If You Swim in a Sea of Lack and Limitation, You WILL Get Wet!
Are you swimming in a sea of lack and limitation? Are you surrounded by people, places, things and attitudes that inspire you? Or do you find yourself in an environment that reflects values, attitudes and beliefs you really don’t want as a part of your life?
So many people are afraid that they’ll be called a “snob” if they refuse to compromise on their environment. That’s a real shame, because as much as we affect our environment (and we certainly do), our environment also affects us. If you surround yourself with poverty, lack, ignorance, hopelessness or helplessness, it’s going to be almost impossible for you to live any kind of wealthy life.
Why? It has to do with our beliefs and are paradigms. Our beliefs determine what we “see” ourselves as being capable of. And trust me, you will NOT achieve something you cannot see yourself being capable of — most of the time you won’t even try it.
World renown psychologist Albert Ellis once famously said, “we become what we think about all day long.” Ellis was pointing out that our beliefs and paradigms are “shaped” and “solidified” by the things we choose to give our attention to. And, of course, our beliefs and paradigms determine what we realistically think we can achieve, what we think we deserve, and where we “fit in” in the world. And wherever we “see” ourselves fitting in to the tapestry of life, that’s pretty much where we’re going to be. Re-read that last sentence and think about your current situation. You’ll find that it is true beyond any doubt.
The problem is, if your environment has the smell of lack and limitation all over it, that is what is going to be on YOUR radar all day long — every day. Given enough time, it WILL affect your state of mind, your beliefs and how you think.
If you swim in a sea of lack and limitation you WILL get wet.
I grew up in a very poor area, among people who worked extremely hard (much harder than I work) for very little pay, always struggling to get by. They always talked about how tough things were, they planned for the worst and they expected life would always be hard. But here is a question I want you to REALLY think about:
Do poor people talk about how tough things are and expect life to be hard because they are poor. OR…are they poor BECAUSE they talk about how tough things are and expect life to be hard? (continued below)
Every second that you spend talking about lack and limitation is a second you are not focused on recognizing the abundance and opportunity around you. And don’t kid yourself — abundance and opportunity are always there. As many millionaires are made during times of recession as when the markets are booming.
I want to be clear though; I’m not “beating up” on poor people or judging them. On the other hand, I’m also not praising or honoring them. I point this out because many people have a habit of praising those who work very hard for very little reward. Why? Does it somehow make a person more noble or more ethical to work their fingers to the bone and not be abundantly compensated for their efforts? Of course not.
People are just people — some people do things that get good results, and some people don’t. Good or bad doesn’t enter into it.
I’m the type of person who generally gets along with everybody — I pretty much always have been. But I’ll tell you a “secret.” I don’t hang out with people who are focused on lack and limitation, and nine times out of 10 those people are poor. I don’t do this because I think I’m better than anyone — I do it because I want something different in my life, and I KNOW that surrounding yourself with lack-based attitudes has a very detrimental effect on your state of mind.
Remember Albert Ellis’ “law”: we become what we think about all day long. And for better or worse, whatever it is in your environment is going to be on your mind. It is your responsibility to surround yourself with good attitudes and positive concepts such as abundance, opportunity, personal responsibility (as opposed to the victim mindset), and values you agree with.
If your current environment does not reflect these things, it’s up to you to start making some changes. Now, I know you may not be able to change a poor or lack-based environment overnight, but you CAN begin shaking things up. And even if you begin modestly, you will see the snowball effect begin to work. And by all means, if you have people in your life who constantly focus on lack, try to gently nudge them in the right direction. If you can’t, fair enough. At least you tried. But you may have to simply spend less time around them if they’re not ready to move on to a better place in their life.
As you increase your attitude of abundance and your recognition of wealth and opportunity around you, it’s good to bring other people up with you — if you can of course. But remember, you do not have to hang out with ANYONE or any situation that reinforces a mindset of lack or limitation. In fact, if you want to live any kind of successful life (however you define success), you can’t afford to.
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