Abundance Grows When You Notice It

Abundance is having an ample quantity of something. Yet, oddly, the path to abundance isn't about noticing what might be missing and adding more. So how can you have more without adding more? With an abundance mindset, you believe there is already a plentitude of beautiful experiences and things in your life. Holding this view unlocks the door to a wellspring of good fortune. Shifting limiting thoughts helps you tap into more positive emotions, nurturing relationships, and material things that bring joy and ease.

Simply put - just like dust bunnies make more dust bunnies, recognizing the goodness in your life makes more goodness in your life. An abundance mindset is one of the most powerful ways to see and create a life that integrates all the fulfillment, potential, and peace meant for you.

As you deepen or expand your mindfulness practice, you may start to notice that some of the frequent thoughts swirling around your mind are limiting, fear-based, or have an outlook built on scarcity. These are natural and ripe for a conscious, mindful shift to optimism. According to research, our fight or flight response can trigger us to take the "glass-is-half-empty" view. So setting an intention to shift your thoughts to focus on the positive is an integral part of your wellness journey.

If you'd like to get started by strengthening your ability to tap into the present moment or explore other mindful themes within the Brighter Being System, take a peek at our Visualize Guide.

Become Comfortable with Detachment

Outcomes are so lovely to think about - tangible, clear, full of hope! There is value in envisioning what creating abundance and good fortune in your life means to you. In fact, we highly recommend that you do this and suggest that you tap into the knowledge and insights of neuroscientist Dr. Tara Swart on this topic. And, the power of your intention to create abundance lies in your ability and willingness to let it be. So often, when we have our heart set on something specific - relationship, career, finances - we become attached to our ideas.

We like to think that we know exactly what an ideal future is for ourselves AND the path to get there. The truth is that we don't. We simply can't know the future. What we can do is plant our seeds of intentions, open ourselves to the abundance of life, and surrender to the vast potential.

The more you constrict what abundance looks like, the more meager and narrow it will look. In other words, the fear you have of letting go of the outcome limits the abundance you'll experience. You might need to re-read that one. It's certainly a thought that landed for us.

Anything is possible if you create space for the future to unfold on behalf of you and your intentions. However, expectations of what, when, and how this looks in the future can lead you to feel disappointed. This disappointment often turns into a scarcity mentality… and the cycle repeats. The solution to this is to practice detachment.

With an open mind, you can see each new interaction as a new path to growing abundance in your life. In addition to cultivating your abundance mentality, your perspective and trust make you more resilient and ready to see and capture the opportunities that show up right in front of you. On the other hand, with an exacting idea of what you want, you're likely to miss these higher possibilities. This study shows how a scarcity mentality alters neural processing and deactivates parts of our brain.

✨ Try This: Blindfolded Gratitude Walk (With a friend!)

• Set an Intention – Before starting, take a deep breath and set an intention for the walk. It could be trust, surrender, presence, or simply openness to abundance.
• Incorporate a Surprise Element – Have your partner hand you small objects (like a feather, a smooth stone, or a flower) for you to feel and explore. They can also describe what they see around you, adding a layer of wonder.
• Pause for Reflection – Have your guide gently stop you at a random moment and ask, “What do you feel? What do you sense? What emotions arise?”
• Trade Roles – Switch places after a few minutes so both of you can experience surrender and guidance.

Focus on Your Mental Nutrition

Yes, cashews, water, and blueberries are great for mental clarity… but that's not the kind of ingestion we're talking about related to cultivating an abundance mentality. Creating a healthy diet starts with being mindful of all the "junk food" you may inadvertently be consuming!

Almost all platforms, tools, and ways we stay connected to the world and loved ones are full of stories and information that contain content that, if not removed or consumed in moderation, can take a toll on your attitude and wellbeing. This is not to say you should unplug entirely. It's just a caution to pay attention to how your consumption of information may be impacting your abundance mentality. If you've spent an hour catching up with friends online and feel energized afterward - that's great! If social media exchange or "the scroll" leaves you feeling apathetic or down on life…. then think about a limit that may help with your intention to cultivate an abundance mentality.

You can also take the approach to balance out whatever your mind is taking in that may not support your positive perspective—examples of this include happy music or a good news website. There are plenty of people and brands in the world that, like you, recognize the power and importance of pursuing a positive outlook.

So media consumption of all kinds - books, social media, tv shows, movies - is something you're fully capable of choosing to avoid the harmful, fear-producing content or balance it out with positive, uplifting stories. The more that you can boost the good nutrients that support your practice and limit or reduce the friction or fear-based external forces, the sooner you'll recognize all the abundance that your life has to offer!

✨ Try This: Mindful Media Reset

• Digital Fast & Feast – One day a week, take a break from all media (“fast”). Instead, “feast” on real-world experiences—nature, deep conversations, creative projects.
• Conscious Content Swap – Replace a fear-based show with a documentary on human resilience. Swap a drama-filled social media account for a motivational one.
• Good News Exchange – Find a friend and commit to sharing at least one uplifting story with each other daily. This shifts focus from scarcity-driven media to abundance-minded content.

Consciously Select Companionship

Time with scarcity-minded people is more potent than we sometimes realize.The good news? Positive, abundance-minded friends and relationships are even more powerful at helping you shift your mind to a place of possibility. The science backs this up. No surprise there! As you know, even just a phone call with someone who has a perpetually sad view of their life and the world is an energetic drain and can seep toxic thoughts into your mind. If this person is not a close friend or a required close coworker - limit your time with them as much as possible.

If they are someone you care about and want to (or have to) continue spending time together, share your desire to cultivate a more positive outlook on life and some of the practices you're using. Maybe they'd like to join you? If not, before spending time together, set your intention to stay in the positive, abundant mindset. If the conversation starts going the other way, use this environment to build your abundant thinking! Brainstorm a positive or more optimistic take on any negative topics that arise. You may decide to share this thought or keep it to yourself. As you continue growing in your work, you may notice that there is a point where you need to shift your time in these relationships with people who share your values.

For those people in your life that share your desire to create a positive, healthy mind - cherish your time together! One of the fastest ways we've found to reboot a bad attitude is to connect with one of these bright lights. Isn't it fun to know that you can now also be a shining light to others with an abundance mindset?

✨ Try This: Abundance Check

• Silent Challenge – If you’re with a scarcity-minded person, practice silently reframing their complaints in your mind without engaging in negativity. This builds your ability to maintain an abundance mindset no matter the environment.
• Energy Check – Before and after spending time with someone, pause and ask: "Do I feel drained or uplifted?" Adjust your time with certain people accordingly.
• Bright Light List – Keep a list of “energy-giving” friends and schedule regular calls or meetups. Bonus: Send them a spontaneous gratitude message to brighten their day.

Take Inspired Action by Eliminating Excuses

"Well, if I didn't have to deal with that person, I'd have gotten it done" or "I'm so bummed because of this situation"… we get it. We all have emotions. It is your human nature to have emotions, and processing them is a central part of your healing process and our Brighter Being system. That said, reframing negative feelings from an observer perspective rather than a victim's may help you stay in the light and out of the blame game.

You might think about an interaction you had with "that person" or "situation" and get curious rather than mad. What is it in this exchange that may be igniting such an emotional response? Is there another way of looking at this interaction as a learning opportunity? What responsibility can you take? And most importantly, how can you shift your motion and perspective in a positive direction?

Taking ownership of your life and your choices creates inspired action. This responsibility honors the power you have to make a change in your life and your future. When you respond with generosity rather than lack, you acknowledge and expand the abundance in your life. So when you catch yourself in excuse mode, switch gears to stay aligned with your intention.

Embrace Time Management Skills

When you begin to see abundance abounding in your life (aka you've started to cultivate your abundance mentality), it is time to embrace all that life has to offer! It's a lot easier to catch a full spectrum of sunshine and rainbows if you are clearheaded and awake. Getting your morning and evening routines in check and finding a balanced flow to your day is a top priority. Many tools and methods can improve your management of time and attention. Maura Thompson is one of our favorite authors and speakers in this space if you want to learn more here.

Everyone's life, home responsibilities, and work commitments are unique at different points. We have a few practices that have worked best for our work/life balance and allow space for the abundance to flow. We start with a set wake-up time, 20-minute meditation, and an unstructured yoga practice each morning. We then get our endorphins flowing with a workout - before firing up any technology (other than our music and workout apps). Once the big four (wake up, meditate, yoga, exercise) are in place, our minds and bodies are open to the limitless possibilities that the day may offer. Other than a couple of minutes every hour of "jumps and wiggles" and a lunch break, we hone on the focus for the day and see what arises or completes before it's time to close up shop and reorient energy on home/family life. Bedtime starts early so we can begin the new day with a fresh perspective and the energy needed to seize the next day! Do we do this with perfection every day of the year? No. Is it easier to see and embrace the fullness and beauty in life with a calm, spacious schedule? Yes!

Regardless of what your daily schedule looks like, everyone has time to take a few deep breaths to start and end their day with intention, with mindfulness. So if you're beginning or ending your day in your emails or news, then it's likely time to consider if your routines are in line with the mindset you'd like to cultivate. Is there another way to allot your time for self-care and create the space you need to take full advantage of the bright day or restful night ahead of you?

Recognize Your Potential

Your potential can be exponential with an abundance mindset. So when you recognize or honor your capability and take action on this truth, your potential grows. One could argue that your potential is (and has been) infinite the whole time. And, it is your new mindset that allows the next level of expansiveness and good fortune to become available to you.

The more you begin to see with your new abundance-oriented eyes, the more you'll notice opportunities and connections that were not visible to your previous self. It's these "veiled" choices, resources, and directions that become clear when you choose to see your potential. A Harvard study found that when our focus narrows by thoughts like "I can't do it" or "it's impossible," we will miss possibilities that cross directly in front of us that counter these limiting beliefs.

Final Thoughts on How to Cultivate an Abundance Mindset with an Attitude of Gratitude

Abundance is not about adding more. It is about shifting your perspective to recognize the plentitude already in your life. When you focus on gratitude, embrace an open mindset, and release attachment to rigid outcomes, abundance flows naturally. The more you practice this shift, the more opportunities, joy, and fulfillment reveal themselves. Stay open, trust the process, and watch abundance unfold.

If you’d like to take a moment to reflect on your relationship with this intention, visit our Abundance Page for a simple journal prompt to deepen your connection with this intention.