The Law Of Abundance // 10.09.2008 at 7:51 PM

Here's an excerpt from my new book, Saving The World At Work.

It is one of the key laws that change-the-world people live by. They do so especially during times of material scarcity. The law is always true, whether the market is booming or busting.

THE LAW OF ABUNDANCE

The Law of Abundance essentially states that there is always enough to go around. There are enough customers, enough talented people, enough recognition, enough of whatever is needed. Based on his research into personal effectiveness, bestselling author Dr. Stephen Covey suggests that we would all be more effective if we developed the abundance mentality: "It opens possibilities, alternatives, and creativity."

People who possess an abundance mentality can find contentment where others find envy. Let's say you work at a company where another business unit has received a large research-and-development budget. Rather than feeling envious or rejected, those who see life from the vantage point of abundance choose to be happy, because the money is beneficial to the entire company and all will ultimately profit.

Suppose your biggest competitor figures out a way to produce its product in a much greener way, reducing its environmental impact without increasing price or lowering quality. The media respond by showering the company with accolades. For those who believe in abundance, this is a win/win for everyone. Those driven by the scarcity mind-set, however, will focus on why the idea will not work for you, or worse, denigrate it as greenwash propaganda.

People with a scarcity mind-set resent others' successes, even those of their own teammates. For them, life is a zero-sum game: If one person wins, another loses.

In the business world, the Law of Abundance suggests that companies and individuals can find ways to solve pressing social needs, whether the problem requires money, resources, or time. Why? Because such companies and individuals believe that this way of thinking will ultimately lead to more money (fresh customers), more knowledge (valuable feedback and information from grateful clients and customers), and more time (as recipients of your generosity reciprocate the favor and offer their resources in the future).

I see abundance thinkers as Big Pie People. They know the pie of life is big enough for everyone to get a slice. They're the ones who discuss possibilities instead of limitations. They approach every shortage as a creative challenge. They never think, to quote poet Robert Lowell, that "the light at the end of the tunnel is just the light of an oncoming train."

We should all be Big Pie People. We can all create a bigger pie rather than fight over who gets which piece. The basic unit of business value creation is no longer limited by raw materials such as steel, land, or fuel. Today, the basic building blocks of business growth are bits, not bricks; it is based on intellectual capital, not just capital.

Futurist Alvin Toffler calls today's era "the Third Wave," the wave of information. "For the Third Wave civilization," Toffler writes, "the most basic raw material of all, and one that can never be exhausted, is information, including imagination. Through imagination and information, substitutes will be found for many of today's exhaustible resources."

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With the threat of a deep depression in the economy, what effect will that have on your Abundance Mentality concept. Do you think there will be a change back to a scarcity mentality as companies and individuals scale back? Will we see a slowing of the interest in "making a difference" as businesses have to focus on survival?

Avery Corenswet on 11.25.2008 at 11:15 AM

Good question Avery. In short, material scarcity doesn't eliminate abundance. Abundance has to do with a deep sense of self worth that you can have enough, even when others don't.
The bigger point is that times of scarcity make weak people ineffective, because they primally focus on short term needs and stop giving. Later, when times get better, they will have a hard time getting back into the groove or being credible when they do.
Don't give up on giving, due to hard living.
In a few weeks, I'll post a story I tell about this subject -- It'll be an excerpt from a talk I did in Atlanta at the Catalyst conference.

Tim Sanders on 11.25.2008 at 11:20 AM

Start making a difference today.