👣 Step 51: Choose Abundance, Not Scarcity

There are two common mindsets (coined by Stephen Covey in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People): abundance and scarcity. And you can't have both. Each serve their own purpose. I'm going to talk about why an abundance mindset is the way to go.

Let's start with the scarcity mindset, because it's the most "human." It's evolution at play.

Think about it: when our hunter-gatherer ancestors were sitting by the campfire, they needed to be on alert at all times. Every unrecognizable noise or movement was a threat until proven otherwise. Food, water, and shelter were hard to come by. They didn't want to venture too far from the tribe. All resources were limited.

Their lives depended on this way of operating.

Fast forward to today: this is not life anymore. Most things in life are not limited. But the scarcity mindset is still very alive.

Nowadays, those with a scarcity mindset:

• Are very risk averse.
• See resources as limited
• Jump first to what can go wrong
• View unknown scenarios as risks
• Focus on how to avoid something going wrong again instead of figuring out how to make something go right
• Think other's success diminishes their own

An abundance mindset is the opposite. These people:

• Are comfortable with risk and see it as opportunity
• View resources as renewable and relatively endless
• Jump first to how can this go well
• Focus on how something can get done even if the answer isn't clear right now
• Believe that there's more than enough success, recognition, and opportunity to go around

In practice, Scarcity is a zero-sum game. Someone wins and someone loses.

Abundance? Positive-sum game. Win-win.

Scarcity is limiting. Abundance is freeing.

Scarcity is keeping it to yourself. Abundance is sharing with others.

Scarcity is "I'm not so sure about this." Abundance is "Let's figure this out."

Seeing the two side by side, it's easy to see how an abundance mindset serves you better.

Abundance isn't throwing caution to the wind. It's believing you'll figure it out and be okay, regardless of what happens.

• You're more positive
• You're a problem solver
• You jump at opportunities that would otherwise pass you by
• You take initiative on ideas
• You empower others to succeed and celebrate when they do
• You're confident
• You see potential in others
• You focus on the good

We don't live in caves anymore.

We don't need to fear the lions in the grass.

Let's live with abundance.

See you next Thursday, Steppers.

We will succeed,

Grayson

​graysonstepanek.com​

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Song of the Week:

SEEING TO IT Lancey Foux PREVIEW   ​

A ton of new music dropped last week (Vory and SAINt JHN to name two), and Lancey's new project THE TIME OF OUR LIVES was the immediate standout. This song absolutely slaps, and I'm so glad to click with another Lancey project after 4 years since LIFE IN HELL. The perfect mix of hype rap, autotune, a British accent, and Ugandan influence sprinkled throughout.