Some people see the world as a collection of limited resources. They have a scarcity mindset. Hoard what you can. Don't share. Don't give. Screw everyone else; they're your competition. That's how they believe they'll win the game of life.
Other people see the world in a far different way. They see the world as a collection of unlimited resources. They have an abundance mindset. The more you share, the more you receive. Altruism and cooperation is how you win the game of life.
What is the Abundance Mindset?
Some nine years ago, I wrote about this idea on my BRU blog, in the context of The Gift Economy, a concept I got from Seth Godin. I utilized the idea by giving away a PDF version of a book I wrote, then turned it loose on the Internet with directions for anyone who read it to then share it, too. While we took a financial hit immediately, the ideas spread like wildfire. Eventually, that was the single action that later provided us with the opportunity to bum around the country for two years teaching the ideas. That adventure would not have been possible without that initial act of giving. More importantly, the ideas allowed a whole lotta people to start running again after injuries, which allowed them to lead healthier, happier lives.
This is the same sort of dynamic I'm using with this project, which is part of the broader marketing strategy I've been using for some time. In the near future, I'll write a post dedicated specifically to what that looks like.
Anyway.
The abundance mindset. This idea works because it allows us to look for opportunities to improve ourselves and others. Attention, being what it is, is pretty limited. If we're not looking for something, we're unlikely to just randomly stumble upon it. This article explains the idea well, and gives five really useful tips to put this into action. The second idea in that article - surrounding yourself with others who have an abundance mindset - is the reason I'm bringing this idea to our Tribe.
What It Is Not
The idea of an abundance mindset often gets confused with "The Law of Attraction", which is a stupid self-help concept most recently re-popularized by the book "The Secret." This so-called "law" basically states that if you think positive thoughts, positive stuff will happen to you. While it sounds great, the idea is actually incredibly harmful as Mark Manson so eloquently explains in this post. I've met a few people who practice this regularly. Their lives were pretty crappy. Their lives got even crappier after they tried this.
The gist of the problem with "the law of attraction" is it gives you a delusional perception of reality that, ultimately leads you to become lazy and make really bad decisions. Conversely, the abundance mindset requires you to actually do work in order for it to work... that was Godin's point about creating what he called "art", which is then shared. YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY PRODUCE SOMETHING!
So there you go. This is another tool to make a real, positive change in the world. Play with this idea. Try out some of those things from the infographic at the top. You'll like the results.
~Jason
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