Is scarcity mindset stealing your mojo

September 17, 2020

I am guilty, your honour.
Caught in the act. Red-handed. Nabbed.
I am guilty.
Guilty of a scarcity mindset (at times).

Scarcity is a mindset that feeds off your life-blood. It makes you small. Powerless. Weak. Needy.

It is the mindset that tells you wicked things. “Not enough” is it’s catch-phrase.

There’s not enough money
Not enough time
Not enough work
Not enough connection
You aren’t good enough.
You aren’t enough (or are too much)
You need to play small, not to stand-out; follow the crowd.
You don’t know enough, or you haven’t done enough.

The thing is, that we can buy into it about ourselves. We can also impose our scarcity mindset on others.

Let me explain. An incredible former student of mine creates amazing korowai. Having spent years learning her craft from kuia within her rohe, she produces korowai that are built on aroha, whakapapa, mana, wairua and deep mauri.

She had spent hours creating one of her beautiful taonga for a relative’s special occasion. To my horror, I noticed a recent social media post of hers saying some of her extended family had said her work wasn’t up to speed. They picked it to bits, in front of others to hear. She was devastated, and wanted to stop immediately.

The thing is that not only were they minismising her work, they were minimising who she was. She weaves a piece of her wairua and aroha within every piece she creates.

It’s also easy to throw stones from afar. It’s easy to pick someone to bits, to pull them down, or to fault-find from a distance. In NZ we call that the Tall-Poppy Syndrome… and it’s rife.

Brene’ Brown speaks of being in the arena. This means (in kiwi lingo) getting stuck-in, two feet in and giving a courageous effort. It also means not listening to those in the cheap seats, who are too scared themselves to get in the arena; those who would rather hurl advice, judgement and criticism, but don’t have the kaha to do it themselves.

So, question for your reflection this week is,

What’s your ratio of scarcity mindset versus a growth mindset; both for yourself and towards others?

Need a speaker?

There are plenty of speakers to choose from. I am not the norm. You won’t be bored to tears by the same ole’ approach and dribble. How about bringing Mary-Anne for the conference or all-staff day.

Give me a stage and I’ll own it. Give me a room and I’ll energise it. Give me your people and I’ll inform and inspire them.

Need virtual delivery – no sweat! I have facilitated virtual full and half-day workshops, virtual keynote speaking at online conferences, and might I say, you still get the Mary-Anne goodness you deserve!

More details here