Knowing the importance of mindsets, I’m very interested in developing a mindset that empowers and serves me in regard to my time, money and talents.

A foundational building block to a perspective that empowers you is through understanding the difference between the scarcity vs abundance mentality.

The two perspectives in summary are as follows:

The Scarcity Mentality, the perspective held by the majority, sees life as a fixed pie. If someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else.

Because of this view, it can be very difficult to share your time, money, talents, or anything really.

In the iconic book, “Seven Habits Of Highly Effective People” Steven Covey does an amazing job of outlining how we exercise this mindset on a daily basis.

“Most of us learn to base our self-worth on comparisons and competition. We think about succeeding in terms of someone else failing–that is, if I win, you lose; or if you win, I lose. Life becomes a zero-sum game. There is only so much pie to go around, and if you get a big piece, there is less for me; it’s not fair, and I’m going to make sure you don’t get anymore. We all play the game, but how much fun is it really?

Win-win sees life as a cooperative arena, not a competitive one. Win-win is a frame of mind and heart that constantly seeks mutual benefit in all human interactions. Win-win means agreements or solutions are mutually beneficial and satisfying. We both get to eat the pie, and it tastes pretty darn good!”

The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives, and creativity.

Reflecting on your life, currently which mindset do you see yourself most frequently adopting?