Cultivating an Abundance Mentality

Seeking Abundant Opportunities with the Right Frame of Mind

Sep 9, 2009

The world may contain over 6 billion people, but it pays dividends to cultivate an abundance mentality for personal and professional gain.

Dr. Stephen Covey was the one to coin the term “abundance mentality” in 1989 in his widely-acclaimed book titled The Seven Principles of Highly Effective People. According to Covey, an abundance mentality is “a paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in the sharing of prestige, recognition, of profits of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives and creativity.”

Such a mind set is imperative, especially in the 21st century, because the challenges and opportunities that an individual faces and will continue to face, require a different mindset. These challenges and opportunities require individuals to “step up” consistently in demonstrating greater personal leadership in their personal and professional lives.

There may well be over 6 billion people on the planet, and there may also be a tendency for some people to think “there is not enough to go around,” but in reality, there is plenty "to go around," but only if an individual is willing to adopt an abundance mentality and see the many opportunities available to him/her. These same individuals also stand to gain positively both personally and professionally, as a result of looking at circumstance and situations from a different perspective.

Developing an abundance mentality takes time, dedication, commitment, perseverance and it's something that does not happen overnight. The process of developing and sustaining a long term abundant mindset begins with an individual getting to know his/her self, including strengths and weaknesses. It also through self-discovery that a stronger foundation can be laid upon which further building blocks can be built.

Scarce Mentality vs. Abundance Mentality

In his book, Covey he talks about the importance of cultivating an abundance mentality, but says most people are scripted to operate their lives based on a “scarcity mentality.”

Covey argues that people who adopt a scarcity mentality think that there is only “one pie” and there won’t be enough for everyone. Such people tend to lead unfulfilled lives because they believe there are not sufficient resources to go around.

People adopting a scarcity mentality may aspire to bigger and better goals, but as a consequence of their mindset, they will rarely fulfill their true potential, dreams goals and ambitions. It is needless to say that such people will also tend to “play small” by setting small goals and aiming lower than they are capable, or feeling scared to push their personal and professional comfort zones.

Interestingly, people who adopt a scarcity mentality have a tendency to suffer from lower self-esteem because their perception of their own self-worth is much lower than those people who adopt an abundance mentality.

An abundance mentality on the other hand, enables the individual to “step up” and rise to challenges and seek opportunities which will enable a fulfilling personal and professional life. Such an individual will seek, as well as attract, people and experiences assisting in their quest to achieve greater personal and professional success.

Benefits of an Abundant Mindset

There are many benefits which can be achieved as a result of adopting an abundant mindset. Some of those endless benefits are highlighted below:

How Easy is it to Cultivate an Abundance Mentality?

As with many things, cultivating an abundance mentality takes time and is not an overnight miraculous situation. It does require the individual to get to know him/herself at a deeper level and requires honesty and accountability. It requires effort and the determination to make the necessary changes which lead to personal and professional good.

Covey goes as far as saying, that behind all the social layers that people wrap themselves up in, lies the true authentic self who will willingly embraces an abundance mentality and a win/win approach. The authentic self may well be vulnerable and scared, yet it is this human facet which will lead to greater fulfillment.

Covey also states, in order to cultivate and sustain an abundance mindset, an individual will benefit by seek role models and mentors. He suggests seeking people who regularly engage in a “win–win” approach to both their personal and professional lives. Additionally, Covey believes that there are plenty of people out there who would be more than willing to help others, in achieving their ambitions and goals whilst fulfilling their own personal quests.

The copyright of the article Cultivating an Abundance Mentality in Self-Awareness is owned by Pervin Shaikh. Permission to republish Cultivating an Abundance Mentality in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.