How to think abundantly
Podcast links: iTunes, Stitcher
This week on Barbell Business, we talk about how important it is to have an abundance mindset, versus a scarcity point of view.
As Doug say’s on the show, “It seems like all my favorite people in the world have an abundance mindset, and all the people that I really don’t like that much have a scarcity mindset.” That might sound cut and dry, but it’s quite true. The world is jam-packed and running over with opportunity.
You can do whatever you want in this life, it’s your choice. When you accept that it inevitably makes you happier and more successful in both business and your personal relationships.
So, what’s your mindset?
Remember, our goal is to not fight over pieces of the pie, precisely because there is no pie! In reality, there are millions of desserts everywhere you turn, in every shape, flavor and kind. If you know what you want and your purpose is clear, the buffet is wide open to you.
Once you see that you’ll have absolutely no problem with sharing information openly. After all, your idea is nothing new, right? Someone has had it before, millions of times over, in some variation or another. What you’re actually doing is spreading the good ideas so that more and more people can act upon them and change the world in unique ways. You will draw endless satisfaction from helping to teach others and develop new generations of talent, which is pretty great if you think about it.
In short, you’ll see that one of the great secrets of success is the core realization that it’s not all about you. Once you open up, engage and share, you will find abundant value and love in return.
How do you know if you have a scarcity mindset?
All you have to do is sift through your text messages or Instagram feed. From this point of view, the world focuses on YOU! When things go wrong, your first response is to blame another person or competing group. When things go right, you happily take the credit. You don’t share very much because you’re afraid that somebody might steal value away from you.
When when others find success, you feel as though it’s a judgment against you, as if your own chances are now somehow diminished. Maybe you’ve called someone an Instagram whore, etc.
Have you ever said to yourself, “How come that person gets X, Y, and Z? Man, if I could just [insert excuse] it would be me!” This is otherwise known as the He’s So Lucky Syndrome.
This is fear more than anything else. Some might also call it a victim’s mentality, where everything about the world is bad, dangerous or corrupting, and of course, the clean and honest Self can do no wrong.
There’s only so far you can go in this life with that point of view.
Abundance is the key to everything, really.
Who are you hanging out with?
It can’t be said enough – You’re the average of the company you keep. The people you talk to, the books you read, the podcasts you listen to, everything. Add up the influences and you’ll find out exactly what you are. So your question has to be, “Where is scarcity leaking into my life? What could be anchoring me down?”
We talked about sharing, or being afraid that you’ll lose. If you ever have any doubts about someone in your business or personal life – someone who seems far too consumed with the notion that someone might take something from them – be very cautious. That’s exactly the kind of character that might bring down your abundant view. They also usually do all the taking.
People where their emotions and motives on their sleeves, so to speak. The impression you get is usually a pretty damn good indicator of what’s to come down the road. But that said, you shouldn’t try to remove everyone from your life that carries this mindset.
With family and friends, you rarely want to tell them to, “Fuck off!” right? Right, so instead, just focus on spending time with that person in their element, where they’re most happy and positive.
Don’t keep secrets.
When you do your job and provide value to others, give absolutely everything you can! Go far and beyond. Care. Think about what they need first, and make sure they leave happy. Do that over and over again and you’ll start to notice something amazing – the more you give, the more opportunity and space you’ll have for new ideas and insights. In effect, giving creates a pump that draws bigger, better, new ideas up to the surface.
When you keep secrets and fail to give, you will have EXACTLY what you’ve always had. You will be anchored and stuck with more and more of the same thing until your clock runs out and the chances at abundance really are lost forever.
You don’t have to be ruled by fear and uncertainty. You don’t have to fret over money, in and of itself it carries no real value. It’s meaningless. And you certainly don’t need to worry about keeping secrets. As soon you stop working against yourself and instead focus on helping others, that’s exactly when your circumstances will change forever.
Whenever there is doubt, work harder to provide more value to others. Go fix someone’s problem.
Be inspired to be better.
Whenever you see someone crushing it and doing well, take note. Study what they’ve done, find out what they’ve read and how they’ve worked. Then, get right back to creating value, only do it better!
Study your strengths, as well as the strengths of others. Be inspired. Accept ideas from others, only make them your own. Do the job better. Solve the problem quicker, while you put people at greater ease.
That brings us to an interesting point about abundance. You can be inspired. You can help others who share your goals and vision because that means everyone stands a better chance, right? But that doesn’t mean you can’t compete.
Don’t get it twisted – It’s ok if you want to win. In fact, that’s the drive that will keep you competitive and progressing in time. The folks’ that held on tight to their secrets? …They always get left behind as the world changes.
The powerful point of view.
Whenever you feel resistance to an idea you should be reminded to open back up and observe carefully.
A great example is marketing. Many people have strong opinions about self-promotion, selling and what not. They might be tremendous coaches, teachers or artists, but their overall attitude towards proven, effective business ideas is one of resistance and rejection. That won’t do at all!
In times like these, go back to the mindset and change it. Do you feel awkward about selling yourself and your services? Do you feel that marketing and business can be a sleazy thing? Well, it certainly can be. We talked about that. But that’s a choice. You can just as easily choose to keep your focus on the value you create. From within that context, marketing is no longer a way to make money (remember, that’s not where the value is). It’s actually a tool you can use to help more people.
That’s a powerful view indeed.
Always seek opportunities to learn and share.
For more great business information, make sure to visit BarbellBusiness.com and sign up for the newsletter. We’ll keep you informed about some awesome events we’ve got planned this year.
Until then, think abundantly!
Cheers,
5 Responses to “How to think abundantly”
Great article and a great podcast! It really was a kick in the nuts, as I saw myself a lot when they were talking about the scarcity mindset, which is not how I think of myself at all, nor how I want to project myself (though probably due, now that I think about it). So aside from “Conscious Capitalism” that they discussed, what other books, podcasts, etc, would you all recommend to try to cultivate this mindset.
Always improving,
Gabriel
Read Andrew Carnegie, Dale Carnegie, Peter Drucker, Napoleon Hill. I think Time Ferriss is great. He packages ideas in a way that pull you up into bigger ideas from other authors. He’s also a fucking marketing genius. Peter H. Diamandis is an all around genius. That should get you going.
Excellent! My Audible library is updated and I’m ready to rock. I’ve read Dale Carnegie and crushed Tim’s book after y’alls podcast. Been meaning to look into “BOLD”; Diamandis was on the Rich Dad, Poor Dad podcast a few weeks ago and he blew my mind.
Thanks for your suggestions and your time,
Gabriel
this was exactly what I needed to read today !
Glad to hear, Gabriel. Cheers,