When Eugene Seah was unceremoniously retrenched circa late 2013, he flew into a state of panic, which eventually devolved into self-pity. “I had so many questions: Did I offend my fellow colleagues? Were there tasks I didn’t do well enough?” In retrospect, he says the worrying was a waste of time: It had no effect on his future.

Today, Eugene has carved out a successful career as a personal branding coach, and is often invited by media outlets to share his hard-won insights. The secret to turning his life around? Living with an abundance mindset. “I hear people around me say: ‘I don’t have enough time, money, customers and so on.’ When we embrace the abundance mindset, we believe that these things abound.” As we switch to this mindset, we become more willing to give, share and collaborate.

Say you are an entrepreneur with a failing business. You can choose to wallow in self-pity and assign blame. But what is more powerful is surrounding yourself with successful entrepreneurs and being inspired by success stories. In turn, you will develop a positive mindset, which drives you to take positive actions, such as networking, learning new skills and helping others.

As a result, the magic beans of happiness will grow. It has been scientifically proven that altruism and the act of giving, such as donating to charity, evokes happiness. Utilising functional magnetic resonance imaging technology, researchers were able to map brain activity, and found that giving activates the midbrain region: the same area that lights up when we indulge in food, sex and other pleasures. “People who seek happiness rarely find it; but those who give happiness to others very often find themselves filled with joy.”

Abundance begets wealth

In June 2016, Eugene personally witnessed the power of the abundance mindset in action. Even though his business was still in its infancy, and despite not having any resources or inkling of how to host a book launch, he decided to help Wesley Wee, who has cerebral palsy, publish his book. “I posted Wesley’s photo on Facebook, and something amazing happened. Strangers contacted me, noting their desires to help with web development, design and publishing. Google even lent its 200-seater auditorium for the launch. I had hitherto never seen so many people, empowered by the abundance mindset, gathered in one room!”

Working professionals who possess the abundance mindset treat the companies they work for as their own. “They are the intrapreneurs: They behave and perform like entrepreneurs within a corporate environment. They help to save money and boost sales, even when these tasks are not part of their job scopes.” Because of the value they bring, they get noticed by managers, and in turn receive an abundance of career-advancement opportunities.

We each have twenty-four hours a day. When we dedicate a significant portion of our time to help others, we have no time for negative thinking and behaviours.

The same mindset can be extended to healthy living. People make excuses for not having enough time to exercise or cook nutritious meals. “Those living with the abundance mindset know without a shred of doubt that they have more than enough time. They just need to prioritise and get rid of time-sapping activities that do not add any value to their lives.”

The toxic mindset of scarcity

The antithesis of an abundance mindset is a scarcity mentality: the belief that there is not enough to go around. In the hope of poaching customers and gaining a larger market share, competitors slash their prices — but they are only hurting their own profit margins when they engage in a price war. “Just as an abundance mindset creates more, the converse is true: A scarcity mentality erodes value.”

The scarcity mentality is characterised by the following:

– Being jealous of others’ hard-earned achievements, and a secret hope that they will fail in their endeavours

– The need to always be in charge

– Hogging recognition and credit

– Focusing on “what is not working”

– A tendency to overspend, because there is a gnawing need to have what others have

“Why do you want to be rich? Self-centred motivations — to become more comfortable; to prove to others you can do it — are weak motivations. But when your reason for wanting to succeed is greater than yourself — to serve God; to bless others; to make the world a better place — the likelihood of succeeding is significantly higher.” Eugene also believes that when your motivation exceeds your personal desires, you will find that there are many people who are willing to help you succeed, because your motivation resonates with theirs.

What is so great is that switching to an abundance mindset is free, and is a step that you can take right now.

Give more of what you want. In an article for Success, author John Maxwell says to gain the very thing you yearn for, you need to start giving it to others. Pressed for time? Take an hour out to help someone in need. Feel like you are cash strapped? Donate to a charity. This will help you become more appreciative of what you already have.

Pay attention to the words you use. Do not underestimate just how powerful your thoughts are. Instead of saying “I can’t do this”, say “I will get better with time and practice.”

Develop an insatiable curiosity in people. People with an abundance mindset are not Mr and Miss Know-it-alls. They love to learn, and they believe everyone they meet has something to teach them. Start asking about others’ experiences, and listen to what they have to say, rather than chime in and offer words of advice.

“When you consistently say yes to abundance in every aspect of your life, you will notice that more positive-thinking friends want to meet and follow you. Through them, you will receive more opportunities, which help to bring in more income. This eventually leads to personal growth and contentment,” says Eugene.

Wish to discuss more on how to design a lifestyle of abundance with Eugene? Please visit http://eugeneseah.com/sayyestoabundance/ for more details.

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