The Danger of a Scarcity Mentality

A friend gets a promotion at work. Your sister goes on her dream vacation. A team member enrolls a record number of new Consultants in a month. Your Sponsor advances in rank. How do you react to the above scenarios? Do you harbor feelings of jealousy? Anger? Are you overwhelmed with feelings of, “Why not me?” You could be stuck in a trap called the ‘Scarcity Mentality.’ The term ‘scarcity mentality’ was first coined by Stephen R. Covey in his popular book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

Most people are deeply scripted in what I call the Scarcity Mentality. They see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else. The Scarcity Mentality is the zero-sum paradigm of life. People with a Scarcity Mentality have a very difficult time sharing recognition and credit, power or profit – even with those who help in the production. They also have a very hard time being genuinely happy for the success of other people.

Many of us have adopted this mindset based on the messages we received about money and success while we were growing up. Many of us heard regular arguments about money or were told on a regular basis that finances were too tight to do the things we wanted to do. These messages can be deeply embedded and will often lead to a Scarcity Mentality. This approach to life and business can be catastrophic. Viewing the success of others as a threat to your own is debilitating and, quite frankly, it just isn’t true. By actively noticing our thoughts and behaviors as they relate to others’ success, we have the power to change our mentality to one of abundance: The Abundance Mentality, on the other hand, flows out of a deep inner sense of personal worth and security. It is the paradigm that there is plenty out there and enough to spare for everybody. It results in sharing of prestige, of recognition, of profits, of decision making. It opens possibilities, options, alternatives and creativity. The Abundance Mentality takes... personal joy, satisfaction and fulfillment...and turns it outward, appreciating the uniqueness, the inner direction, the proactive nature of others. It recognizes the unlimited possibilities for positive interactive growth and development. At Paparazzi, not only is there room for EVERYONE to experience the level of success they desire, there are countless ways to achieve it. When you find something that works for you, share it with your team! Remember, when they succeed, you succeed.