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The Scarcity Mongers 

People who believe in scarcity feel that life is a zero sum game and in order to get what’s theirs, they have to take from others. They often see life as “winners and losers” or “the strong and the weak". Scarcity mongers hold very tightly to this belief, because it is a self- fulfilling prophecy. The more they scratch and claw to get their share, the harsher their world becomes. They simply cannot imagine not living life this way, because they feel if they stop attacking for one moment they will be eaten alive. And they’re right. They’ve created a climate where everyone around them views them with suspicion and mistrust. 

The Grace Givers 

People who believe in abundance feel that there is plenty for all, and another person’s success does not take away from their happiness. They believe that “you reap what you sow” and everyone should do the right thing. They give freely when they can, offer grace and mercy and generally believe that showing kindness today brings rewards tomorrow. These people also find their beliefs to be a self-fulfilling prophecy, because the climate they have created for themselves is one of generosity and collaboration and people return that favor. 

Growing Toward Grace 

At the surface, one might guess that most of us start off as grace givers but over time, as we become more hardened to the world, we gravitate more and more toward scarcity mongering. 

In our experience, the reverse is true. We may start off in our 20s with a very dramatized view of success in business (thank you, The Wolf of Wall Street). What’s interesting is that over time, most of us seem to relax and realize that we can be kind and that feels better and yields better results than scrapping anxiously for every cent we can. When I talk to older people who’ve had success, almost without exception they emphasize the importance of doing right by people.