Overcoming scarcity mindset is one thing that not all of us are expert in. In fact, most of us won’t even know we have it. Here’s what it is.
How To Overcome Scarcity Mindset?
There is an infinite amount of wealth, success, and prosperity in the cosmos, but we’ve been programmed to believe that resources and opportunities are limited, and that abundance is reserved for a select few. I’m here to inform you that’s not true. Abundance is your inheritance, and I’ll show you how to overcome a scarcity attitude and live the joyous and abundant life you deserve.
My Scarcity Mindset
It’s why I have to get at the movie theater at least twenty minutes before the film is scheduled to begin.
That’s why I avoid going to crowded restaurants without a reservation.
And it’s why I’ll back away from crowded rooms without even trying to enter.
It’s also why I’ve spent years outside of the writing community, never attempting to enter. And why I’ve felt jealous when one of my peers succeeds.
It’s the small voice in my head telling me that I’ve already failed before I’ve even begun — the story I’ve been telling myself for far too long. It was my deeply ingrained dread that kept me from doing, doing, or even attempting:
The dread that there will be no place for me.
I’ve always arrived early to dinners and events because I’ve never trusted that any of the movie theaters, restaurants, parking lots, or other venues I visit will still have room for me if I don’t beat the throng.
Related: 33 Daily Affirmations for Depression
On a much bigger scale, I’ve never trusted that if someone else gets a significant book deal, writes a buzzworthy article, or achieves writing success, there will still be room for me to succeed.
It’s like being admitted to an ultra-exclusive club with a limited capacity. My competitors are those in front and behind me in line. The individual who just got in grabbed a vital slot, and the rest of us now have one less spot to contend for.
If you’ve ever had this feeling when it comes to something you really want, let me tell you something:
That Feeling is a Lie
The assumption that there are just so many opportunities for abundance and success?
Lies.
Fear that there won’t be enough room for you to pursue your passions and dreams?
More deception.
I’m here to tell you that you can have all you want and more, and you don’t have to compete with others to have exclusive VIP access to the life of your dreams.
You can overcome the Scarcity Lie and enjoy a life of actual abundance, and I’m here to show you precisely how with three simple and practical habits you can begin right now.
What is the Scarcity Lie?
Before we get into how to overcome a scarcity mindset, let’s take a closer look at the Scarcity Lie.
The Scarcity Lie is the concern that there is only so much room for someone to succeed in their aspirations. It is the assumption that some people have more than others. The Scarcity Lie is built around limits. Instead of attaching ourselves to the marvelous opportunities that show themselves when we set an intention and pursue our aspirations, we attach ourselves to the limitations that keep us from achieving our goals.
The Scarcity Lie is a fear-based belief rather than a love-based conviction.
It’s the dread of not being good enough. Fear of not being worthy of your ambitions. It’s the fear that if you don’t do everything faster and better than everyone else, you’ll miss out on your big opportunity.
And there’s destructive ugliness in this dread that brings out the worst in us as people, because when we succumb to this fear, we’re unconsciously saying that it’s acceptable if someone else is left out as long as we secure our space.
Does Believing the Scarcity Lie Make Us Bad People?
Certainly not.
This dread is strong and often thoroughly instilled in us since infancy, when we were divided into groups based on test scores and fed data about how many people would and would not be admitted to specific programs and institutions. These numbers were convincing proof to us that the seats were limited, and that in order to earn ours, we had to compete and outperform the person next to us.
Humans, I believe, are essentially empathetic and generous, but we’ve been conditioned to compete for a limited number of spaces and taught that there is a finite quantity of abundance in this world. They say, “Every man for himself.” The fittest survive.
But does it have to be this way?
Certainly not.
Our beliefs shape our reality, and the Scarcity Lie persists because we’ve been programmed to believe in boundaries and scarcity. But what happens when we reprogram our thoughts to perceive opportunities rather than limitations? What happens when we establish our authority and declare that there is enough area for us? What happens when we encourage and cheer one another on, understanding that someone else’s achievement has no bearing on our own (and vice versa)?
Then a whole new world of possibilities appears in front of us, and our potential becomes infinite.
Related: Is Procrastination Good For You?
How to Overcome a Scarcity Mindset?
So, let’s look at how to overcome a scarcity mindset and the solutions you may use right away.
Affirmations, Visualization, and Meditation have all helped me to consciously modify old thought patterns about scarcity that were no longer helping me.
Affirmation
Affirmations have tremendous power. I believe in them so much that I’ve made it one of my aims to spread them as far and broad as possible.
So, why am I so enthusiastic about affirmations?
Because one of the main reasons I’m sitting here writing this is that I’ve learned how to incorporate positive affirmations into my daily life. Affirmations assisted me in being consciously aware of my negative thought patterns and gradually shifting them over time as I repeatedly told myself that I am worthy, that I am enough, and that I deserve to have a wonderful and full life.
For years, I didn’t consider myself a writer until I had a published novel. I believed I had to wait until literary agencies and publishing firms decided I was good enough to be a writer.
Every day, I attached a post-it note to the edge of my computer monitor with the words “I am a writer” after I started practicing daily affirmations while still working a full-time office job.
Also, I read those words, again and again, allowing myself to experience the thrill of being a writer until I ultimately followed my intuition and took inspired action to quit my job and fully pursue my writing passion. Yes. I work as a writer. I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Using daily affirmations was a gentle method for me to gradually guide myself to actually believing it.
Using Affirmations to Overcome the Scarcity Lie
I knew I didn’t want to allow my negative thought patterns about shortage to be my truth once I acknowledged them. However, I do not believe in concealing a negative sensation because suppression is a tactic we use out of fear rather than love, and whatever negativity I suppress will eventually emerge to the surface.
I also don’t believe in berating or punishing myself if I realize I’ve been holding a negative belief. I believe in self-compassion and forgiveness. We are all magnificently flawed, and acknowledging our shortcomings only gives us greater strength when we learn to rise above them and speak our truth.
I knew I needed to embrace my experience, and I knew I needed to be patient and compassionate with myself while I worked through this deeply established idea. So I devised a list of affirmations for myself, to be utilized both proactive and reactively. I could repeat these affirmations to myself every morning and night to set myself up for success, and I could also utilize them whenever I felt myself succumbing to the Scarcity Lie.
Here’s a quick overview from Louise Hay of how 5 minutes a day can help you overcome that scarcity lie.
Related: 30 Positive Affirmations for Postpartum Depression and Newborn Baby
Why Affirmations Worked For Me
My deepest concern was that there would be no room for me in the location of my dreams. And because I held to that dread so firmly, it became my truth. Because we build our realities with our ideas, I saw evidence of only lack and scarcity everywhere I went because I believed in scarcity.
But as I overcame my worries and adopted an abundant mindset, my entire world altered. What I saw shifted. My literary career was flourishing. I was getting everything I desired and more.
Because I believed in abundance, I noticed more and more evidence of it sprouting and flowering all around me.
Visualization
When I notice that I’ve gone into old thought patterns, where I’m concerned that there isn’t enough room for me, I envision the highest and most honest version of myself.
- What does the best version of myself resemble?
- How does she treat others?
- What impression does she leave on others?
- What does her aura look like?
- How does she spend her day?
- What will be said about her?
- Here’s my response:
The most compassionate, loving, serene, and giving version of myself exists. She is both compassionate and forceful. She has such faith in the cosmos that she is never concerned about where her journey may lead her. Her motions are fluid and beautiful. And she genuinely cares about others; her presence makes others feel happy.
Visualizing My Best Self
Would the best version of myself rush to the table, maybe leaving others behind? Would she succumb to worry and stress? And would she be so preoccupied with this one outcome that she would cut herself off from other innovative thoughts and inspired opportunities?
All of these questions are answered in the negative.
The best version of myself would never be concerned with being left out. She’d know, without a doubt, that there’s always room for her. She would trust her path and be aligned with the highest form of love at all times.
Furthermore, the best version of myself would look at that table and devise a creative solution so that everyone could sit.
When I imagine the best version of myself, I carry her with me wherever I go. When I start to think badly, I think about her. And the more I identify with this lovely, loving, kind, and caring lady, the more I become her.
Start Visualizing Your Best Version Today
To transcend a scarcity mindset, we must first envision the highest and most true versions of ourselves.
Then we must become that person.
This does not imply that you must always be perfect. It just involves noticing when you’ve gone misaligned and softly returning to your original vision time and over.
- One approach to visualization is to just sit in a peaceful place and begin mentally sketching an image of your ideal self.
- Journaling is another way to accomplish this. In your journal, write out all of the specifics of your vision (or a piece of paper). This is extremely effective when used in the present tense. Instead of saying, “I shall be…” say, “I am…”
Return to these questions as you visualize:
- What does the best version of myself resemble?
- How do I treat others?
- How do I make others feel?
- How would you describe my aura?
- How do I get through my day?
- How will people remember me?
Meditation
It is fine if you do not meditate. Whether you do or do not, this is not a non-negotiable. However, I include it as an option because of how much it has aided me.
There’s a common misconception about meditation that it needs people to stop thinking completely. This illusion is why so many of us dismiss meditation entirely, believing that “not thinking” is impossible. However, the purpose of meditation is not to “stop thinking.” Meditation’s objective is to make you aware of your thoughts. Recognize and observe them objectively. Consider yourself reclining in a field of grass, observing the sky. A cloud passes overhead, and you notice it. You look at the cloud objectively and unemotionally as it passes and thinks, “Oh, there’s a cloud.” Then you let it go, letting it drift away softly and gently.
That cloud represents your thoughts. You become aware of them while meditating. You let them exist without passing judgment. Then you softly and graciously let them drift away.
Related: How To Make Affirmations More Effective?
Types of Meditation
There are many different varieties of meditation, and not all of them are based on these types of mindfulness activities. Visualization meditations are among my favorite sorts of guided meditations. You can employ visualization meditations for a variety of objectives, including seeing your ideal life, which can aid in goal planning.
We can utilize visualization meditations to open ourselves up to an abundance mindset and release any obstacles that may be holding us back when it comes to defeating the Scarcity Lie.
One of my favorite visualization meditations, for example, has been to close my eyes and visualize a magnificent waterfall in front of me. The sun’s rays shine down on this waterfall, bathing it in light. I take a step forward and dip my hand into the water. My palm is covered in gold money, exquisite gems, and anything else I can think of when I draw my hand out. I receive more prosperity every time I put my hand in the waterfall. Increased abundance. And I know in my heart that I will always have access to this richness. It is always present, ready, and waiting for me anytime I need it. I will never be shut off from this abundance unless I want to be. Knowing that I can go about my day with ease, knowing that everything I’m looking for is always there for me.
Meditation and Breathwork
Another meditation approach I’ve tried is to focus on my breath. On any given day, I breathe without much conscious attention. My breath is constantly entering and exiting my body. I don’t have to cling to the last breath, afraid I won’t get another. When I exhale, I instinctively know that all I have to do is inhale to get additional oxygen. Just as I don’t have to cling to every breath in fear of running out, I don’t have to hold to worldly items or anything else in fear of running out. I let go of my grip and trust in my course. I let go of control and simply trusted.
Conclusion
I enjoy rivalry in sports and board games. I believe that competitive sports and family game evenings may provide young people with the opportunity to learn how to handle victory and disappointment with grace and thankfulness.
However, I refuse to view life as a game in which one must be competitive, cunning, and ruthless to get entry to the VIP area of success and prosperity. I refuse to regard my other authors as rivals or to believe that their success will diminish mine. I refuse to wish for someone else’s failure in order to achieve my own success. And I refuse to lose sight of my most noble and compassionate self.
We do not have to view life as a game of odds and probabilities in which only a select few are granted access to an abundant existence. This is an old tale. The old state of mind.
Fortunately, there is a second option: Instead of continuing to allow limited seating at the table, we can expand it.
Instead of imposing a capacity limit on the room of success, we can knock down walls.
And instead of envying someone for obtaining success, we might join in their happiness.
And the largest:
Instead of trying to control every aspect of our individual journeys, we can let go, trust the road ahead of us, follow our intuition, and take inspired action, secure in the knowledge that we will never miss out on what is destined for us.
I no longer believe the outdated tales about scarcity. I do not desire to. It is gratifying to celebrate another’s accomplishment. It feels lovely to love wholeheartedly. And it feels fantastic to believe wholeheartedly that I have complete and unrestricted access to boundless wealth. It feels good to have faith. To believe. To let go.
There’s space for me. Always there will be room for me.
Also, there is space for you. Always there will be room for you.
Now that you’ve learned a few techniques for overcoming a scarcity mindset, the best thing you can do for yourself today is to stop subscribing to someone else’s tale of what is and isn’t possible and to shed the limitations that others have imposed on you. Today.
You have influence over your thinking, and you pick which limitations exist.
