The Abundance Mindset is The Antidote of The Scarcity Mindset

Last year, I wrote about Intersectional Living and the Abundance Mindset. As life and the world we live in evolve, my understanding and my practice of the Abundance Mindset do, too. In fact, it has expanded and deepened in multiple ways.

by Zhou Fang, Intersectional Group

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In my last article on the abundance mindset, I mainly focused on the material, tangible world. In other words, the physical, earthy world where abundance is commonly associated with wealth, assets, things, needs, and wants. In this article, I will attempt to go beyond the material world, explain why the abundance mindset is the antidote of the scarcity mindset, and how to practice the abundance mindset in an intangible, or a spiritual way. Don’t get intimidated by the set-up of the article, everything shared here is comprehensive and hands-on. The only requirement is an open mind, a willingness to practice with consistency, and self-love.

The Scarcity Mindset is one of the most influential, insidious, and stubborn products of Capitalism and Individualism. It is essentially everywhere. It may show up like this: “I just got a raise, but my coworker who does the same job as me didn’t. Do I want to share the information with them? I don’t want to rock the boat and jeopardize my job. I’d better not say a thing.” Or, it may show up like this: “I made a mistake and hurt my friend. I know it made an impact on them. While it wasn’t my intention, the impact was done. Do I want to apologize and amend our relationship? I don’t want to admit that I did something wrong. So I say nothing and pretend everything is fine.” Or, it may show up like this: “I would love to have help with this challenging project. But I am too proud to admit that I can’t solve this problem on my own. It is embarrassing. I will stay quiet and try to figure it out myself even though it is taking so much time.”

The Scarcity Mindset is not always associated with “things”. It is called a mindset because it is about “how we view and navigate the world”. The common words/phrases that are adjacent to scarcity are: scarce, fear, fearful, not enough, take-more-give-less, avoidance, conflict avert, ultra individualistic/individualism, competition, isolation, self-made, alone, zero-sum-game, etc.

Few of us are immune to the scarcity mindset. I am certainly not immune to it. The purpose of this article here is not to shame or judge ourselves because we operate on the scarcity mindset. The purpose of the article is to invite and encourage us to explore and practice The Abundance Mindset.

What is The Abundance Mindset, in both tangible and intangible senses?

It is easy to understand the abundance mindset in a more tangible sense: having enough to feed self and family, being able to afford a comfortable life, having a roof over head, having money in the bank, being able to see a doctor when needed, being able to afford education, having assets for retirement, having the opportunity to travel, being able to donate or contribute to society, etc.

It is a little harder to comprehend the abundance mindset in an intangible sense, which is the way of thinking and the way of living. As illustrated above, when we operate on a scarcity mindset, fear, oftentimes, is what stops us from being open and courageous. “Woo, should I say it or not? What if it backfired?” “Oh, should I admit that I made a mistake? Will they forgive me?” “Ah, I really don’t want to admit that I don’t know what to do here. My ego will be hurt.”

The what-ifs keep us from living and thriving with the abundance mindset. In the English language, “could have” “would have” “should have” often stop us from “being present” and “just be”.

So what if we told our coworker that we got a raise but they didn’t? We would be helping a fellow human being get treated fairly and equitably. So what if we admitted to our friend that we made a mistake? We would have the opportunity to mend our friendship and even strengthen it. So what if we confessed that we needed help with the project? We would have the opportunity to receive help, solve a problem, and create something beautiful, even make a friend.

The other side of scarcity is abundance. The common words/phrases that are associated with the abundance mindset are: enough, ample, fluent, open-minded, being courageous, accept/acceptance, being present, in the moment, growth-mindset, possibility, prosperity, give/contribute, embracing the unknown, now, being in the moment, trust the process, togetherness, community, collective/collectivism, sustainability, etc.

The Abundance Mindset isn’t wishful thinking, we need to be clear about that. The Abundance Mindset is a practice that can start with individuals based on our personal and collective experiences. It requires empathy, reasoning, making decisions based on the current situation, as well as a willingness to try and experiment. It is also rooted in one’s value system. Of course, a person’s value system can be the reflection of the scarcity mindset. To change that, it requires compassion, curiosity, patience, and the ability to speak one’s language, as well as a willingness to let go. If one’s system isn’t entirely based in the scarcity mindset, then we need to understand what part of the system can resonate with the abundance mindset. The abundance mindset is warmth and love. Once we experience warmth and love, it would be difficult to go back to the cold and dark, which is the scarcity mindset.

Now, let’s not assume the practice of the Abundance Mindset is easy. It is not easy. It requires critical thinking, empathy, making choices over and over, as well as choosing warmth and love. Every time I am inclined to make a scarcity mindset oriented decision, I ask myself, “Is that what you really want to do? What is your guiding light?”

The Abundance Mindset requires a willingness, consistency, reflection, love and self-love, and compassion. It is not easy to “get it”. But when we do? Oh, is it worth it. It is truly the antidote of the Scarcity Mindset, which has incarcerated us for way too long.

Liberation does not have one singular answer. One of them is the Abundance Mindset. To be freed from scarcity and fear, we ought to practice abundance, compassion, love, and self-love.

A bee resting on a purple flower. The bee is in focus, so is the flower. Photo Credit: Darren Shepard.

lovingly,

Zhou Fang (方舟)