ABUNDANCE | What does it mean to live in abundance? Lately I've been asking myself this question. What is abundance? How does it manifest in my life? Am I living abundantly? Or am I living in scarcity. I swear I almost titled this post "scarcity" until I realized how limiting that was.
For those of you who haven't yet been introduced to this idea, it sounds like gibberish. First of all, what does mindset have to do with it, second - abundant? scarce? huh??
Here's a high level overview - when you believe in abundance you believe that the world is plentiful. There is enough of everything to go around. You can always get access to what you want/need when you want or need it. There is plenty of money to be earned, clients to be had, new projects to work on. There is limitless possibility.
When you believe in scarcity, you believe things will run out. There isn't enough to go around, so you better get your fill and take as much as you can while you can, before it no longer exists. You live with the knowledge (or fear) that things will come to an end, and therefore you must be cautious and prepared for when that time comes.
In the overwhelming world of personal growth and development - we "know" we must live with an abundance mindset. What this means for me personally is that I don't hold myself back in fear but rather jump full in to whatever project or learning opportunity comes my way. I have always found a way to afford the things I want to do - whether affordability means time, money, or something else.
I am well versed in the terminology of abundance, but recently realized I wasn't truly living it. I thought I was. I was speaking about it (intelligently), but when I really took a look, I could see all the ways I had been holding myself back in scarcity - fearing that things would run out and I had better save. I realized that generosity begets generosity. Spending money on small luxuries (coffee, wine, dinner or dessert out, etc) opens my mind to the possibility of having money for such small luxuries in the future. Giving time, attention, knowledge, and money to people or causes that I believe in brings it all back to me tenfold.
I was living with the belief that all of these things were limited and in doing so made myself small. Small enough to not use up too much, or take up too much.
It shows up not only in how I treat myself, but also how I am with others - my willingness to give my time and attention freely, my willingness to be generous with friends and family. I strive to always be someone who is generous in all areas of my life. I never want to fear that something might "run out" or be "stealing my time".
And now that I recognize how I've been holding myself back I am opening the floodgate to be more expansive, and let more into my life. My abundance mindset has come a long way over the last year, and I can see that it still has quite a way to go. Before I truly live abundantly. But every day I make a habit of cultivating abundance, in both big and small ways.
How do you experience abundance? Where in your life do you show up expansively? Where do you keep yourself small?
Amanda is a purpose-driven entrepreneur on a mission to humanize the workplace. She helps purpose-driven scaleups to create an empowering, high-engagement culture that inspires individuals to show up with passion, purpose, and creativity every day.
She also works with badass humans to activate their courage and take their personal and professional lives to the next level.
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