“I try to be grateful for the abundance of the blessings that I have, for the journey that I’m on and to relish each day as a gift.” James McGreevey.

In life we have a choice about where we put our attention.

We can focus on what we lack, our weaknesses, our limitations and what’s missing in our life. We can have limited appreciation for our material possessions, what we have earned or the people in our life and what they bring to our it.

In contrast we can choose to focus our time and mind in an abundant way and appreciate all that we have in life including our possessions and how people enrich our life.

We can have gratitude for our strengths and talents, the opportunities and all the experiences that we have. In this state we will view any challenges we have encountered as a lesson or insight instead of seeing ourselves as victims.

The mindset we choose to adopt will have an impact on our body and energy. An abundant mindset is when you believe that there are enough resources for us all to share. Life takes on a different meaning when you think in this way. It has a different look and feel to it.

When we think abundantly we feel more optimistic and this helps us to feel lighter and more energised. We are likely to attract positive circumstances as our self talk is more empowering and drives positive behaviours which create great results.

Conversely, a scarcity mindset will have a negative impact on our mood and energy levels. Our bodies are likely to feel heavy; our self-talk is negative and this creates dis-empowering behaviours and poor results. This kind of mindset can be a self- fulfilling prophecy and create more results that reinforce a feeling of lack.

Thinking in an abundant way helps to contribute to a feeling of security, helps us to feel confident and have high self-worth levels.

We feel secure when interacting with others. As a result we form positive relationships, look to be collaborative rather than overly competitive and create “win/win” scenarios.

When I refer to abundance I’m not just meaning money. I am thinking about all of life’s riches such as all the things to be grateful for, people and relationships, available resources, experiences, our qualities, gifts and talents.

In contrast when we have feelings of lack we may have difficulty sharing credit or recognising the contribution of others. The scarcity mentality is limiting and may mean that too much time and energy is wasted on conflict, negative thinking and repressing creativity. On the other hand, the abundance mentality is fearless, it’s free, and it’s immune to criticism.

In order to feel abundant we need to get better at noticing and recognising what is available to us in terms of opportunities, resources and choices. We aren’t wired to notice things or be particularly observant. Therefore we don’t have to feel stupid if we fail to notice things like opportunities. It just depends what our mind is primed to see.

You can test your observation skills by looking out for yellow cars. You may be surprised at how many you see when you look for them. The yellow cars were always on your journeys but you may not have noticed them unless you were specifically trying to spot them.

If you focus on scarcity you will find evidence to support this. If you want to notice abundance you will find it. In life, we get what we look for!

What we choose to focus on grows.

This week, why not take some time to reflect and consider if you spend sufficient time thinking in an abundant way and if you notice opportunity and things to appreciate.

To arrange a free no obligation consultation, please contact Stephen Pauley via the contact form or by e mail: Stephen@befirstclass.co.uk