THE MIND IS EVERYTHING

Manilka Ediriweera explains why it’s important to focus on what we have

A quote from Buddhism says that “the mind is everything – what you think, you become.” Pay close attention to your thoughts. Is your brain clouded with negative and fearful thoughts about what you are missing in life? Or is the current situation in the world causing fear and anxiety?

If you answered ‘yes,’ it means you have a scarcity mindset.

On the other hand, are your thoughts positive and hopeful – focussed on the things you have? If so, you have an abundance mindset. While a scarcity mindset inculcates fear, guilt and anxiety, an abundance mindset provides a sense of security, confidence and hope.

So why is mindset crucial to our mental wellbeing? And what do the terms ‘scarcity mindset’ and ‘abundance mindset’ mean?

Our mindset is crucial because as human beings, we are influenced by events that occur around us and it’s our mindset that controls this influence. The world around us can affect the way we behave; the way we learn, cope and handle stress; as well as how we create opportunities and achieve success.

This influence that the outer world exerts could be either negative or positive. Therefore, for us to succeed in any aspect of life – whether it’s in business, education, sports or life in general – our mindset is a central and crucial component of success. So it’s our mindset that controls our reactions to events happening outside our influence and helps make a difference.

The scarcity and abundance mindsets are like two sides of a coin.

A scarcity mindset refers to the belief that there will never be enough for everybody. It often leads to competition for available resources and prevents us from achieving our goals. Alternatively, an abundance mindset refers to the belief that there’s enough for everybody.

So the choice between a scarcity and abundance mindset is ours. While the decision is ours, it’s our responsibility to realise the importance of embracing an abundance mindset as it enables us to grow whereas a scarcity mindset will only hold us back.

A study conducted by researchers at Yale and Miami Universities has proven that having positive perceptions of ageing leads to longevity of life compared to those with negative perceptions of growing old.

As the world is in the midst of a pandemic, we see people scurrying to buy the last roll of toilet paper, the last packet of yeast, the last bottle of sanitiser and even the last roll of paper towels. In such situations, it’s in our nature to think with a scarcity mindset that’s filled with fear, stress, anxiety and insecurity.

As a result, it’s become crucial – now more than ever – to embrace an abundance mindset. It will not only help us make the best of negative experiences and situations, but give us hope opportunities and confidence.

Therefore, having an abundance mindset will without a doubt help individuals turn negative experiences into positive ones.

Since we now know the importance of embracing and developing an abundance mindset, let’s look at how we can shift from a scarcity mindset and cultivate an abundance mindset.

The first step in this transition is to understand the difference between a scarcity mindset and an abundance mindset. Once you are aware of this difference, it’s crucial to pay attention to the language of scarcity and that of abundance, and substitute terms of abundance for terms of scarcity.

For instance, you should replace the term ‘cost’ with ‘investment’, ‘transaction’ with ‘transformation,’ ‘security’ with ‘opportunity,’ ‘lifestyle’ with ‘freedom,’ ‘employees’ with a ‘unique ability team’ and finally, ‘scarcity’ with ‘abundance.’


Focus on what you have rather than what you don’t have. If you were laid off because of the pandemic, instead of wallowing in self-pity, think about the quality time you can spend with your family – and the time you can focus on yourself.

Surround yourself with people who have an abundance mindset and see the glass half full instead of half empty. Practise gratitude for what you have in life and train your mind to identify new opportunities daily.

As Oprah Winfrey says, “if you look at what you have in life, you’ll always have more. If you look at what you don’t have in life, you’ll never have enough.” Believe you are enough and understand your self-worth.

While these may seem like insignificant changes, the impact they have on our lives and how we think through our problems is tremendous. Therefore, by creating an abundance mindset, you will be able to live life to the maximum while seizing new opportunities, turning negative experiences into positive ones, creating memorable and meaningful experiences, and feeling confident and secure.

Having an abundance mindset means having a clear mission and focus on innovation, creativity and opportunity.