Over the last several years, I find myself frequently telling people that I have an “attitude of abundance”, not fear of scarcity. And I recommend it to be successful and to some extent, to be happy.
In my experience, when we share what we have, what we know, and who we are, we are rewarded. This means sharing our network, our knowledge, our experiences, and our lessons learned. This takes confidence, optimism, and being vulnerable. When we share and collaborate, everyone, wins. More ideas are born, more problems are solved, and more issues are uncovered.
This attitude of abundance is, in contrast, to constantly worrying about our competitors. In my opinion, there is enough work out there for all of us. Generally, I mean coaches and consultants, but I believe it applies to almost any business. Business development activities should include meeting with competitors because many times, you will uncover possible partnership opportunities.
I felt some confirmation when I read an article by Martha Beck in a recent Oprah magazine where she describes a South African word Ubuntu. She said it means “I am because we are” and Martha Beck says, “Ubuntu reminds us that humans didn’t become a dominant species by competing. We did it by cooperating.” She goes on to describe that “in small villages surrounded by threatening wild animals, each person is precious, and sharing brings abundance. If one villager learns a skill – say, a new way of growing food – she benefits more from teaching others than from using it to compete. When her neighbors thrive…the village is stronger as a whole.”
Do you have an attitude of abundance? I’d love to hear your perspective!