Living with Scarcity...
Have you ever noticed that we unknowingly live in a world of scarcity? Hard to believe that living in Fairfield County, scarcity is a part of our daily culture, but it most certainly is. If you look at our language and our monkey minds, you will soon start to notice how often you’re using scarcity tactics each day. For example, how often are you talking about (really complaining about): “not having enough time in the day” or if only “there was another hour” or “I can’t do everything on my list” or “I can’t get enough sleep” or “I can’t make time for xyz” or ‘I have no energy” or “I’m losing my patience” or “I can’t afford that new car, or house or rent or boots” or “I can’t pay off my credit card bill”. All of these thoughts and words come from a place of scarcity in us. This idea that we believe we do not have enough and there isn’t enough to go around. These words and thoughts may seem like mundane, run-of-the-mill typical chatter, but speaking and living from a scarce place actually holds us back. It is a self-limiting belief. It is a subconscious block. It is keeping us from achieving greater moments in life.
I’ve been doing a lot of self-work on personal blocks and one of mine is around finances. I have a fear of not being able to pay employees, not affording my rent, not being able to pay insurances, etc. I constantly worry about the financial status of my business. I was losing sleep over it for months, maybe years. Eeks! I was living in a constant state of scarcity. I believed there was not enough and therefore the struggle was real. I was fulfilling my own beliefs.
The moment I stepped back and took a reality check and realized I’ve never not paid my rent or my employees or my bills, etc. That there was indeed enough money to go around and come to me, my financial life shifted. Because if you think about it, financial transactions are really just energy transactions. I earn my money through my efforts in my business, the energy I put into my work. So when I believe that I don’t have enough energy, enough confidence in my ability to thrive, then that becomes my issue to work on. I began to leave behind the place of scarcity and began to focus on a more abundant life.
Scarcity comes from a place of fear. It is formed in the subconscious and it runs on a loop until we alter that loop. When you live with a scarcity mindset: let’s say you can’t afford an important bill this month, your fear and stress hormones kick in and your mind begins to freak out, at the very same time your mind is also quietly going “see, I told you so, you don’t have enough.” And that quiet loop feeds your confidence or lack thereof, it feeds your insecurities and it keeps you running on the hamster wheel of inadequacies.
So how do we change the scarcity mindset? It’s not easy and I think everyone has a different approach. To start living in the world of abundance, you need to really believe that you have enough, that the universe wants to give you everything you desire and that you will thrive and be successful. A podcast I listened to lately talked about how animals are born knowing how to survive- they believe there will be food and water for them, they believe there will be shelter for them, they go about this planet knowing that the universe will provide, so why as humans are we so trained against this innate quality? Why don’t we believe the universe will provide for us just the same?
Some people say that to get a more abundant mindset, you need to act like there is nothing limiting you. So go buy the boots you want, make a massage appointment even when you feel slammed, do the things that your mind wants you to do so you can begin the mindset shift. I take some issue with this. I think it’s a little abusive of the universe. I think coming from a positive place of abundance is more aligned with donating to a charity or giving money to the homeless guy off the highway or taking time to meditate and just be quiet for an hour. Things that feed your soul and the souls around you tend to make me, at least, feel better and feeling better brings confidence. Having confidence in your abilities is what brings about a positive mindset and from that the abundant mind will grow.
The most successful people I know (and I don't mean just financially but happy and purpose-filled humans) have an authentic confidence in their purpose on this planet. They know what they want, how to get it and they don't falter until they do. They believe that they will achieve greatness and therefore it happens. Sometimes we think we have this type of confidence code and then can't understand why the universe keeps letting us down, but I promise you, there is a block that needs unblocking or a negative loop that plays in your subconscious that needs to be worked on, but something inside of you is holding you back. So don't blame the universe, blame yourself.
I am still a young student of transfiguring my mindset into an abundant one. But so far, so good. I stress less with business, I stress less with my decisions, I stress less overall. I firmly believe that the universe has my back, and trust me, there are times when its kicked me so hard I can’t see straight. But I believe in my ability to get back on track and forge forward. Because that is the beauty of having an abundant mindset is knowing and having an unfaltering belief, that you will succeed.
And don’t we all want that?
I wish you all a bountiful day,
Jamiesonxo