Scarcity is an idea from a book by Brene Brown. The idea is that you are living your life out of lack instead of out of abundance. It’s not about what you actually have but about your attitude and the messages you are telling yourself. For example, when you get up in the morning and you think, “Oh man, I only got six hours sleep.” and then you go to the kitchen and say, “oh, I ran out of cheerios, I really don’t like raisin bran.” Then you take your kids to school and say, “man, this car line takes forever, I really hate doing it, it’s such a waste of time”. Then you look in the mirror and say, “I’m too _______ or not ________enough!”

All that is living out of scarcity. It’s focusing on what’s wrong versus what’s right, what you lack instead of what you have been blessed with. So, instead of saying to yourself how little sleep you got you could say, “I am so blessed to wake up this morning.” “I will try raisin bran today and maybe Ill find I like it” “this car line gives me the chance to spend quality time with my child I wouldn’t have gotten otherwise.” And, “I may not weigh what I want to yet, but I am making progress.”

It’s a mindset. It’s the way we talk to ourselves and what we focus on. Will you focus on blessings or what you don’t have that you want? Will you focus on your aliments or on your strengths?

So, when I read this concept it really hit me between the eyes. I’m in a season of babies and toddlers and I’m tired. ALL THE TIME. It can really just make you in a perpetual bad mood because you find yourself focusing on what you don’t have: time, sleep, showers, etc. instead of what you do have. I’m trying really hard to focus on the good parts of having little ones. The time I get to spend with them and these are moments I will miss as they grow older and more independent. This is not my natural focus. I tend toward what I like to call “realism”. It’s not pessimism (okay, maybe optimists would probably classify it as that), it’s just focusing on the reality of a situation and not the rose colored glasses of optimism. Needless to say I don’t always see the positive. I would tell you it better prepares me for disappointment, which might be true, but it also never allows me to fully be hopeful or joyful. Those are hard for me. I’m trying really hard to pay attention to the things I say to myself and turn them to a more positive, abundant focus. I also try to think of what I’m grateful for each day. Focusing on blessings helps put into perspective when things don’t go as you wish the would. Don’t live out of scarcity, live out of abundance. Those around you will notice your new outlook and thank you for it.