Oh, scarcity mindset you are worst guest, but you always love to come and visit, don’t you?

You love to tell me that there’s not enough for everyone. That there’s not enough money, or time.

That there’s already hundreds… no, thousands, of yoga teachers doing just what I do and probably better.

That love and friendship are finite and you better hold on to anyone you can, even if they kind of treat you shitty.

But, you know what? I kind of love when you come to visit lately because I get to flex my yogi muscles, look you in the eyes and say, “I have nowhere to put you. You’re not welcome here no more,” like a country music diva belting out her latest honkey tonk hit.

That’s right, we are kicking scarcity mindset to the curb this week! I'm going to share with you the three tools I have used on repeat for well over a decade to feel good about life and what I'm doing with it. 

Because you are rarely going to hear that the economy is booming, that what you have to offer is special, that you’ve saved enough for retirement, that sending your kid to college is affordable, and that there is oodles of time to do everything you want to do in this lifetime.

So, this stuff is going to pop up and it is completely normal.

But, it’s also completely boring.

What’s exciting is to notice how much abundance you DO have in your life. Because without a doubt if you are reading this right now, you more than likely have quite a bit going for you. It’s just so, so easy to notice the other stickier, not-going-for-you (yet!) stuff.

So, let’s dig in to these 3 simple tools to use when you find yourself sitting in well of negativity instead of swimming in the sunshine.

The first action step is to Declutter.

You are going to pick a spot in your home, or office, or maybe even the trunk and backseat of your car and organize the crap out of it.

What you might not realize is that if it’s in your physical spaces, it’s also holding space in your mind.

So, as you organize a closet, or finally get your desk in order you are clearing out the murky depths of your mind, too.

This past week I had a bit of scarcity mindset set in and I woke up the next day ready to declutter. It was the best!

I tore apart my bedroom closet. I keep it super neat and organized to begin with (hello, Capricorn here!), but there were so many weird things I was hanging onto.

A winter jacket with a broken zipper. (I had it fixed twice before I just gave up and bought a new coat.)

Yoga leggings that were WAY past their prime.

Weird costume pieces from shows I was in twenty years ago that I barely remember.

All this stuff was in my closet, in my life, and taking up space.

Other great places I’ve decluttered in the past:

Under the bathroom sink. I found at least a year’s worth of face soap samples… and probably 2 years of moisturizer that I could have been using instead of buying more. It was like finding a couple of hundred bucks under the sink!

The pantry. I had 5 cans of my favorite soup pushed to the back. Score!

Old purses and travel bags. Yay for the $100 bill tucked in my secret compartment!

Now once you’ve done the physical decluttering, take some time to do some extra mental decluttering, too.

Journal first thing in the morning.
Book some time with a therapist to talk through why you are leaning into the negative.
Reach out to a friend and let them mirror to you how amazing and abundant you already are.

The second action step is to switch your Scarcity Mindset to a Service Mindset.

Start entering every situation you find yourself in with the question, “How can I serve?”

This alone will change your life completely. You’ll be so lit up with sharing your gifts with others you won’t have time to worry about the stock market or inflation.

Another way to serve… ummm…. You just decluttered. I’m pretty sure you found some stuff that you don’t want anymore, but other people would find useful or enjoyable.

Donate it. Today.

Do not let it sit in a bag or box in your hallway for the next six months, OR your car.

Go drop it off now. You’ll feel so good!

My favorite way to be of service is super fun and takes less than a second.

Go take a dollar bill, or even a five dollar bill, and drop it somewhere in public where someone else will find it.

The grocery store aisle.
The coffee shop.
The hallway outside your doctor’s office.
Wherever!

This will be a huge leap from scarcity mindset. You are going to make someone’s day that you might never meet. And, they’ll never know it was you, or that you did it on purpose.

Every time I do this I feel like a kid. It makes me laugh a little and dream about the person that finds it. It’s so fun!

Other ways to be of service:

Volunteer.
Give a gift you have a way for free – like singing at a home for the elderly, or knitting someone something special. Whatever your gift is, use it.
Spend time with a friend that is going through a tougher time than you and really be there for them. Listen. Be present.

Now, here is the final, and third action step:

Get clear about your fear.

Because that is all scarcity mindset is – a great big ball of fear.

The best way to do this, aside from journaling or talking to a therapist or meditating, is to play the “Why Game.”

It’s so easy. And, it gets you super clear about where you are in your headspace very quickly.

And, more than likely it will start to turn your thoughts in to way more positive ones in the blink of an eye.

Here’s how you play.

Make a statement about how you’re feeling.

Maybe you say, “I never feel like I have enough time for yoga.”

Then ask yourself “Why?”

Your answer might be, “Because work is killing me lately and I feel bad not spending more time with my family, but choosing yoga instead.”

Then you once again ask yourself, “Why?”

You might answer, “Because even though I know I’ll feel better and be better if I take time for yoga, it feels like…. “

Then continue to ask why on your given subject until you understand why you feel the way you feel about it.

This is super powerful.

Most people in the world walk around never asking why they are feeling the way they feel.

Be assured all three of these action steps are some serious yoga!

You are working to turn yourself around into a more positive state, so that you are your best self for everyone you come in contact with.

That is what yoga is – getting to know your Self in such a way that you want to do the work not just so you feel good in your life, mind and body, but so you have the opportunity to help others through simply being who you are.

I hope this helps!

Let me know which action step you’re going to take on today and how it makes you feel afterwards. 

Big Hugs,
Tori