Overcoming a Scarcity Mindset
This post was originally published on December 17, 2020, on Instagram as part of Her Growth Collective.
As I begin to reflect on 2020 two words come to mind for me: scarcity and gratitude.
In many ways these words are the light and dark we have all been living this year. Scarcity and scarcity-induced fear have driven many dark behaviors and political divisions in our country.
Even if we did not succumb to scarcity at the macro level, our own pandemic lives have required navigating very real and practical periods of scarcity and the fear it brings. Between runs on toilet paper and Clorox wipes to meat and now vaccine shortages, scarcity has tried to steal our comfort in very real ways this year.
Layer on the rare and precious moments with loved ones because of social distancing and those heavy final moments with the loved ones lost this year, and it’s clear that 2020 has tried its best to rip peace and joy from our lives.
Gratitude stands in stark contrast to this scarcity and helps stave off the fear it brings.
Throughout this year I have tried to give gratitude equal air time and turned up the gratitude practice whenever I saw scarcity taking the lead.
As hard as this year has been it has also revealed many blessings in my life. Focusing on those blessings helps me find perspective and makes my troubles much easier to carry. Gratitude helps me see the forest through the trees and recognize that everything has a season. Nothing lasts forever, not even global pandemics.
Here are a few of the things I’ve found to be grateful for this year:
Technology and the internet! We love to hate it but this year would have been so much harder without it. For me this applies to social media too.
Men and women of integrity that have the courage to stand up for their beliefs and their neighbors.
Downtime. Despite being home 24/7 downtime has been remarkably hard to come by this year. That has forced me to re-evaluate my schedule to adjust my expectations downward.
Employers starting to put people before profits. While many large companies continue to deny employees basic benefits like paid sick leave we have seen an outpouring of employers embracing work from home policies, paid sick leave, wellness practices, and minimum wage increases.
Modern science, medicine, and data-driven decision-making. A vaccine in less than a year.
Friends and family. This year has provided an abundance of small moments with friends and family that bring the human connection we all need. Most of these have taken place over Zoom, but they are moments that would not have been possible in 2018. This year has also brought an abundance of couch cuddles, board games, and car conversations with kids that are immensely satisfying.
What is one thing you are grateful for this pandemic year?
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This post is written in partnership with #HerGrowthCollective, encouraging women to walk the path of self-development together.
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