Gratitude and Scarcity

I think the scarcity mentality is poisonous to cultivating an attitude of gratitude.

The scarcity mentality says there isn’t enough. It can be applied to almost anything in life. Maybe you are frustrated with your job, and believe you don’t make enough money. Or perhaps you are struggling with your marriage, and think your spouse doesn’t love you enough. Maybe you rush through most of your day hyped up on coffee, and feel you never have enough time.

The scarcity mentality says there is never enough.

When your world revolves around the scarcity mentality, it’s hard to be grateful. Gratitude involves an attitude of appreciation. Gratitude means you are thankful. It’s a focus on what you do have, and what is good in your life, rather than a focus on what you don’t have or what’s going poorly.

Next time you find yourself caught up in the scarcity mentality, pause for a minute, and think through the following questions:

• Can however much of this thing I have right now be enough?
• What would it mean if I had enough [money, time, fill in the blank]?
• Could I be grateful for what I have right now?
• Could I be appreciative of where I’m at right now?
• Could I give thanks for what I have right now?

Discussion: Do you live your life with a scarcity mentality? What is one step you could take to shift your perspective from scarcity to gratitude?