever I get down, my friends always give positive advice that would represent this abundance mindset, just sometimes, no matter how much advice, it seems so hard to step back and see the bigger picture.
I really do want to get into this frame of mind, and I guess all I can do is try my best, but thanks for the article, really helpful read and helps me to see things from a different perspective.
Howie.
In all honesty Howie, i didn’t start to develop an abundance mindset until I let the country I was in and made a radical change in my life. I’m sure before I left I would have settled down with the first girl I was in a serious relationship with or believed that financial abundance wasn’t for everyone.
One thing that really helped me was looking at the facts.
– Fact: There are billions of women out there
– Fact: There are zillions of dollars and millions of ways to earn money
– Fact: Happiness is right here, right now. Waiting for you. All you have to do is let go.
Good luck on your journey, your realisation is the most important step, and you already have that down.
Cheers,
Glen
Hey Glen,
Great post and site. I’ve been trying to incorporate this abundance mindset in my life for some time now but sometimes I get overwhelmed by the abundance. For example, if I’m with a woman I’ll find myself thinking about the other billions women in the world and even if I enjoy her company what if there is somebody better out there. I suspect you’ll say something like I’m not in the moment, but I’m curious what your take on this is.
thanks,
Nate
Ha ha ha! @ Nate’s query!
I have wondered the same too about such men who are never able to relax in any relationship, ‘coz they keep wondering “What if the next girl I meet is better?” LOL!
Coming back to your post… I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. In fact, I like the way you have linked internally to your older posts. I have been reading random stuff on your blog for like 35 minutes now. Posts on Meditation, Beginners’ Guide to it, You are Enough… etc. Have read this kind of stuff earlier too, but really like the way you have compiled it all together in one place… and in such simple words too. The way you have written all this… makes it easier to understand, relate to and follow.
I guess I’ll be spending some more time on your blog in the near future. Wish you had an expanded archives section too though, where we could see the titles of all your posts in a particular month… makes it so much easier to surf through… to look for relevant guidance one might need at any given point of time in their life.
Totally loved your blog by the way. Cheers.
Having an abundance mindset is a key tenant to my life. If I didn’t have this mindset, I would have half the motivation I do. Great explanation and use of examples! Superb post Glen.