Abundance

Abundance: A fuzzy new-age concept? Perhaps sound advice?

Last night was certainly as interesting as it was entertaining.

Yesterday, I rode 400km on Nelli (my new Benelli Tornado sports-bike) through some of the most beautiful scenery in the world to gaze at the STARS from the Sutherland Observatory.

Sutherland is famous for two things: 1) it's the coldest place in South Africa and 2) it is home to the largest TELESCOPE in the Southern Hemisphere. Last night, as I looked through the GIANT telescopes at the night sky, my jaw chattering with the cold, I was humbled by how vast the Universe is. It's impossible to believe in the concept of 'scarcity' when looking through a telescope. The stars, moons and planets seem never ending. I highly recommend coming out here sometime to stargaze.

By contrast, this morning I woke up to scarcity. Having eaten a great breakfast at the local coffee shop, I returned to my B&B to type this email to you. Charmaine (not her real name), the owner of the B&B, interrogated me about what I had for breakfast across the road. I didn't quite understand why she cared, until it dawned on me that she wanted to find out exactly what the coffee shop served so that she could compete with them, or undercut them in price. From her tone of voice, I could tell that CHARMAINE FELT THREATENED that I had spent my money with the 'competition' rather than with her. When I told her that I was considering staying another night, she tried to put down the other B&B's in the area, so that I would want to spend another night in her B&B. Charmaine's outlook on life is one of scarcity. In her world, every other B&B in town (there are 26, I'm told) is a threat to her business and it's obvious to me that with this attitude, she is struggling to survive in a crowded marketplace.

By contrast, the coffee shop owner has an ABUNDANCE mindset. He focuses on adding massive VALUE and offers a HUGE breakfast for only R30 (£2 or $4) along with GREAT service and a lighthearted atmosphere. He even plays a tourist DVD softly in the background promoting Sutherland and the other businesses in the area! The coffee shop owner does not see the other businesses as a threat to his own. In his world, there is more than enough business for everyone and it reflects in the number of customers he attracts. As a result, his business is booming and I'll go back there for breakfast tomorrow.

SO WHAT CAN WE LEARN HERE? There are TWO ways you can view the Universe. 1) It's an uncertain place looming with lack, fear, uncertainty and scarcity OR 2) It's a place filled with love, possibility and ABUNDANCE. Neither one is correct. They are just viewpoints. But here's the thing most people cannot see... Each viewpoint will produce a completely different result in our experience of life. -

SCARCITY thinking will limit your mind to seeing only a world full of fear and lack. -

ABUNDANCE thinking will open your mind to see a world where anything is possible.

Again, neither are right or wrong. They just produce different results.

SO, HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO ME?

Take a look at your life:- Are you seeing scarcity or are you seeing ABUNDANCE? -

Are you seeing limitations or are you seeing OPPORTUNITIES?-

Are you seeing lack or are you seeing POSSIBILITY?

If you find yourself seeing mostly scarcity, I'm willing to bet that you are unhappy. If you are seeing ABUNDANCE everywhere, chances are that you are living in a magical world full of exciting opportunities. Neither one is better than the other, just different. The JOY of being human is that we get to choose our own viewpoints.

So, what's it going to be, scarcity or ABUNDANCE?

Choose. Choose NOW.

Your life depends on it.

So, from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere, I wish you the most miraculous rest of your week.

Post by:

Phil Cooper
Phil Cooper Insurance Brokers (Pty) Limited

- From Business Warriors Forum - 24 April 2008
www.businesswarriors.co.za