So how do you move your focus from a lack mentality to one of abundance? It starts with a shift in mindset and a heightened awareness.
{by Life & Executive Coach,Joel Readence}
"Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never have enough." – Oprah Winfrey
I’ve always struggled with the idea of having enough. It started for me as a young child growing up poor and struggling for everything I had. We always had less than the other families in my neighborhood and I was constantly feeling “less than” because of it. This led to comparison and shame, and also the creation of my limiting belief around having enough, and being enough. For much of my adult life, this belief played out in the form of a never ending drive to accomplish more, be more and have more in all the different areas of my life. If the notion of “never being satisfied with what you have” strikes a chord, you’re in good company. Our society caters to this idea and businesses count on it when marketing their products and services. They want us hungry for more and never feeling like we have enough in our lives.
And so what do I mean by “enough”? For the purposes of this article, enough is having everything you need emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually to be happy. You’re satisfied with everything you have and you’re not worried about acquiring more. This doesn’t mean you don’t WANT additional things for yourself; it just means you don’t NEED them. And you certainly don’t look at them as a means to derive your happiness.
As the amazing and wise Oprah Winfrey stated in her quote above, universal law around abundance is clear. When you dwell in the space of enough, and remain grateful for all that you do have, you create an “abundance mentality”. You will literally begin to attract more of what you want into your life. Conversely, if you obsess about all the things you don’t have (bigger salary, bigger apartment, that special someone), and expend your energy focusing on what’s missing from your life, you create a “lack mentality”. This leaves you feeling unhappy, unsatisfied and always wanting more. You’re constantly chasing after the “next best thing” (job promotion, new car, that guy at the gym) that you think will get you the happiness, acceptance or success you so desperately crave.
So how do you move your focus from a lack mentality to one of abundance? It starts with a shift in mindset and a heightened awareness. Try to shift your focus from everything you don’t have to everything you do. Grab a pen and a piece of paper and take an inventory of everything you already have in your life that you’re grateful for. This can start with the basics like food, shelter and air, all the
way up to material items like a house, car or boat. Be as detailed as you can.
Another great exercise for creating awareness and increasing gratitude is to carry a “gratitude journal” around with you for a week. Whenever you notice something you should be grateful for, simply pull out your gratitude journal and jot it down. Review your gratitude journal at the end of the week. I suspect you’ll be surprised at the number of things you already have to be grateful. Once you shift your mindset, you’ll expend a lot less energy, be grateful for what you already have and naturally attract more of what you want into your life. It’s an easier and kinder way to live. .
Give it a try and let me know how you do.
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