Episode 236: Operating from Abundance

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Dr. Melissa Smith 0:00
I believe you can be successful, or do you have a fear of scarcity, believing that the edge is just around the corner? So Shakespeare taught us that there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so he’s pretty smart that one. So let’s make sure you’re operating from abundance and not scarcity.

Dr. Melissa Smith 0:39
Hi, I’m Dr. Melissa Smith, welcome to the Pursue What Matters podcast where we focus on what it takes to thrive in love and work. So we’ve been focusing all on the principle of curiosity, and how that is foundational for effective leadership, we’ve been talking about the secure foundation, which is an acronym that is really focused on helping you to increase self-awareness and self leadership skills. So when we think about secure, that acronym is all about the e daily practices that you need to have in your life to to be okay, right to have a sense of stability. And then with foundation, we’re really looking at those skills and practices and mindsets that make you unstoppable. So these are really designed to help you thrive. And so we are getting to the end of our foundation acronym. And today we’re talking about operating from abundance. And so today we’re going to talk about, first of all, the difference between a scarcity and an abundance mindset. Maybe you’ve heard those terms, maybe you’ve heard something similar, but I really want to help you understand the difference between these two mindsets, because oh, boy, oh, boy, it can make a huge difference in your happiness, your well being your success, your growth, your relationships, everything, it’s it’s really that important. And then second, we’re going to talk about why operating from abundance will accelerate your growth. So right, when we think about these foundation skills, we’re really looking at growing and thriving. And so we’re interested in accelerating that growth. And so, you know, the first thing that I want to talk about is the scarcity mindset, versus an abundance mindset.

Dr. Melissa Smith 2:34
So I have a question for you. How do you approach life? Do you have a scarcity mindset where you fear that you aren’t good enough? That there’s never enough time? Never enough money? Never enough? Fill in the blank, right? And for many of us, we’ve got a long list of where we don’t have enough? Or do you approach life from an abundance mindset, or the belief that you are enough that you have enough that life is good, and that you have what you need to be successful, it doesn’t mean that you have everything that you want, but you have what you need to be successful, that you that you are enough, and that you have the time to take care of the things that matter the most. And so this mindset, right, whether you have a scarcity mindset, or an abundance mindset, can really have powerful implications for the way you operate in the world. And, you know, you can just think about some of those questions like if you, if you’re operating out of fear, right, that makes your life smaller, it shrinks you it makes it difficult for you to engage creativity, it makes it difficult for you to try new things. And so that’ll keep you stuck. That’ll keep you small that’ll keep you from growing in the first place. And it prevents you from really reaching your potential. And so of course, we want to operate from abundance. And so when we think about the abundance mindset, it really parallels Carol Dweck research. The term that she uses is a growth mindset. And so maybe you’re familiar with her work. I’ve definitely done podcasts on this growth mindset.

Dr. Melissa Smith 4:25
So she talks about the growth mindset versus a fixed mindset. And the concepts that we’re talking about today with abundance versus scarcity really are parallel concepts. So there’s no need to get, you know, to feel confused about that. But Dweck is a psychologist, she’s based at Stanford, and her research on mindset, which is really, that our beliefs about ourselves and whether we believe that our intelligence talents and even our personality are fixed traits that we’re born with, or whether we believe that Those are fluid traits that can develop over time with effort has been groundbreaking research, it really has flipped the script on how we think about growth and development. And so a growth mindset or an abundance mindset is the idea that you have what you need to be successful, you can face challenges and, and still be successful. And that failure is not fatal, but can be very important stepping stones for learning and growth. And so it’s, I mean, just listen to that it’s a much more optimistic view of yourself and the world. And so right when we think about that growth mindset is this belief that you can continue to grow and develop, so you might not have the skills that you that you need to be successful down the road. But you can develop those, and it’s having some trust in yourself and trust in the world, that that can happen. And so, you know, an abundance mindset is right in keeping with that growth mindset. And it’s the idea that we have what we need to be successful, you can develop the skills and the support you need. And you know, if you think about trying something new, or looking at a new endeavor, if you if your requirement is that you have everything you need before you start, and you will never do anything. So with our organization, we have just started new services, we’re doing ketamine assisted psychotherapy, which I’m so excited about, I have to do a podcast on it. It’s incredible, the research is really compelling. But it required a lot of learning from our team. And of course, like we have a very solid foundation, we’re mental health experts. And we have a really strong medical team. But right. If my requirement was I need to know exactly how everything’s gonna go. And I need to know exactly what everything’s going to look like, or I’m not going to do it. There’s no way we we would have ever started on this endeavor. And there’s no way we could have known. And so an abundance mindset requires a certain amount of trust, trust in yourself, trust in others trust in your ability to grow, trust in the universe, or higher power. And so an abundance mindset is all about having a sense of optimism, and trust in life and in oneself. And that traits and skills are fluid, they’re not fixed. And that’s a really important component to pay attention to. In contrast, let’s learn a little bit more about a fixed mindset or a scarcity mindset, it is often focused on not having enough.

Dr. Melissa Smith 7:49
So we think about the limits of time income capabilities, you name it, there’s often a substantial fear of failure, as mistakes can be seen as dark marks on the soul, rather than his learning opportunities. And so if you think about that one concept right there, how you view failure can make a huge difference in your willingness to take risks and try new things. So if you’re coming from a scarcity mindset, you’re going to see mistakes, as fatal flaws and something to be avoided at all costs. But when you can look at mistakes and failure from an abundance mindset, or a growth mindset, you recognize the inevitability of failure, and you don’t see failure as fatal, you actually see failure as stepping stones towards more growth, right? Like, you close the gaps. And through failure, right, because you figure out what didn’t work, you figure out what you need to do, where you need to put more effort or more energy. And so it’s a really powerful difference there in how we approach the world. And so at its root, a scarcity mindset is often about shame, and the belief that you are not good enough. And this can pervade all aspects of functioning, but it can often present as perfectionism, rigidity, and an unwillingness to try new things because the fear of failure, the fear of getting something wrong or not having the answers can just feel so incredibly intense. And so if you carry a scarcity mindset, you’re often very concerned with comparison, competition, and fairness and may hold the belief that another’s success somehow diminishes you. And so we see the pie.

Dr. Melissa Smith 9:42
As in you know, if someone has, you know, this much intelligence, that means there’s less intelligence for us, which is definitely not a thing. And so, we see other success as somehow diminishing us. We see it competitively, comparisons are a big part of that. And so as we think about really landing yourself and operating from a place of abundance, we really want to start with this understanding that you are enough. So this feeling of being enough, and knowing that you have value regardless of your accomplishments, or how you compare to others, so you can celebrate the accomplishments of others. And rather than feeling threatened by them, you’re actually inspired by them as they pursue their own passions. And so you approach others who are successful, because you want to learn what they know. So you’re not threatened by that you’re not put off by that you actually invite connection, and can learn and be strengthened and create a network for yourself. So abundance is about acceptance, as is, it’s not about approval. It has nothing to do with accomplishments or achievements. But what’s true is when we adopt an abundance mindset, we tend to become more accomplished, we attend to achieve more, because we’re willing to grow, we’re not afraid of growth and the risks that come with that. And so, you know, that’s not the purpose or the point. But it is a lovely byproduct of that.

Dr. Melissa Smith 11:21
And so, from an abundance mindset, your sense of worth and worthiness is protected from you know, whether you’re succeeding or failing because you start with I am enough knowing that you’re enough that you’re worthy. And so you’re good enough regardless of success or failure. And you resist urges to compare up with others, as you recognize that it diminishes both you and the other person and it blocks the ability to truly connect. And so you know, when we operate from abundance, we remember that we’re enough. We remember that our value doesn’t depend on our accomplishments. We resist urges to compare and compete, and we’re inspired by the success of others, we’re not threatened by it. Okay, so today we talked about operating from abundance. And, you know, just a couple highlights, again, is that that scarcity mindset is filled with fear, while the abundance mindset is the belief that you aren’t good enough. And when we operate from an abundance mindset, it really gives us a sense of optimism and trust in life. It’s just such a better way to live. more happiness, more joy, more connection. And so I hope that you will keep that in mind and pay attention to the ways that that scarcity mindset might sneak in for you. It happens for each of us, because we have this negativity bias. And so we want you to be aware of it and aware of how that can undermine you if you’re not careful.

Dr. Melissa Smith 12:55
And so head on over to my website, to check out the show notes with the resources for this episode at www.drmelissasmith.com/236-operatingfromabundance. So one more time www.drmelissasmith.com/236-operatingfromabundance. Please consider joining me on Instagram @dr.melissasmith, I always have great content related to these podcast topics. I’d love to connect with you there. I’d love to hear what what’s on your mind what your challenges are in leadership. And if you’re so inclined, I would love it if you would give the podcast a five star review on Spotify or Apple. It helps more people find the podcast and hopefully that’s a good thing. So in the meantime, I’m Dr. Melissa Smith. Remember love and work, work in love. That’s all there is. Until next time, take good care.

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