PP 029: Saying Goodbye to the Scarcity Mindset

Are you approaching your struggles with a scarcity mindset? Or are you approaching them with a mind full of hope and promise for future opportunities?

Episode Transcription

Welcome back to another episode of Positive Productivity! This is your host, Kim Sutton.

Today I’m going to talk to you about… Saying goodbye to the scarcity mindset.

As we’re living our lives, both personally and professionally, it can be really easy to get sucked into a frame of mind where we’re always worrying about where the next dollar is going to come from.

Sometimes, it can feel like we have holidays, and birthdays, and big events around every single corner – and we wonder where we’re going to come up with the money to pay for such events. What I’ve found, however, is that when we are constantly worrying, we’re shutting off our ability to focus on what we can do to raise money, and are instead focusing on our lack of funds.

We’re stuck in scarcity mindset.

While I am not discounting the importance of budgeting – because budgeting is very important – we cannot spend all of our time analyzing our bank account, and our invoicing software, and our bills rather than focusing on what we can be doing now, and in this moment, to make the most happen for ourselves.

Scarcity mindset can paralyze us when we don’t squash it.

Everything I talk to you about on the Positive Productivity Podcast is something that I have dealt with – or deal with – on a very regular basis. And the scarcity mindset is one of these points. Just this weekend, my husband and I celebrated our six-year anniversary of the day we met, and I had made reservations at The Melting Pot. I made those reservations a few weeks back in anticipation of the big day.

As yesterday got closer, I started looking at the invoices that hadn’t been paid, and I actually started questioning whether or not that was an expenditure that we really should be making right now. I asked myself if I should cancel that reservation, and if we should instead go to a local restaurant that wasn’t going to cost as much.

Scarcity mindset tried to pull me in.

And then it was almost as if I had a slap on the side of my head from another dimension. That slap said to me, “No, Kim. You and Dave need to go out for this dinner to celebrate your special day. You need to stop focusing on what you don’t have, and instead go out, enjoy your time, and wait for something good to come along.

Get out of my way, scarcity mindset.

Now, that’s not to say that I’m just going to sit here twiddling my thumbs, waiting for money to miraculously show up in my bank account. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. In any given moment, you can find me working on probably more than one project – and I really need to work on eliminating multitasking from my work life. However, I am not just sitting here, waiting for money to show up. I am working hard, and at least 75% of the time, I am focusing on making big things happen, rather than on the money that I wish I had.

I work, daily, to maintain an abundant rather than scarcity mindset.

There’s a great story that I’ve heard quite a few times, and it’s about a man who is stuck in a flood. He’s on the roof of his house, and he prays to God to please send him some help.

While he’s sitting there, some rescuers in an inflatable raft come by, and they ask the gentleman if he needs some help. And he says, “No, God’s sending me some.” And they say, “Okay,” and they keep on going.

A little while later, someone in a canoe comes by and asks if he needs help. And again he says, “Nope, God’s going to send me some help.” (Do you see the scarcity mindset?)

More time passes, and he becomes frustrated, and he looks up at the sky, and he says, “God, why aren’t you sending me help?” And God shouts back down, “I have sent you help! Two times, and both times you told them ‘no.

The dude on the roof was trapped by scarcity mindset. Instead of focusing on what he DID have, he was focused on what he didn’t.

The point I’m trying to get to with that story is: Opportunities are always crossing our path. We need to stop focusing on what we don’t have, and focus on what we do, and try to multiply it into something even better. Or, if we don’t need to multiply it on something better, we need to appreciate each and every moment, and each and every possession that we have in our lives.

We need to get out of scarcity mindset.

It’s very easy to watch television, read magazines, see billboards, listen to the radio, and get into a frame of mind of “I want, I want, I want.” Today, I want to challenge you that, rather than being in the “I want…” Mode, be in the “I’m thankful for…” Mode.

Be thankful for what you have in your life right now. An attitude of gratitude will quickly help remove you from the scarcity mindset.

If you, my listeners, have any other suggestions that may help your fellow listeners remove themselves from the scarcity mindset, I would love if you would visit the website at TheKimSutton.com/PP029 and leave your suggestions below the transcript.

Remember, it’s not about what we don’t have, but instead about what we do have in our life already.

Say goodbye to scarcity mindset, and open yourself up to a world of opportunities.