40 Reasons An ‘Abundance Mindset’ Makes People Successful

39. Turn Negative Situations Into Positive

There are so many people out there with a bad attitude who want to complain about their lives every single day. Someone with an abundance mindset will always try to find a way to turn a negative situation into a positive. For example, maybe you didn’t get the job you wanted in another city. But a positive away to look at it is that you get to enjoy the time staying close to your friends and family for a little while longer.

Someone with an abundance mindset might say something along the lines of, “At least it wasn’t worse.” Of course, it’s okay to have some bad days, but you should always be trying to look on the bright side.

38. You Enjoy Collaborating More Than Competing

People with a scarcity mindset are always holding their ideas close to their chest because they are afraid that someone will “steal” it. Or, if too many people know about their idea, then a lot of competition might come flooding in. Sometimes, it really is smarter to keep your ideas to yourself. But in nearly all other cases, it’s better to collaborate instead of competing.

Once you start collaborating, you’ll realize that there is room for everyone to succeed. And you may be surprised that if you share your idea, most people will not try to steal it. If it really is a good idea, someone might even offer to help you turn that dream into a reality.

37. You Become a More Generous Person

People who have an abundance mindset are very generous because they know that they’ll eventually get more money back again in the future. But if you have a scarcity mindset, you might think, “I need this money for myself.” This can lead to a lot of selfish behavior, where you’re only thinking of yourself instead of the big picture. Remember that all successful people are able to look outside of themselves and figure out how their skills could help others.

Sometimes, if you have fallen on hard times, you have absolutely nothing left to give. So you actually have no choice but to live with scarcity. But if you have money left over after your bills, you probably have more to give than you realize. Once you make it a habit of giving donations or volunteering your time, you’ll begin to realize how a little bit of giving actually goes a long way.

36. Embracing Minimalism

Ever see the TV show “Hoarders?” If you watch any episode and listen to a hoarder explain why they are holding on to so much stuff, every single person says something along the lines of, “I don’t want to throw this away, because I might need it again someday.” This is a scarcity mindset taken to an extreme level. These people are so afraid of losing everything, they’re gathering things around them as a sense of security.

People who practice an abundance mindset actually keep fewer things. They’re not afraid to downsize and live a minimalist lifestyle because they feel confident that if they ever need something, they can just get it again someday.

35. You Become Less Needy

An abundance mindset doesn’t just help with your financial goals. It also helps with your personal relationships. If you’re living in scarcity, you might find a romantic partner and begin to feel very clingy. This comes from the idea that there is only one “true love” in your lifetime, and if you lose that person, it’s all over. If you believe you’ve found your true love, and you become too afraid to lose this person, you become emotionally needy. Most of the time, it can push the other person away. Despite what romance movies may tell you, it’s unhealthy to be completely dependent on someone else’s love and affection.

Being too needy is unattractive. When most people sense that you’re desperate, they won’t want to date you. If you feel yourself getting too attached to romantic partners, take a step back, and work on yourself. Remember that you’re a great person with a lot of attractive qualities. A lot of people would fall in love with you if given the chance. Once you feel this sense of confidence in loving yourself, people will find you more attractive.

34. More Willing to Take Risks

Risks are necessary for growth, especially in business. If you start a business, the odds will be stacked against you. The possibility that you may fail is very real. But is it worse to try and fail or live the rest of your life wishing you took that chance?

Even if you’re not starting a business, risk is still necessary to succeed. Maybe you’re considering moving up in your current company, but it would require you to move to a new city. Weigh the pros and cons and take a risk when you think it really is possible to succeed.

33. More Willing To Invest in New Opportunities

When you live with an abundance mindset, you’ll begin to notice new opportunities all around you. This is because you’ve finally opened your mind to the possibility that success can actually happen. Now that you see those opportunities, you should go and take them.

A new opportunity could come in the form of a job opening, a friend seeking a business partner on Facebook, or someone cute smiling at you across the cafe. Remember that not every opportunity is meant to lead to your ultimate success, and that’s okay. More often than not, you’ll learn something from the experience and you’ll never regret trying to take that opportunity in the first place.

32. Worrying Less About The Competition

If you are constantly worried about what your competition is doing, you can never fully focus on your own progress. Sometimes, you have to put up blinders so that you can finish the race. Most of the time, when you’re worried about what the competition is doing, it’s because you are trying to compare your own progress to theirs. If you’re doing better, you get a rush of pride. But if you’re doing far worse, you feel awful, and it’s more likely that you may decide to quit.

Remember that everyone is going to be on a different leg of the journey. And these people you consider your competition may have worked for years to get to the point where they are right now, but you only assume that they just got started. Work at your own pace, and have the confidence to know that there is room for everyone to win.

31. The Glass is Always Half-Full

You have probably heard of the age-old saying that some people see a glass as “half empty” while others see it as “half full”. This is all about your positive mindset. If you always try to see the world in the light that the glass if half-full, you’ll become more optimistic in general. People with an optimistic mindset are always happier than pessimists. They may know just as much information as the pessimist, but they are choosing to be hopeful that things will get better. Once you have that hope that things can get better, it sparks inspiration on how you can take advantage of this new future.

Being optimistic can often pay off in business, too. For example, let’s pretend you want to invest in real estate. The pessimist may only want to invest in a neighborhood that is already expensive because they’re cautious. An optimist might look at a neighborhood that is becoming gentrified. This means that the houses in the gentrified neighborhood are eventually going to go up in value to potentially double what they paid. The optimist would most likely make more money in the end.

30. It Becomes Easier to Make Money

When you truly believe in your heart and soul that you can make a lot of money, it somehow becomes easier to turn that into a reality. People with an abundance mindset know how to make goals that will help them to achieve what they want in life, and most of the time, that includes making the big bucks. In the book Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, he gives the advice that you should write down your goals, and then give yourself actionable steps of what you are willing to exchange in order to make that happen.

For example, you can’t just say “I wish I had a million dollars.” The next question is: How? And what have you done to deserve that million dollars? But a more realistic step is that you can actually make the goal of “I will become a computer programmer and make a six-figure salary.” The “How” becomes much easier, because the steps would be to get a degree in computer programming, build a coding portfolio, and apply to jobs. From then on, believe in yourself that you can accomplish each of the steps towards your goal.

29. Living With Less Jealousy and Envy

A lot of people mix up the words “jealousy” and “envy,” and they don’t know how to identify their own emotions when it happens in day-to-day life. Jealousy is the fear that someone will take away what you already have. For example, maybe you are afraid that a beautiful person will swoop in and seduce your partner, so you get jealous if they are talking to someone else. Envy is longing after what other people have, and you don’t. For example, you might be envious of the fact that your co-worker just made a lot of commission on a sale, and you didn’t.

Instead of allowing these negative emotions consume you, try to learn from them instead. Maybe you are jealous because you realize you are falling in love with your partner, and you have not said those three special words yet. So you’re afraid of losing them to someone else. The solution to that problem is to say “I love you.” In the scenario where you feel envious of a co-worker, you can reflect inwards on yourself, and realize that you feel envious because you want to be just like them, and make those sales. Maybe you’d achieve that goal if you worked just as hard as they did.

28. Not Afraid of Failure

According to Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, “When defeat comes, accept it as a signal that your plans are not sound. Rebuild those plans, and set sail once more toward your coveted goal. The majority of men meet with failure because of their lack of persistence in creating new plans to take the place of those which fail.”

27. Not Afraid to Share Their “Secrets”

People who live in fear and scarcity are often afraid to divulge their “secret” ideas because they’re afraid someone else will steal it from them. In some cases, you could be correct, especially if you are working in a competitive environment. However, in most scenarios, you don’t actually have to be afraid to tell people your ideas. In fact, if you tell people, you may meet someone who is able to help you make those dreams a reality.

People with an abundance mindset realize that even if they tell their idea to someone, they know they can still do their original idea. For example, if you’re a professional-level writer who tells an amateur about your next book, would you really be afraid that they would write that next best-seller in your place? Of course not. Have confidence that you know what you are doing, and you can perform your original idea better than anyone else.

26. You Will Feel More Secure In Your Job

Something that a lot of people struggle with in a post-recession world is the lack of job security. Years ago it was common for people to get one job out of high school or college where they stayed for their entire career. Now, Millennials have multiple side-hustles and there is far less loyalty to just one company. Because of this lack of loyalty, it has created a new issue where people are beginning to feel afraid that they will get fired over the smallest infraction. After all, there are loads of over-educated people looking for jobs, even years after the recession ended.

People with an abundance mindset are typically not afraid of losing their job. They feel confident knowing that they have skills beyond just a college degree. And if they happen to be lacking in the necessary skills, they are more than willing to learn.

25. You Can Enjoy Life More

When you live in scarcity, there’s a lot of fear and anxiety that comes along with that. You may be afraid to take time off from your job, leave your house, go out with your friends, or do things that would take you outside of your comfort zone. But if you live with abundance, you know that it’s okay to enjoy life.

When you live with an abundance mindset, you know that it is okay to go out and enjoy time with your friends, travel, and take time off of work. After all, there is so much more to life than work and home.

24. Other Successful People Will Want To Be Your Friend

Once you become successful, it becomes a lot easier to identify wannabes from the real deal. There’s a certain sense of confidence and self-assurance that you see in other people who are actually following their dreams. So if you live with abundance, you usually radiate that same sort of positivity because you believe in yourself.

This attitude is attractive towards other people, especially to those who are already doing well. Once they see you as someone who is doing their own thing and not someone who is trying to ride their coattails, you can actually become friends and help one another in respective business ventures.

23. Experience Less Stress and Anxiety

Do you experience stress and anxiety over things, even when logic would tell you that everything is going to be fine? You might feel afraid that you don’t have enough money, or that a million things need to get done immediately in order for you to be satisfied. This level of stress can lead to high blood pressure, and damage your personal relationships with others.

If you tried to live with an abundance mindset, you’d be able to calm down and tell yourself that everything will get done eventually and you don’t have to worry. Keep in mind that we are not suggesting that you should become lazy. It’s still possible to be productive without stressing out. It just may take some more planning and organization.

22. They Aren’t Worried About Oversaturation

If you’re considering entering a competitive field, you may hear people say that it is “oversaturated,” or that there are already too many people working there for you to succeed. Unless this person has firsthand knowledge from working in that industry, you shouldn’t listen to that advice. Sure, there might be a lot of people out there who have the same goal as you. But a lot of them eventually give up, because they listened to pessimistic naysayers, or became afraid of failure.

People with an abundance mindset will think, “It’s okay that a lot of people want to do this too. I feel confident that there will be room for me, because I have just as much talent as everyone else.” These are the people who will eventually succeed. Remember, you could be rejected 1,000 times, but it only takes one “yes” to get your foot in the door of a new career.

21. Better Quality Relationships

Earlier on this list, we mentioned how scarcity breeds insecurity and jealousy. So obviously when you live in abundance, you usually have far better relationships. Instead of feeling like you are settling for what you can get, people who live in abundance see their partner as someone they are wholeheartedly choosing to be with.

They understand that they have the option to leave and be with someone else if they want to, but they’re choosing to be with their partner because they are the best person for them. If both partners feel this way about one another, it creates a lot more trust in the relationship. Instead of feeling like the other person “completes” you, it’s two whole people coming together to create an amazing experience.

20. Trusting the Process

The road to success is a long one. It always takes a lot of time to achieve your goals, even if you have all of the steps in the process laid out in front of you. People with a pessimistic mindset will give up too quickly because they think something is too hard or they do not believe in themselves.

If you live with optimism, you’re more likely to keep going after your dream, even if it takes years. There are certain things you can do to make your dream move along faster, though. For example, if you want to be an actor, maybe it’s best to move to Los Angeles. Or, you could start a YouTube channel wherever you live in the world and hope to get some attention that way. The second option will take longer, but it’s not impossible. Optimism combined with a willingness to change your life to achieve your dreams is a winning recipe for success.

19. Focusing On The Big Picture

It’s easier to succeed if you can see the big picture of the world at large as well as in the context of your own life. Once you get some perspective about the world, it’s easier for you to be empathetic towards other people, and also see your own place in society.

Thinking about the “big picture” also helps in your journey to success with your career. For example, maybe you had a bad day where a lot of things went wrong. Or something huge happened that will bring you two steps backward in progress. But that doesn’t mean that you should give up. It’s just one bad day. In the grand scheme of things, you can still keep going.

18. Believing There’s Always More to Come

People who live in scarcity may make decisions based out of fear. Even if they get an opportunity, they take it because they think this is their one and only chance to accomplish that thing. For example, maybe they jump at the first job offer they get because they’re afraid of being unemployed for too long.

People with an abundance mindset know that there’ll always be more to come their way in the future as long as they are still doing everything they can to accomplish their goals. So they can be a bit more mindful of making sure they choose the right opportunities instead of getting distracted with something that’s not a good fit.

17. Money is Easy Come, Easy Go

Here’s where an abundance mindset can become a bit of a double-edged sword. Instead of being cheap and keepingg an extremely strict budget, people who live in abundance will spend money knowing that they can just make more later. This might be great for your mind, but not exactly good for your budget.

You can strike a balance of being responsible with your money and abundant at the same time. For example, you could choose to save every single penny you earn because you want to invest. Saving for retirement is fine, but are you enjoying your present life? Anything can happen at any moment, so it is best to set aside from money for fun to enjoy the present day. If you need more money, you can earn it later.

16. Finding Happiness In Any Circumstance

A lot of people choose to dwell in a lot of unhappiness in their lives. They may complain or feel like nothing can go right. But everyone has the choice to be happy. And the path to happiness may not look the same to everyone. A great example of this is Janelle Eliana, whose YouTube channel became extremely popular in a short period of time.

In one of her vlogs, Janelle shared that she grew up in a poor family. She was not able to go to college, and her only option with a high school diploma was to work at a local retail store. Janelle was not able to enjoy the privileges of other people.

But instead of dwelling in negativity, she saved up enough money to buy a van with $2,500 in cash. She packed her bags, left her toxic family environment, and lived in the van. While this might not look like “happiness,” it was exactly what she wanted to do. Now, Janelle has completely renovated her van and spends her life going on road trips around California. Her carefree lifestyle was so attractive to other people, she is now making a full-time living on YouTube and could quit her job to make videos full-time.

15. You Become More Relaxed & Alert

There’s been a growing number of people who are aware of “mindfulness.” That is the practice of being totally aware of your surroundings and appreciating the things around you instead of focusing too much on yourself. In turn, this makes you more alert.

But being alert does not necessarily go hand-in-hand with being overly worried. Our inner survival mechanism stresses us out if we feel that there is some kind of oncoming danger. If you’re fully aware of your surroundings, you can be relaxed knowing that you are paying attention, and therefore, you know that you can feel safe.

14. You Feel In Control Of Your Destiny

When you live with an abundance mindset, it can help you feel in control of your destiny. There’s no such thing as a total failure. Sure, there may be times when you fall down, but you can always pick yourself back up again. As long as you are focused on your path, you can continue to be in control of your destiny.

Some people may not even know what their destiny is, and that’s okay, too. But you should never ignore it. Try to do some deep reflection and ask yourself what would truly make you happy and give your life a lot of purpose.

13. Having the Ability to See Multiple Angles of a Situation

When you can see multiple angles of a situation, it helps you to empathize with other people and feel a lot calmer as a result. For example, maybe someone cut you off in traffic. You could spend all day feel angry about it, stewing over the incident. Or you could choose to think, “Maybe they were running late for work.”

Having empathy for other people and trying to put yourself in their shoes is a valuable tool. It helps you to move past negative situations and ultimately become a better person.

12. The Best Is Yet To Come

It’s incredibly sad to dwell on the past or think that we can turn back the clock. Talking about the “good old days” or lamenting about the wonderful fun you had in high school or college is only going to bring sadness. It’s one thing to remember fondly with nostalgia and totally another thing to wish you could go back. There’s no way you can go to the past. Humans only move forward to the future.

People with an abundance mindset never wish they could go back to the past because they know that the future is going to be brighter. You have so many options laid out in front of you and it’s up to you to decide who you want to be. Isn’t that exciting?

11. They Cheer Other People On

People who live with an abundance mindset are always cheering other people on because they know that there is enough joy and enthusiasm to go around. There’s a quote from Buddha, “Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”

So remember to always be encouraging to your friends and family. Ask them how they are doing with their goals and congratulate them whenever they achieve a huge milestone. They’ll usually do the same with you, and it feels amazing to build this kind of support system in your life.

10. Flexibility

If you want to live abundantly, you need to be flexible. We don’t mean that you need to be physically flexible like a yoga master. If you are, that’s a huge bonus, but it’s not necessary. Having the ability to pivot is a great skill to have. It means that you’ll be ready to adapt to any challenge that you may come face-to-face with in the future.

For example, a lot of people in the older generation were totally against learning how to use the Internet and smartphones. Many of them even flat-out refused to learn how to use a debit card because they preferred to write a check. These people fell behind, while others were flexible enough to embrace change. The ones who embrace change are often the most successful because they are already 10 steps ahead of everyone else.

9. Knowing There’s Always a Choice

Someone with a negative mindset may say, “I have to stay at this job that I hate, because I have bills to pay. I have no choice.” But the truth is that there is always a choice. You never have to stay in a toxic situation that is bringing you down. And it’s always possible to change your life for the better, no matter what your situation may be.

Instead of feeling defeated, remind yourself that you’re at this negative place in your life because you made a series of choices. For example, if you’re overweight, remind yourself that you most likely ate or drank a lot of sugar that got you to that physical state. You can choose to feel defeated, and think, “I will always be fat”. Or, you can say, “I’m going to start eating more fruits and vegetables, and stop eating sugar.” The choice is up to you.

8. Never Playing The Victim

People with a pessimistic or scarcity mindset often play the victim when things don’t go their way. They think, “Well, it’s no my fault that so-and-so ruined it!” They might blame their parents, where they live, or any other number of factors as an excuse why they can’t achieve their dreams.

The person with the optimistic and abundant mindset will never let this happen. They see obstacles as a test, rather than a roadblock. Instead of feeling like “woe is me,” they look at their past experiences as a learning experience rather than a tragedy.

7. Practicing Gratitude

One of the easiest ways to become a happier person is to practice gratitude in your everyday life. The fact that you’re reading this article right now means that you have access to the Internet, and you are most likely living in a first-world country that has any comfort you may need. This within itself is a reason to be grateful. And if you stop to think about it, you can surely think of more to be thankful for.

If you have trouble thinking of things to be thankful for, make a gratitude journal. This can be a notebook, or you could even type it out digitally on your computer or phone. You can start with, “I am grateful I have a roof over my head.” and keep going from there. Eventually, this snowballs into having a lot of gratitude for the things you have that others don’t. Suddenly, you will see your life as being full an abundance of blessings instead of scarcity.

6. Always Being Willing to Learn

Something that all successful people have in common is that they’re willing to learn new things. They’re often called “life-long learners.” Even if you’re considered an expert in your field, there will always be more experiences that are going to help you get better at your job. People who are sick and tired of learning when they leave school might choose a job that requires little-to-no effort in learning new things. But these are the people who are likely to stay in the same career for the rest of their lives.

If you want to succeed, it will be completely necessary for you to learn new things and keep moving forward. There will be times when you will not be able to do this all alone. You may need to ask people for help, and there is no shame in that. In fact, you should be proud of yourself for being willing to reach out to people.

5. Always Growing

People who are on the path to success understand that they’ll always be growing. There will never be a day when they can suddenly stop figuring out new things. And if they do stop growing, they’re only going to stay the same.

Having an abundance mindset helps you embrace the idea of growing every day. Instead of feeling like a chore, it’s actually very exciting to think about what comes next in your journey.

4. Focus On What’s Going Right

Having an abundance mindset goes hand-in-hand with being totally optimistic about life in general. Everyone is going to have good and bad days, no matter how rich or successful you may be. You can’t control that. But you can control how you handle a bad situation so that it doesn’t derail your happiness.

Instead of dwelling on negativity, try to see the positive. No matter how bad something may be, you can always find a silver lining. For example, if you get into a car accident, that is awful, and it gives you a lot of stressful things to deal with. But you could choose to say, “at least I’m alive.” Having this positive mindset will help you move past traumas and live a better life.

3. Leading by Example

People who live in abundance are often not concerned about following other people because they are leaders. Instead of feeling like they need to emulate someone else, they decide to lead by example. Once people see their success, they’ll begin to want to follow, and see what this person is doing “right.”

People with a negative or scarcity mindset will do the exact opposite. They will not feel confident enough in themselves to decide what to do, so they often try to find someone to follow. While this might not always necessarily be a bad thing, it can lead a lot of people into trouble. This is how people fall for cult leaders, pyramid schemes, and other scams. So instead of being a follower, try to be a leader in your own life.

2. Seeking “Mastery Experiences”

People who think they are “good enough” at their job and that there is nothing left to learn have an incredibly bad attitude. There is always more to learn. When you’re in a successful state of mind, you want to go after new experiences that will help you become a “master” of your field. This may come in the form of reading a book, listening to podcasts, attending a conference, or taking a college course.

Remember that mastery experiences do not necessarily mean that you need to spend money. Before you spend money on a course, check out the YouTube channel by Mike Winnet, where he exposes common “con-trepreneur” scam artists who try to take people’s hard-earned cash in exchange for a promise of overnight success. Once you know that a conference is legitimate, go ahead and take part. It just may help you get to the next level of your career.

1. Understanding Success Takes Time

Last and certainly not least is that when you have a positive mindset, it helps make you more patient for success to arrive. You know that reaching your goals will take time and you’re okay with that. A lot of people give up if they do not experience “overnight success,” but real winners know that there is no such thing unless you win the lottery.

Think about it: If you go to the gym just once, are you going to walk outside with an instant six-pack? No. It takes a lot of time and dedication, plus major changes in your diet. Most people understand that process. The same can be said with success. You just have to keep plugging away and your fortune will eventually change for the better.