Confidence: Source Of An Abundance Mindset? 

What is the source of an abundance mindset? Some argue that it’s a genetic predisposition: that some people are naturally inclined to abundance thinking while others are plagued with a scarcity mindset?

While there is little doubt that there are genetic forces at work here, it doesn’t preclude the possibility of developing an abundance mindset.  Before we get into how to develop an abundance mindset, allow me to share the experience that triggered this blog.

Abundance mindset demonstrated

I was in the audience as the speaker shared a story of one of his clients. The client had a passion for what he was doing, but was struggling because of his lack of business acumen. 

As good fortune would have it, one of other companies in his industry experienced a problem in delivering on a contract. The owner contacted the presenter’s client and asked whether he could handle the extra work…an opportunity he was thrilled to get.

When asked what he’d charge for doing the work the presenter’s client quoted a price well below market. The person offering him this opportunity could have taken advantage of the low price. Instead, he helped the beleaguered business person develop a more effective pricing model and paid a fair price for his services.

Later, when the presenter’s client needed to expand he contacted his benefactor and asked for his advice. Once again, the benefactor offered sage advice that enabled to presenter’s client to grow well beyond what he might ever have imagined.

So what was it that enabled this benefactor to aid someone in his industry? The simple answer is an abundance mindset. But where did this mindset come from? I’m going to suggest that its source is confidence.

Confidence traits

Confident people don’t worry about competition. They realize that no one can take from them the skills, abilities and knowledge they possess. They also realize that sharing their knowledge enhances their own understanding of what works and why it works. 

It’s long been said that the teacher learns more than the student. That’s true. The effort need to organize thoughts in a way that makes it easy for others to understand assures greater clarity and depth of knowledge than was required to gain the knowledge initially.

Another trait that confident people possess is that they are avid learners. They realize that their real power lies in their ability to learn and adapt, consequently they always have their antenna up. Their constant monitoring of their environment for bits of knowledge that will help propel them to higher levels of performance assures their success.

By sharing what they learn, confident people unintentionally gain the support of those whom they’ve helped. Social psychologists have labeled this the “law of reciprocity.” Their studies have shown that when someone helps us, we want to repay the kindness and we’ll look for opportunities to do so for years after the kindness was given.

One of the things I’ve noticed is that people who regularly help others, without an expectation of anything in return, rarely have to ask for help. Those whom they’ve helped readily offer to assist in any pursuit they undertake. Life becomes easy when you have others so willing to repay your kindness.

Confidence-building exercises

The key to developing an abundance mindset is first to become more confident. Here are some simple steps you can take to accomplish this in a matter of days; each day before rising and shortly before going to bed:

• Recall all the things you’ve accomplished when you had no background or experience to draw upon.
• Remind yourself that your success in each instance was your ability to learn and adapt.
• Remind yourself to pay attention to the lessons learned during the day and how those lessons will assure future success.
• Relish the joy you experienced when you helped someone in their time of need…and assure yourself that joy again tomorrow as you continue to help others.

You’ll find that your confidence and abundance mindset grow simultaneously. For the mindset is a byproduct of your confidence.

For you

It’s a rare day in which our confidence and abundance mindset don’t get challenged. Life tests us in a variety of ways each and every day. That’s why it is so important that you use the confidence-building efforts outlined above each and every day. They take only a few seconds, but their effect lasts the entire day.

If you already possess an abundance mindset, good for you. It’s an indication that you are already a confident person. The exercises listed above will strengthen your already positive outlook on life. They also enable you to experience the joy of your confidence and abundance actions multiple times a day as you recall the joy experienced. Why should your joy be limited to only at the time the action was taken?

If you’re tired of being afraid, of always being concerned about whether someone is taking advantage of you or that you’re going to lose what you possess, it’s time to shed these fears by employing the confidence-building exercises above. You may also want to check out my confidence books (opens in a new link) and self-study programs (opens in a new link).

Remember, confidence is the source of an abundance mindset.

For our kids

Help your kids get in the habit of the daily confidence-building exercises. You can begin by doing the exercise with them…including celebrating their successes each and every day. 

On those days when they don’t feel particularly good about the way the day went, ask them “What did you learn from the experience? How will you use that knowledge in the future?” These simple questions will help them discover that what seemed like a disappointing day, was indeed a very successful one because they learned a valuable lesson.

You’ll be amazed at how quickly your kids develop an abundance mindset…all because they are more confident.

Let others know that you love them by sharing this blog post. They’ll appreciate that you care.

I love hearing your thoughts and experiences, share your thoughts in a comment.

If you’d like to enjoy great confidence, check out our Confidence Self-Study programs (opens in a new link). 

If you’d like to enrich the lives of others by teaching them to be more confident, check out our Teaching Confidence Instructor Certification program (opens in a new link).