“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears” says Tony Robbins. But I’m not so sure I agree…

Hey friend, “Abundance” is sort of a buzzword these days, in terms of having a mindset of abundance as opposed to scarcity. It makes so much sense… in theory.

An abundance mindset is one grounded in the belief that there is more than enough for everyone, and there is always more coming.

A scarcity mindset is one where there is “never enough,” and it leaves us stressed out and scared of what’s to come. “There’s not enough time, money, opportunities, success, things, etc.”

If you feel you’re stuck in your own mindset of scarcity, you aren’t alone. Most of us are conditioned in childhood to have this mindset, unintentionally and unconsciously.

It is no one’s fault, but it is our responsibility to explore and work on it now.

Many “experts,” coming from backgrounds ranging from psychology, to personal growth and habit building, to spirituality, explain that an abundance mindset will set you free, and a scarcity mindset will keep you stuck.

Again, in theory this is all great and makes sense. And if we could all have an abundance mindset and it were that easy, then I think we all would.

But it’s not so easy…

These experts tell us to “take more risks” and not to be afraid to get uncomfortable. They tell us to think positive and “trust” that more is coming.

But rarely do they talk about HOW to do these things.

HOW do I get uncomfortable, or even know what to do? What can we do to start thinking positive, when we have been conditioned to think negatively? How can we trust blindly when we have no reason to believe?

Some experts recommend affirmations (but you already know I’m not a fan of those), and some talk about a gratitude practice (which you know I am a HUGE fan of)—but I don’t believe gratitude and affirmations really shift our mindset away from scarcity and into abundance.

While gratitude is a great practice, some people get caught in the “shoulds” that keep them dwelling on the negative. When a gratitude practice looks like “I should be grateful for my job” or “I should be grateful for my health,” it might be worth taking a step back. “Should” implies judgment, not compassion or gratitude.

I have practiced gratitude for the last 5 years or so, and only in the last year have I started thinking about my own issues with a scarcity mindset—thus, gratitude is not the antidote to scarcity. At least not for everyone.

An abundance mindset has not been easy for me to achieve, and has required a great deal of intention.

It has required more than “taking risks” or “letting go” or “trusting.” It is truly a whole other practice in itself.

Here’s my practice, that I admittedly heard in passing from one of Brooke Castillo’s podcasts and haven’t ever forgotten: Practice having what you want.

Gratitude is a practice where I acknowledge things, people and experiences in my life that I am grateful for—big or small.

My Abundance Practice looks a bit different.

The cue for Abundance would be “I want __________, and I have it.”

In addition to my gratitude and appreciation practices every day, I have been practicing this every day for the last few months as well.

Similar to gratitude, where you do write down things big or small that you are grateful for, there is no “right or wrong” for how you fill in the blank for your abundance practice.

Some of my abundance practice from the last few entries looks like this:

  • I want a dog who loves me so much, and I have her.
  • I want gym equipment to workout at home, and I have it.
  • I want a consistent meditation practice, and I have one.
  • I want a fenced in yard where I can play with my dog, and I have it.
  • I want a washer/dryer that I don’t have to share with anyone, and I have one.
  • I want a job where I can determine my schedule, and I have it.
  • I want air conditioning in my bedroom, and I have it.
  • I want a partner who loves me, listens to me, and shares with me, and I have him.

Big or small, these are all things that I haven’t always had, but wanted at some point; I now have them and am grateful for them—but acknowledging that now that I have them, and I STILL want them, is essential to shifting from a mindset of scarcity to a mindset of abundance.

We always want MORE.

We are conditioned to want more because we think we NEED more.

There is nothing wrong with us because of this, but if we can stop to not only acknowledge what we have right now, but what we have now AND what we still want to have (rather than thinking about the next thing we are waiting for)—we can take our gratitude practice to the next level.

We give our minds the opportunity to relax into all we have instead of stressing about what we don’t. And when we do that every single day, it gets easier.

With this inclusion in my daily practices, I have seriously noticed my mindset shifting. “Abundance” is feeling more natural, and less forced. This practice was not easy for me at first. It was challenging, and some days it still is very tough.

But that is the discomfort that I know is serving me.

Brene Brown says “For me, the opposite of scarcity is not abundance. It’s enough. I’m enough. My kids are enough.” Practicing wanting what you have is practicing the feeling of having enough.

I encourage you to try this practice out on your own.

Fill in the blank:

“I want __________, and I have it.”

I even made a printable that you can download for free to try out the practices of gratitude, appreciation and abundance in one easy place! If you struggle with a scarcity mindset, this is an actionable practice that you can incorporate every day that just takes a minute. I hope this tool can help you as much as it has me!

Sending light and love your way,
Alyssia

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