It isn’t easy to move past limiting beliefs and attitudes that hold you back. Even if you’ve never thought about abundance before, these abundance mindset exercises can help you break down your mindset and move towards creating a life of happiness and success.
Do you have an abundance mindset or scarcity mindset?
If you are not aware of this, it is time you did. The kind of mindset you have can make all the difference to where your life leads you. It can make the difference between success and failure.
When your friend announced her engagement or your colleague told you about getting a promotion or a raise, how did that make you feel?
Happy for them or jealous that you couldn’t have it? Would you congratulate them sincerely or sulk and pout about how life is so unfair to you?
Every day you will come across similar situations and your reaction to them can change the course of your life. And, your reaction depends heavily on your mindset.
This article tells you the benefits of developing an abundance mindset. You will find here abundance mindset exercises to help you with this.
What is an abundance mindset?
You have heard about the cup half-full and cup half-empty approach. An abundance mindset is similar to the positive outlook associated with the cup half-full mentality.
An abundance mindset is a mentality that says there is enough of everything in this Universe and there is no need for unhealthy competition among us. On the other hand, the scarcity mindset is the idea that there is not enough to share in this Universe and we must compete, grab, and guard everything we have from others.
In real life, you will have at your disposal some resources. You may not be able to increase or decrease it. But your mindset can make all the difference in how you will be using it. With an abundance mindset, you will see them in a positive light as in the cup half-full. With a scarcity mindset, you will end up underutilizing the same set of resources available to you.
Abundance vs scarcity mindset
Abundance is a growth mindset, while scarcity mindset is a fixed mindset. They are polar opposites and have nothing in common.
An abundance mindset helps us see unlimited opportunities in a situation while a scarcity mindset fails to see any or most of them.
Some of the salient features of an abundance mindset are:
- Growth mindset
- Optimism
- Open mind
- Think big
- Generosity
- Proactive approach to life
- Ready to embrace changes
- Understanding your flaws and faults
- There’s enough
- No need for competition
- Making future plans
A scarcity mindset entails a zero-sum view of the world and its resources. This means anything gained by one is lost by another. So, if you want to gain something, you need to prevent others from achieving it. Another person’s success is your loss.
The fallouts of a scarcity mindset are:
- Fixed mindset
- Pessimism
- Closed mind
- Think small
- Tightfistedness
- Reactive and closed approach to life
- Unwillingness to accept changes
- Refusal to recognize your defects
- There’s not enough
- Need for competition
- Entitlement
- Resentment
- Victim mentality
- Envy, Guilt, Anger
- Stagnancy
When an abundance mindset makes you feel excited, inspired, and eager for action, a scarcity mindset makes you feel overwhelmed, depressed, and unable to act.
Related: Scarcity vs Abundance Mindset
12 exercises to Increase Your Abundance Mindset
How to have an abundance mindset?
Having an abundance mindset is one of the keys to achieving a life of success. One must believe that they are more than enough to accomplish anything they want.
Before you begin working on improving your mindset, it is recommended that you know where you stand. What mindset do you have? How deep-set is your current mindset?
In case you have a well-ingrained scarcity mindset, you would need more work to get out of it and switch to an abundance mindset.
Here are 12 simple abundance exercises to get you started.
1. Mindfulness
Know what is going on in your mind and life. Be aware of your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Try to figure out your motives and what inspires you to act. A good understanding of yourself can help in planning a strategy to turn around your mentality.
2. Practice gratitude
The feeling of gratitude is directly linked to positive thinking and an optimistic mindset. Make it a habit of searching for the better side of everything. Instead of focusing on your lack, look for what you have.
3. Mediation
One way to do this is by focusing on your breathing while meditating. Breathing in a comfortable, slow and deep breath will help connect you with your body and focus on feeling your whole self at the moment.
While meditating, imagine that you have all the time in the world and are perfectly capable of handling everything that comes your way. Another technique is to focus on a word or a phrase – like “abundance” or “it’s going to be okay”, and repeat it until it becomes natural.
4. Open your heart to infinite opportunities
If you have a scarcity mentality, you may not be able to see them. Compel yourself to look for such possibilities. Every situation has multiple approaches and solutions, only if you care to look for them and are willing to see them.
5. Share what you have
Sharing what you have enhances the feel-good feeling. It raises your sense of happiness and self-worth. The better you feel, the more goodness you can see in the world around you.
6. Beware of your words
When you say negative things, you most probably end up with undesirable outcomes. You are what you believe, think, and speak. Constant complaining and whining can affect your reality. Work on changing this attitude and see how your life transforms.
7. Dream big
Don’t restrict your dreams with your scarcity mindset. Try to believe that possibilities are endless and set ambitious goals for yourself. Convince yourself that only if you try for something, you have a chance of achieving it.
8. Make future plans
People with a scarcity mindset do not plan their futures. They wait for disaster to strike them to react. Making future plans and working towards the goals is a step away from a scarcity mindset.
9. Repeat positive affirmations
Affirmations offer you the best chance to shift your mindset from scarce to abundance. Choose your affirmations carefully and make sure they are framed in a positive tone and the present tense. “I am…” affirmations are very effective. Including words of emotions can raise the bar.
10. Learn new skills
A scarcity mentality makes you think that you cannot learn new skills or develop your existing talents. Prove it wrong by attempting newer things. Open your eyes to new possibilities. Be it as a hobby or as a means of income, accumulate new skills in your repertoire.
11. Rework your belief system
Over the years you must have collected some limiting beliefs that will prevent you from reaching your goals. Visit your belief system to identify them and work on removing them permanently.
12. Choose what you see and hear
The world is full of positive and negative news. It is up to you to decide what you want to focus on. In this age of social media and 24×7 connectivity, it would be impossible to avoid negativity if you choose to stay connected with everyone all the time. Make your choices and filter out the news you want to know.
10 Positive Affirmation to Manifest Abundance
- I am abundant.
- I have an abundance mindset.
- I have a positive outlook.
- I am living a life of abundance.
- I am thankful for the blessings.
- I willingly share my abundance with others.
- Life is full of opportunities.
- There is enough for everyone in this world.
- I have enough.
- I am delighted at the success of others.
Are you ready to transform your mind with these 12 abundance mindset exercises?
How fast you can transform your mindset depends on where you are starting from. If you are beginning from a well-entrenched scarcity mindset, give yourself more time to make the change.
Whether you make it faster or take more time, believe without any doubt that you are going to make the transformation into an abundance thinking. All you need is the willingness to work hard and a can-do attitude.
Related: 8 Ways to Attract Abundance in Your Life
