Abundance or Scarcity?

Doug Dwyer Contributing Editor

Have you ever been amazed by people who seem to accomplish so much in business yet still find time for family and give their time, talent and treasure to help others?

These types of people have made such a positive impression in my life. I ask myself, "How do they do it with such confidence and at the same time be so genuine and caring?" You can just tell they are the real thing and not a fake.

In my early twenties, I thought, "If I can just get half of what they have, I'd be happy." I still have much to learn but have definitely learned some of the reasons for their success in business and in life.

One reason is they have an "abundance mentality" versus a "scarcity mentality." For example, let's say you're on a sales call, sales have been slow and you're thinking, "If I don't get this one, we could be in trouble." That is a "scarcity mentality," and we don't do our best selling when feeling that kind of pressure. We are usually uptight and the potential customer senses something is not right. Naturally, they will assume the worst and hesitate or not buy from you at all. We all have had that experience.

The best time to make a sale is when you really don't need it. You are relaxed. Customers like to buy from people they feel comfortable with. So, if you take an "abundance mentality" and believe if this one doesn't close, another will show up, you will have a much greater chance at actually having the customer buy from you.

It is a paradox. "When you don't need it you're more likely to get it." Now, this doesn't mean you're coasting or anything like that. It just means you're not holding on so tight that you become uptight and ineffective. Like a professional boxer, you've got to stay relaxed to perform your best and to conserve energy to go the distance.

Another example of abundance versus scarcity thinking is this: if you hold on to money so tightly and never give any to help others in need, then you never have enough. (There have been many rich people who have gone crazy in a bad way with more money than they needed to live a very good life.) But, if you give even when finances are tight, it sends a message to your brain that there is abundance.

It sounds counter-intuitive, but it is how we are built as human beings. We can fight this reality or we can embrace it. Just like a surfer, we can either enjoy riding the wave or get beat up fighting it.

Have you ever heard the saying, "We will do more for others than we will do for ourselves?" Think about what you will do for your kids, family, friends or a stranger affected by a natural disaster. We will give extraordinary efforts. It is just another reality of how we are built as human beings.

So what can you do? Find some reason that your business exists (other than for making money) and that you can get passionate about. It may be to help employees build wealth, to provide college scholarships or donate many hours of free service to elderly in need. One of the major areas I am focused on is to positively affect people's lives in business by teaching them principles and systems to help them achieve strong margins and a quality life. Past that, I give a percentage of profits to those in need. I am passionate about this because I believe it's what I am designed to do. The results have been tremendous.

Have an abundance mentality with a reason to build your business that is much greater than yourself. Then, watch your confidence, drive and business success increase while you experience the joy of helping others. It creates a double win.