Are you living out of an abundance mindset or a scarcity mindset?
Do you see your cup as half full or half empty?

The reality is that things are as they are. At the same time, things are constantly changing. How we look at things in our life makes all the difference for our level of happiness.

Two people can be going through the same difficult situation. One person talks doom and gloom about how her life is ruined and things will never be the same. Another person remains hopeful that things are going to work out even though she has no idea how it’s going to happen. One person sees only the difficulty; another person sees both the difficulty and the possibility for growth and for good.

How do YOU look at difficulties in your life? How do you talk about them to yourself and others? How do you respond when life takes scary and uncertain turns?

Here’s a way to shift your mindset from scarcity to abundance in any situation you find yourself: Express gratitude.

Oprah Winfrey is famous for keeping a “gratitude journal.” By all accounts she has dozens of these books in which she keeps a daily record of the things she’s grateful for. You can take a simpler approach by following the simple rule of three. When you find yourself in a difficult situation ask yourself, “What are three things I am grateful for right now?” List them quickly without thinking too hard. If you’re really in dire straits you might have to dig deeper: “I have plenty of food today, a roof over my head, and a warm bed to sleep in.” Remember, not everyone in the world even has these things.  

As you practice an abundance mindset, you might be surprised at how much more abundance you see in your life and in the world.

Insecurity, worry and fear seem to be at an all-time high. Some of us put our trust in a relationship to make us happy, the government to bail us out, or a new doctor to have the answer to our physical ailment. These are all well-meaning but misguided attempts to place our trust in people and institutions which cannot solve our problems and cannot make us happy.

The Vedic tradition teaches that there is only one way to happiness and only one person we can trust. The source of all is within ourselves; we do not need to look outside ourselves to find what we are looking for. But when looking within, we need to take care to look to the True Self rather than the ego. The role of the ego is to protect us at all costs, even to the point of lying to us about what in life can be trusted. (Addiction, for an example, is a lie perpetrated by the ego.)

The True Self, however, resides within our bliss body. Because it has been with us from the beginning, no one can take it away. Remember to pause in the midst of every situation—joyful or sad, pleasurable and painful—and observe the enduring bliss that carries us through every moment. When you live from this center you will know the true source of happiness.

Ancient Yoga writings tell of three types of happiness. Which type of happiness are you seeking? In the first type of happiness you increase the pleasures of life, such as eating delicious food and drink and buying new things. A great example is going on vacation! How much fun it is to be away from home and work, but in the end you have to pay the bill and return to everyday life. What begins in sweetness ends in bitterness.

The second type of happiness is seeking solace in all the wrong places—hanging with the wrong crowd and getting caught up in activities that you think will make you happy but which are only bringing you down. An example of this is addictions and other bad habits. There may be temporary relief from your troubles, but in the end they are still there. Going back again and again the cycle strengthens, sadness and loss increase. What begins in bitterness, also ends in bitterness, giving you a false sense of happiness.

The third type of happiness is different still: By seeking that which is lasting and fulfilling, you guarantee that happiness will blossom and grow within and around you. For example, when you go to college or pursue a trade, you put in a lot of hard work, but when you graduate you can be proud of your accomplishment. When you volunteer for an organization, you have to give up some time and conform to their guidelines, but the joy of helping others is wonderful. And when you commit to practice meditation or Yoga, you struggle to put it consistently in your schedule, but it becomes easy when you experience all the benefits. So this type of happiness can be bitter at first, but has the sweetest outcome.

Which type of happiness are you seeking?