What if you knew there would always be enough? Enough friendship and romance out there for everyone, enough job opportunities, enough time to do all the things you love一enough happiness, success, and wealth to go around. Would you live any differently than you do today?
Whether or not you believe in “enough” is at the core of the Abundance Mentality, a concept developed by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
“The Abundance Mentality,” he writes, “flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making.”
While initially defined in a business context, this mindset can apply to any area of life. It focuses our attention on everything we already have and all the possibility that exists in the world.
Most people, according to Covey, are trapped in the Scarcity Mentality, viewing the world “as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.” This mindset makes it difficult to share recognition, power, or happiness with others because we feel that their gains are always our losses and we worry that there isn’t enough to go around.
Why is having an Abundance Mentality important?
For starters, a mindset of abundance helps us focus on the long term, putting any setbacks we experience into perspective. When we believe that there are plenty of opportunities and resources out there, one missed shot isn’t the end of the world.
Stumbled through a job interview? There are still numerous other companies looking to hire and you’ll find something eventually. Plus, heading into the next interview with this mindset can help you stay calm and confident.
Or maybe you went on a terrible date? It’s disappointing but not the downfall of your love life. The world is full of incredible people who you could have meaningful connections with一it just takes some time to find the right ones.
Similarly, an Abundance Mentality can give us the freedom to walk away from a bad situation一maybe that job didn’t end up for you or a great first date turned into a unhealthy relationship. Because we trust that there is enough of what we need out there, we’ll be willing to go look for it rather than remaining in a bad situation.
Additionally, seeing the world as plentiful lets us celebrate others’ success and share in their happiness rather than getting wrapped up in jealousy. Through a scarcity lense, it can look like someone else getting what they want means there’s less leftover for us. But in reality this is rarely the case and another’s success doesn’t make you a failure.
Someone else getting recognized doesn’t mean that people don’t respect and appreciate you too. A friend getting married is no impediment to you finding love. There’s enough for everyone, including you.
A Scarcity Mentality, on the other hand, can make us stingy with success and resentful when things go well for others. It can also fuel major fear of missing out: if someone else is having fun at a cool event, we must not be having enough fun. What if we never get the chance to have as much fun as they are? What if all the opportunities for fun are being snatched up by other people in other places?
Scarcity also magnifies each setback we experience because, when we see opportunity as extremely limited, we can’t afford to mess it up. Every chance seems like our only chance, so the anxiety and pressure we put on ourselves explodes.
How can you create an Abundance Mentality?
One step is to keep an eye out for win-win situations rather than approaching life as if it were a zero-sum game. You might be surprised by how often success can be shared. If a friend just broke into a field you’ve been pining after, do they have tips or connections that can help you succeed as well? If your sibling recently discovered a new passion, does their happiness spill over in every interaction, making your day a little brighter too?
Additionally, try giving away something you want more of一whether that’s time, money, kindness, or respect. Through the process of backward-rationalization, this can convince our minds that we actually have plenty. Why else would we be giving it away? Research published in SAGE journals found that people who spend time on others (such as through volunteer work) have higher perceptions of time affluence than those who waste time, spend time on themselves, or are even given free time. As the title of the study proclaims, “Giving Time Gets You Time”.
Finally, we can create an Abundance Mentality simply by shifting our attention to everything we are and everything we do have. Reflect on all the ways in which you have more than enough and look for the gains in every loss. Even if things went wrong, did you make a new friend or learn a valuable lesson? Habits like keeping a gratitude journal or having more positive conversations can help us remember to notice abundance.
By doing so, we enable ourselves to see the potential surrounding us and to take a big picture view rather than getting caught up in small missteps or loses. We’ll also be better able to support and celebrate others because we won’t see them as competition for a limited supply of resources.
Ultimately, the Abundance Mentality is about trusting that there is enough out though for all of us, including you. The life trainer Scott Epp breaks down this mindset into three core beliefs:
You are more than enough.
You have more than enough.
And more than enough is coming to you in the future.