Abundance vs scarcity - a mindset adjustment
I'm writing this with a fat cat purring in my lap and doing her best to keep me from typing, and mosquitoes feasting on my feet, because for some reason their favorite hangout joint in the house is in my writing loft. Swatting at mosquitoes with a cat in your lap and a coffee mug in one hand is a dangerous proposition, not for the faint of heart.
But here's the thing. I have a cat. I have coffee (thank all of the mercies). I have a laptop. I have a writing desk. I even have working internet this morning. And you are reading what I'm writing. Which is an abundance of awesomely good things to have before five o'clock in the morning.
In a different mindset, I could say this instead: I didn't sleep particularly well and there are freaking mosquito bites all over my feet. This damned cat will not lie down and let me work. I'm tired. This coffee mug is too small. I wish I had more visitors to my website. Did I mention the mosquitoes?
See the difference? The first version of my morning, the one I adhere to, makes me feel inspired and motivated. If I go into my day that way, I'm going to run into opportunities. If a fun little synchronicity of connection or possibility floats across my path, I'm likely to notice it and pay attention. I'll meet people who inspire me. I'll be brave enough to do something I'm scared to do. I'll create things.
If I live by the reality I create with the negative version of my morning, I'm going to go out into this day shut down and grumpy. I'm going to ask myself why I bother to do what I do, anyway. I'm going to tell myself that everything is hard and nobody loves me. I'll feel picked on and shut out. The people I meet are going to be nasty and bitter and I'll totally miss all of the little opportunities and synchronicities that might flit by because I won't believe in them.
Does this make sense to you? The idea is that when we focus on what we already have, approaching life with the idea that we have plenty and there is plenty out there, we are going to be happier, more productive, and grow what we've already planted.
If, on the other hand, we approach life from the scarcity view point, then we're always and forever striving, straining, scraping the bottom of the barrel and coming up empty.
Maybe you've heard about the whole "Cocky" nonsense in the publishing world right now. The short of it is that an author has trademarked the word "cocky" because it exists in all of the titles of her romance series. She has notified other authors who have books with this word in the title, that they must now all take down their books because she has the sole legal rights to this word.
Her behavior is an extreme example of scarcity, growing out of a belief that there are not enough readers to go around. What if she were to embrace collaboration instead? What if she approached all of those other authors and said, "Hey! We all have the word cocky in our titles. I wonder if there's some group marketing we could do that would help all of us?"
So here's the challenge.
1. Find a place in your life where you're feeling that you don't have enough. For me, this week, it's time.
2. Ask yourself where in your life this already exists. I'll be framing this question as, "Where do I already have enough time?"
3. Bring yourself over and over back to a sense of blessing and abundance for whatever bit you already have. For example, if you're lacking a partner, you might look at who is already in your life that loves you. If you need a job, you can focus on the skills you have, or that you have a resume ready, or jobs you've had in the past.
If you engage in the challenge, I'd love to hear how it goes for you!