The Abundance Mindset in Action
From Inherited Beliefs to Unlimited Possibility
In my last article, I shared how I was able to change the trajectory of my travel business by making a simple change in my thought process. At the time, I had zero clients, zero commissions, and zero savings. The competition felt overwhelming, and it seemed impossible that there could be room for me in an industry already filled with experienced agents and massive online platforms.
Then something shifted. I realized that there were millions of travelers in the world, and I only needed a small percentage of them to build a successful business. That thought changed everything.
You can read more about that story here.
But while mindset shifts can seem easy enough on the surface, they are harder to sustain when life gets difficult — until you know how to apply them practically. It’s easy to think more expansively when things are going well. It’s a whole other ballgame to actually do it when the odds look stacked against you and the fear feels completely real.
In this article, I’ll share six steps to help you tip the scales from thinking in terms of lack to seeing the world as the abundant place of opportunity it actually is.
But first, why is it so much easier to view the world from a lens of scarcity? Why does it take so much work to stay in an abundance mindset?
The main reason is that most of us were conditioned to see the world this way. From the news we consume to the lessons we get growing up, we are taught that the world runs on limited resources.
The subtle message we receive is that there are only so many spots at the top, only so many good jobs, and that only the lucky ones get to live the life of their dreams. We’re taught that to get ahead we need to compete. We compare ourselves to others to measure how we’re doing. We hold tightly to what we have because we’re afraid there might not be more.
When you’ve spent a lifetime absorbing that narrative, it’s no wonder that reaching for something more feels so terrifying. It’s not just a bold step — it’s a direct challenge to everything you were taught to believe about how the world works.
Let’s change that narrative, shall we?
Here are six practical steps that will help you start to move your thinking toward a more abundant mindset.
1. Catch the thought before it becomes a story.
It often begins as a single thought: There’s too much competition. I don’t have enough experience. There’s no room for me.
If you don’t catch it, that thought quickly turns into a story. The story becomes a belief, and the belief shapes your actions — or more often, your inaction.
The first step is simply noticing. When you hear yourself defaulting to limitation, pause long enough to recognize it for what it is: a thought, not a fact. An inherited narrative, not an objective truth.
You can’t shift what you don’t notice.
2. Reframe the math.
One of the most powerful changes I made was realizing I didn’t need the whole market. I didn’t need thousands of clients to succeed. I needed a small percentage.
There are millions of people in almost every market. Whether you’re building a business, changing careers, or starting something new, you are not trying to reach everyone. You are looking for your people.
When you reframe the math, what once felt impossible starts to feel manageable.
3. Look for evidence of abundance.
Once you begin to question the scarcity narrative, you’ll start to see evidence of abundance everywhere. In nature, in business, and in everyday life, there is far more than we tend to notice at first glance.
You can also look at people who are already doing what you want to do. Instead of seeing them as competition, see them as proof that it’s possible. See them as someone to learn from.
Your brain will believe what you consistently show it. If you only look for limitations, you will find them. If you begin looking for opportunity, you will start to see that too.
4. Stay in your lane.
Comparison is one of the fastest ways to fall back into the story of lack. When you measure yourself against people who are further along, more experienced, or simply on a different path, it’s easy to feel like you’re already behind.
But your path is not meant to look like anyone else’s.
You’re not in a race with anyone else. You’re building something that reflects your strengths, your experiences, and your perspective — and no one else has exactly that combination. There is room for what only you can offer, especially if it looks different from what already exists.
5. Take one small step anyway.
Scarcity thinking often leads to hesitation. You wait until you feel more confident, more prepared, or more certain before you begin.
But confidence rarely comes first.
Action is what creates confidence. When you take even a small step forward, you begin to gather evidence that movement is possible. That evidence starts to weaken the story that’s been holding you back.
You don’t need to see the entire path. You just need to take the next step.
6. Celebrate every small win.
When I started my travel business, progress didn’t come all at once. It began with a few inquiries. Then a few bookings. Then more. I made a point of celebrating each one — treating each booking as a miracle instead of small moments in pursuit of something bigger.
Over time, the small trickle turned into a steady, growing stream.
Each win you acknowledge becomes evidence that there is, in fact, enough opportunity. Belief often follows action, not the other way around. When you allow small wins to build — and take a moment to recognize them — your perspective begins to change naturally.
Moving from limiting thoughts to abundant ones doesn’t happen overnight — it’s a process.
And scarcity thinking probably will never completely disappear. At least it hasn’t for me. Even now, it still shows up regularly, trying to pull me back into a limited life. The difference is that now I recognize it for what it is. Instead of accepting it as truth, I just say no.
If you’re feeling stuck or unsure, it doesn’t mean there isn’t opportunity available to you. It often means you’re looking at the situation through the lens of scarcity you inherited. Start working the six steps and watch your world open up before you.
Once you move from living in a world that seems limited to seeing that possibility is everywhere, that’s when you gain the courage to go after your dreams. That’s when you realize you don’t have to stay stuck.
If you’d like to go deeper into both the mindset and the practical steps, I cover more in my book You Don’t Have to Stay — designed to help you move from feeling stuck to building a path forward, one step at a time. Read more about it here.