The Power of Gratitude

3 Essential Habits for Abundance

By: Jocelyn Martin

Edited By: Justin Teeuwen

“Paradigm shifts move us from one way of seeing the world to another. And those shifts create powerful change. Our paradigms, correct or incorrect, are the sources of our attitudes and behaviours, and ultimately our relationships with others.” ¹

The way we conceive the world manifests as choices. We can program our minds to be more creative, adaptable, and tenacious. The secret to moving beyond our limitations is an abundance mindset. But for most of us, we have some unlearning to do first. The opposite of abundance thinking is a scarcity mentality and it's incredibly common.

The scarcity or lack mindset is the belief that resources and opportunities are limited, leading to a competitive view where one person's gain is another's loss. Covey refers to this paradigm as the Win/ Lose style. This thinking style leads to the “...abuse of position, power, credentials, possessions, or personality...”. Most of us have been prescribed this mentality and need to rewire our thinking.

Someone with an abundance mindset believes there is enough for everyone. This Win/Win framing is based on mutual power; one person’s success is not achieved through the denial of someone else’s and instead life is a corporative game. Growth should be seen as interdependent rather than individualistic. This abundance mindset allows us to pursue personal and interpersonal growth rather than egocentric victories.

Cultivate an Abundant Mindset with these 3 Essential Habits

1. Pursue Wealth Over Status

Status is inherently a scarcity game because it is dependent on the existence of a hierarchy.²

High social status cannot exist without others being categorized as lower. It also puts you into a position in which you are constantly searching for the approval of others who may not even share your values. Lastly, social status is unreliable and inconsistent. Having enough resources on the other hand, can help you achieve how you want to live. Learning based goals can help you achieve your other goals efficiently.

Wealth means something different to everyone. Finances, knowledge, personal health, business and personal connections are all kinds of wealth. Setting wealth goals rather than status goals prevents us from having to constantly fixate on our egos so we may work toward actual improvement, not just perceivable improvement. 

Pro-Tip: Set measurable, time-bound goals when defining your wealth. Focus on journeys, and not just destinations, like “Enjoy one-on-one time with my family once a week,” as a personal connection wealth goal.

2. Focus on What You Have

 “A scarcity mentality sees limitations instead of opportunities.”³ Often, we are so focused on what we don't have that we limit the potential of what we could achieve using what is available to us. While it is important to recognize your limits, it is also important not to become preoccupied with them. If we primarily consider lacking areas, we build up associated fears. These fears can become powerful self-inflicted barriers. Instead, focus on what you do have and consider where you want to go next. In short, do not settle, but know what is available to you and allow yourself to dream bigger.

Pro Tip: Beware of toxic gratitude being confused for progress. Compromising on your needs so as not to be a burden is actually scarcity framing in disguise. In saying, "I am unhappy, but I should just be thankful for what I have..." you are limiting your potential with the underlying belief that there simply is not enough to go around – or that you are incapable of better.2 

3. Express Gratitude

Express gratitude through celebrating the achievements of others and through giving. Rather than considering the success of your colleagues as competition, consider their success to be mutual growth. Help them promote their work and take pride in their accomplishments. Strong leaders recognize the potential in others and help them to develop it. ⁴

When you do find yourself in a position where you have more than you need, the best thing you can do is give. Hoarding is the clearest expression of a rampant scarcity mindset. As such, generosity is a potent antidote. Consider when you have been shown generosity in an impactful way and recreate this for others.

Pro-Tip: A shortcut to abundance is to express gratitude. Take time to share gratitude and give generously, especially when you are feeling scarce. When we give to others, we open possibility for receiving more within our own lives.⁵

At Meta Excellence, our love of learning impels us to constantly seek cutting-edge science and technology to integrate into our programs. This blog is one such example of how we allow the abundance of our passion pay forward to the greater community as an expression of our gratitude, sharing what we have presently with the world.

In the spirit of abundance, if you enjoy these articles, we challenge you to share this one with at least three people who you think will benefit!  Please also enjoy this gift as an expression of our gratitude. To learn more about how you can craft and reach your goals, set up an appointment with a Meta-Coach today.

1. Covey, Stephen. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, 1990.

2. Lee, Ingrid Fetell. “How to Cultivate an Abundance Mindset.” The Aesthetics of Joy, September 6, 2023. https://aestheticsofjoy.com/how-to-cultivate-an-abundance-mindset/.

3. Castrillon, Caroline. “5 Ways to Go from a Scarcity to Abundance Mindset.” Forbes, February 20, 2024.  https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolinecastrillon/2020/07/12/5-ways-to-go-from-a-scarcity-to-abundance-mindset/.

4. Brown, Brené. Dare to lead: Brave work, Tough Conversations, Whole Hearts. New York, N.Y.: Random House, 2018.

5. Ponder, Cathrine. The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity: Forces that Bring Riches to You. New Jersey. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1962.