Scarcity and prosperity are two terms I had not heard of until I entered the coaching world. At first I felt they were worldly concepts of the common pursuit of wealth and possessions… connected with the overused term: Abundance. Soon I learned about the truth found in these concepts and see the huge impact our perspectives of them have on our life, events, people, money, and everything. Here is how to see the difference between the terms and help our clients see it too.

First of all, Scarcity vs. Prosperity is talking about your perspective on the world. Scarcity focuses on what you don’t have and cannot do. It is negative and dwells on how you are limited, held back or unable to move forward as you would like. It shows up like this:

            • Business owner: I can’t do any mailings because it costs too much.

            • Mom: I can’t get out of the house because there is no one to watch the

              kids.

            • Unhappy professional: I can’t change jobs because I need the stable

              income

            • Executive: I can’t hire more people; sales are down.

Prosperity is the flip side of scarcity. It is looking at what you DO have. It is positive, up-beat and solution focused. It finds what IS good and what IS possible. It asks “What CAN I do?” It might sound like this:

            • Business owner: Mailings are expensive, but I have a small list of 100

              names from the chamber that I CAN do a series of target mailings and

              test their effectiveness.

            • Mom: I can get out of the house and take the kids to the park. My

              spouse is home Friday nights and I can plan to do errands then.

            • Unhappy professional: I need stable income and CAN take a few

              classes to explore other interests while working my current job.

            • Executive: Sales are down, but I CAN hire short term contact help to

              through this slump. I can also come and work on the floor 5 hours a

              week to support the team.

Your view on scarcity or prosperity is very important because:

1. It impacts how you see the world. As explained above, each side promotes either positive or negative thinking. People are naturally more negatively wired (They are. There is some statistic about 75% of all adult conversations are naturally negative – just listen the next time you are out.) Positive people live longer, are less stressed and enjoy life more. So, if you desire less stress and a long and enjoyable life, start thinking through the eyes of prosperity.

2. It impacts what you receive. Some are skeptical about this, but it is the law of nature. When you live in scarcity and cling on to everything afraid of loss, you get little and things seem to run out. You attract scarcity. Others who don’t have. People who don’t have money (i.e. clients who can’t pay). People who also are stuck or unable to do. It is uncanny how this works, but it really happens. People get attached and cling to money, time, possessions, and for whatever reason, it is not something that can be help on to. The harder you fight for YOURS and cling to it, the quicker it dissipates. When you live in and give from prosperity, on the other hand, it is incredible what comes into your life. I choose to see it as blessings from God. It is amazing. When you let go of your agenda and serve others, you are served. When you stop worrying about money and be responsible yet generous, you have plenty. When you volunteer freely of your time and energy you are uplifted and blessed. There are many old adages about this: “Givers Gain”, the Golden Rule, etc. When you can stop and look at what is good, what is right and allow yourself to live in the blessings you have been given, appreciate them and give back, the process continues to flow. When you get caught in fear, negativity and pessimism, life gets tough, fast.

Once you are in the scarcity mode, it can be a challenge to get out. You can get out, though. You just need to be intentional about listening to the tape that is running in your head. Listen to yourself talk and hear what you are saying. Are you saying CAN’T, WON’T, NEVER, ALWAYS, DON’T, etc.? These are signs you are looking at life from scarcity. Stop and ask yourself, “What CAN I do?” “What is true?” “What is possible?” Then do what you can. If you continue to always do what you can, you will start to embrace prosperity thinking and living.

Don’t believe me? Try it. It is amazing

Christy Geiger, owner and lead coach for Synergy Strategies is a Professional Co-Active Coach, Guerrilla Marketing Coach, and Marriage Family Child Counselor.