Abundance = an extremely plentiful supply; overflowing fullness
Scarcity = an inadequate supply; not enough
How many of us have been taught the following: ‘The more you have, the less I have; if I give you something, it costs me what I gave you; the more I share the more depleted I am.’ These ideas feed the tap root called ‘Scarcity.’ Another way we feed the tap root that nurtures the scarcity mentality is through the concept of ‘competition’: ‘There can only be one winner; nobody plays for second place; winning is the only thing.’ By the by, the root of ‘competition’ is competere which means ‘to come together.’
Some of us have been taught the following: ‘The more you give of yourself the more you will have; when you give of yourself both you and the recipient will benefit; the more you use your gifts to meet the needs that exist the more everyone benefits.’ These ideas feed the tap root called ‘Abundance.’ Another way we feed the tap root that nurtures the abundance mentality is through the concept of ‘high achievement’: ‘If I help you do your best then I can do my best; if I share my best thinking with you then my thinking will only become better; if I support your development then I will be able to enhance my own development.’
In our country we love our professional athletes. Research shows that the ‘true professional superstar’ is rooted in ‘high achievement’ – he or she is rooted in an ‘Abundance Mentality.’ The ‘want-to-be superstar’ is, more often than not, rooted in ‘competition’ – he or she is rooted in a ‘Scarcity Mentality.’ The superstar believes that it is important for his or her opponent to play their best for then the superstar can rise to an even higher level of performance.
The superstar believes this so much that he or she will seek to help their competitors improve. Here’s one story: During the NBA finals one year, Larry Bird helped Magic Johnson find his ‘shot.’ When asked why he did this the ‘Bird’ stated that it was important for Magic to play his best for only then could he – the ‘Bird’ – play at an even higher level. That night Magic ‘lit it up’ and the Lakers defeated the Celtics.
Here’s another from the business world. Walt Disney was rooted in an abundance mentality and in high achievement. He would give his ideas away because he said that this allowed him to generate more ideas. He directly helped the Marriott brothers develop their concept of the ‘Six Flag’ parks by sending his best design team to work with them for two years. He did this because he believed that if ‘Six Flags’ was successful then he could develop more fully his big dream (which he was able to do because ‘Six Flags’ was successful).
Developing an abundance mentality and committing one’s self to being high achieving are not easy challenges to embrace. Developing both require for some a shift, for others a change, and for others a transformation. We have choice. What we choose – abundance or scarcity, high achievement or competition – is truly up to us.
Walt Disney left us a legacy and some words to reflect upon; here are a few of Walt’s words:
Our heritage and ideals, our code and standards – the things we live by and teach our children – are preserved or diminished by how freely we exchange ideas and feelings.
I do not like to repeat successes, I like to go on to other things.
If you can dream it, you can do it.