Abundance in the time of COVID-19

This scarcity mentality is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The higher the level of anxiety, the less product on the shelf. The more uncertainty we feel, the less likely we are to share what we have with our neighbor. In scarcity thinking, we are taught to be individualistic. There is a winner and a loser. We all want to self preserve and WIN, therefore the other person must be the loser.

Currently, there is real fear that is justified. At times, I would say we are rationalizing that fear, which allows it to be weaponized. We don’t want to be any more out of our comfort zone than we already are, so we overcompensate. We all have a choice every day. Do we live in fear and focus on scarcity? Or do we embrace abundance and make a choice to focus on what we can control?

Abundance thinking means having the mindset to see possibilities where others see insurmountable challenges. And there is certainly no shortage of challenges currently! Without an abundance lens to recalibrate your thinking, it becomes harder to envision a healthy future on the horizon.

In 2008 during the financial crisis, I left work at 4:58 every day. By 5:20 p.m. I was working out. Remember P90X? What was mind-numbingly difficult at first has become a decade-plus run of taking care of myself. At the time, money was scarce, yet time was suddenly abundant. I had to come to the realization that the time was actually always there, I was just suddenly choosing to use it differently. This lead to the feeling of a more fulfilling, complete life that has stuck with me for over a decade.

In business, I leverage abundance thinking in our strategy and planning. Where some see obstacles, I choose to see possibilities. Abundance thinking still requires you to do all of the hard stuff, ask the tough questions, plan, and work hard. But isn’t it better than continually saying “no”?