Does the title sound like a “Call to action” phrase? Of course. The structure is one of many types of such phrases. Do you know why there are so many types and varieties of “Call to action” phrases? It’s because they work. Do you know why they work? It’s because most people have a scarcity mindset instead of an abundance mindset.

Much has been written, spoken and discussed about the concept of the abundance mindset. It’s simple enough, it seems. Just understand that there will always be new opportunities and new ways of living. Easy enough conceptually. How is it then that so few actually possess it? We see long queues waiting for the stores to open whenever there is a big sale. A mad rush ensues when the doors do open. I was told once that many “Christmas” sales are accompanied by the stores playing that all-time commercial favourite “Oh come all ye faithful.” Property prices skyrocket because people believe that property prices will keep going up and never come down, so people borrow huge amounts of money hoping to buy property which will “appreciate” over time and then sell to the next gullible buyer when it does. And then repeat the process, hoping for the same results. Hoping that some other greedy buyer will come and buy their property at an inflated price so they can buy more and sell more. And then the bubble bursts, prices tumble and people get burnt. The next cycle comes around, and the same thing happens again. Entertainment events are jam-packed and ticket prices remain stratospherically high because people think such shows are rare and are somehow essential ingredients to a higher quality of life. Is that our lot as humans? Surely life can be lived better than that!

What about an abundance mindset? Is having an abundance mindset contingent on the presence of apparent abundance? Not really. The US encouraged farmers to destroy surplus crops in order to keep prices above a certain level. Farmers were also encouraged to leave vast tracts of land uncultivated, receiving subsidies if they did, because there was a desire to prevent prices from plunging due to “abundance.” Is that an abundance mindset? Of course not! In fact, going by what the writer John Steinbeck wrote to Adlai Stevenson, apparent abundance can be destructive.

“A strange species we are, We can stand anything God and nature can throw at us save only plenty. If I wanted to destroy a nation, I would give it too much, and I would have it on its knees, miserable, greedy, sick. –John Steinbeck to Adlai Stevenson”

A mindset of abundance does not depend on the apparent manifestations of abundance. A mindset of abundance is simply just that; a mindset. It is a mindset that is not set on one’s own entitlements.  It is a mindset that seeks to produce more so that others can share in the benefits. It is a mindset that is glad to pay high premiums for genuine value because it recognizes that its own value is enhanced with the purchase. It is a mindset of possibilities even as it recognizes existing physical limitations. It is a mindset of enjoying the fruits of one’s own hard labour and sharing those same fruits with others.

Still want an abundance mindset?