The other day, I was having a conversation with a client about shopping. She said, when I shop I buy “two for me and one for you.” She was referring to her holiday shopping. We both laughed. But, it got me thinking… How many of us have this mindset of scarcity?
Let’s talk about scarcity. I grew up in a home with a poverty mindset. This isn’t about blaming my parents. This is what they believed. They focused on what wasn’t possible instead of what was.
Goal setting for me was practicing the McDonald’s jingle so we could win a free Big Mac. Free food! That’s what we aimed for. Books were a waste of money because there’s a library. I heard over and over that we were poor. This scarcity mindset showed up as judgement, lack of trust, confused responsibility and a lack of faith.
Yes, I have bought two items for myself and one for the other person. I went through a stage of obsessing over pants. If I found pants with a 35” inseam, I bought them. They were hard to find so I had to stock up.
One day I looked around, and I had stacks and stacks of pants. How many pairs of pants do I need? I got curious. When did this start and where did this stem from? What are my core beliefs about myself or pants for that matter? I grew up where there was never enough. I couldn’t find pants that were long enough. I was self-conscious. I myself was not enough. This was more about me recognizing my own self-worth than it was about pants with a long inseam.
Sometimes our scarcity isn’t so obvious. It might show up as judgment or comparing ourself to others. It might show up as a feeling that we’re not accomplishing enough. Or maybe we’re not able to see our own gifts and take things for granted. Scarcity may not only be material, but in our belief systems and relationships. When we’re focused on lack or what’s missing, there is never enough.
Where does scarcity show up in your life?
Trace it back. Where did you learn that there was not enough–or you were not enough? I would love to hear.
In Beauty and Wellness,
xo Holly