The grip of scarcity squeezed my heart

I have an entrepreneur friend whose business operates at a snail’s pace. 

Each of her projects take several months concept, several more months to incubate, and in many cases, several years to execute. 

Which isn’t abnormal for a small business owner, it’s simply the polar opposite of my own creative personality. 

Personally, my approach is to aim for volume, not accuracy. To ship things impatiently, imperfectly and prolifically until I fall asleep or develop carpel tunnel syndrome. 

In an effort to further remind myself that not everybody is just like me, I wondered why her work traveled at the speed of molasses. Because I suspected there were excuses undergirding my friend’s blanket justification of procrastination. There always are. 

Procrastination is the symptom, not the problem. 

What happened next surprised me. She said:

I under resource myself to relate to the world as scarce. 

What a fascinating revelation. Imagine how many of us entrepreneurs allow our projects to stall and drag because we’ve contracted ourselves into a state of scarcity. 

It’s the classic fallacy of playing small. Evaluating our work too narrowly. Eschewing growth out of integrity for our humble origins. Publicizing our sacrifices to impress others with how little we need. And depreciating and downplaying our gifts, talents and dreams for the fear of making too much of a ruckus. 

Which isn’t to suggest scaling is a panacea. But choosing to be less helps nobody. Operating form a place of scarcity, the deep belief that no matter how much we do and have, it’s still not enough, helps nobody. 

True satisfaction is the feeling that there’s a fullness in our lives rather than emptiness. 

Let’s turn off our modesty filters, just for today, instead of getting tangled in our own false humility. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…  

Do you abundantly believe that you have enough, even in the wilderness of an uncertain future?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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Namaste.