If you’re like most people, you probably answered mainly “b” in last week’s quiz.
(BTW, if you missed last weeks article or haven’t taken the quiz yet, you can take it here… Otherwise what we’re going to discuss today won’t make any sense.)
The sad truth is we’re conditioned to have a scarcity mentality.
Why is this?
Partly it’s in our DNA and goes back to our inner caveperson.
Humans, indeed all of the animal kingdom, have evolved to look out for danger and to spot signs when something is wrong.
This make sense if you are about to be attacked by a saber-toothed tiger at any moment!
Likewise, our ancestors learned to worry that they would starve if the harvest failed, or be concerned if food stocks were running low and the last hunting trip had been unsuccessful.
Nowadays, you only have to be on your guard if you’re in a bad neighbourhood.
If there’s a poor harvest in your country, groceries get more expensive because supermarkets have to import stuff from overseas, but it’s unlikely you’re going to starve to death.
Yet somehow that prehistoric thinking is still there.
In modern life this deep-rooted thinking gets exploited by others who want to manipulate us for their own ends.
Take advertising for example.
It’s no secret that scarcity sells – which is why time-limited offers or limited quantities are so successful.
F.O.M.O. or Fear Of Missing Out is always a big motivator.
Finally, there’s social pressure.
Sometimes we can feel the need to “keep up with the Jones’” and maintain our standing in the community.
If your neighbours paint their house, it will make yours look shabby by comparison and you’ll feel compelled to get the paint brushes out yourself.
Likewise, if your best friends buy a brand new car, you’re likely to come under pressure to do the same because you won’t want them to think you can’t afford it.
So there is always a temptation to focus on how you negatively compare to those around you.
After a while this becomes habit, and you get stuck in a negative mindset.
This is known as a Scarcity Mindset – and can be very damaging to your health, wealth and future success.
If you have a Scarcity Mindset, you will want to change that into an Abundance Mindset as quickly as you can.
Next week we will look at a very simple method for changing your mindset for the better.
In the meantime…..
Don’t forget you can get complete training to improve your outlook on life in our new course “The Abundance Mindset“, available now on the training page (requires Associate level membership).
