Derek Harvey

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The 2 Worldviews We Live By

There are two primary worldviews. Yes, I know, your philosophy professor told you there were dozens. But I think they're wrong.

The two worldviews are this: abundance and scarcity.

That's it.

Photo by Rux Centea on Unsplash

Abundance vs. Scarcity: A (Very) Brief History

All the wars in history can be summed up in whether or not there was an abundance worldview or a scarcity worldview at play. Just so we’re clear – it's always a scarcity worldview.

These two worldviews inform absolutely everything we do. It dictates how we spend our time and money. It informs who we choose to interact with, or not interact with.

In the abundance worldview, there is rest, beauty, creativity, and enough.

In the scarcity worldview, there is competition, fear, isolation, and not enough.

The economic system of abundance is based on receiving and giving.

The economic system of scarcity is production and acquisition.

If we don't stop and think about what worldview we're living out of it, we'll naturally gravitate towards scarcity. There's never enough.

The Worldview You Swim In

It's like being a fish in water. If you were Aquaman and could speak to fish, and you asked a fish, "How's the water today?" that fish would probably say, "What the heck is water?" When you swim in it every day it's just reality. It's not until someone calls out the reality you're swimming in that you realize you're even in it (water).

What is your water? What is the reality you're living in that you don't even realize you're in? Are you living with a scarcity worldview or an abundance worldview?

I have to confess, I often struggle with time scarcity. Most mornings and at the end of most days I think to myself, "Ugh, I didn't have enough time to do X today." There's that word again - enough.

Listen, friend, there's always enough. I know it may not seem like it at times, but the very fact that you have the privilege of reading this article means you have enough. Enough time to read. Enough money to have access to a computer or mobile device to see this. You have enough.

Enough is a mindset. As you go about your days and weeks, you must constantly remind yourself that you have enough. There is enough.

What worldview are you living out? What is your scarcity? Point at it and call it out. Bring it to light. Become aware of the limiters you've put on yourself. Leave a comment and share if you dare.