How Do You Feel When Others Succeed?

It’s not uncommon to feel a sting of jealousy when someone else achieves success. Whether it’s a colleague landing a promotion or a friend buying their dream home, that twinge of envy can often overshadow our happiness for them. But why is that? Today, I want to explore this concept of scarcity mindset and share my personal journey towards embracing abundance.

Understanding the Scarcity Mindset

The scarcity mindset is a perspective where one sees life as having limited opportunities, resources, and successes. If someone else is winning, you might feel like you’re losing because there’s not enough to go around. This mindset can affect all aspects of your life, not just financial. It influences how you feel about others’ successes and your reactions to them.

My Experience with Scarcity

My own struggle with scarcity started during my time in the military, where competition was not just encouraged but required. There could only ever be one number one, and everything was a ranking order. This environment cultivated a belief that for me to succeed, others must fail, a belief that carried over into my early days of entrepreneurship.

The Shift to Abundance

Transitioning from a scarcity to an abundance mindset was pivotal. Abundance doesn’t just refer to wealth; it encompasses freedom, time, success, and happiness. Realizing that success isn’t a zero-sum game was a game changer. I learned to genuinely feel joy for others’ successes, recognizing that their achievements do not diminish my own.

Practical Steps to Cultivate an Abundance Mindset

1. Gratitude Practice

Starting a gratitude practice was transformative. Writing down what you’re grateful for each day shifts focus from what you lack to what you have. A tool I recommend for beginners is the Five Minute Journal, which is structured to help you start and end your day with gratitude.

2. Gratitude Messages

More dynamic than journaling, sending gratitude messages involves reaching out to someone and expressing appreciation for specific actions or qualities. This practice not only strengthens relationships but also reinforces your own feelings of abundance.

Consistency is Key

These practices are simple but not easy. They require consistency and commitment. It’s about making these small acts of gratitude a daily habit. Over time, they rewire your mindset from scarcity to abundance, impacting not just how you view money but also how you interact with people.

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