I want to tell you about two limiting beliefs I had for many years. I had this belief that I couldn’t have both a successful loving passionate marriage and create a successful business at the same time. Many of the women I found on social media who had created a thriving business, and who are out there giving advice about business and following your dreams—had divorced their husbands. That was not appealing to me. I love my husband and the life we have built together. He is my best friend! So, I kept thinking it had to be either or. This became a deep-down limiting belief.
As a Bible believing Christian who wanted to share self-development advice, I had the idea that, somehow, it was not Christian. That was limiting to me. I did know some of the material in the self-help world promoted religious beliefs that I did not agree with. I was worried if I talked about business tools and success principles I would be promoting those beliefs and promoting things I don’t believe in. Having this limiting belief was strong for me! I have wrestled with these two limiting beliefs!
When I talked about those two limiting beliefs, what came to mind for you? I want you to hold on to that thought.
This leads me to addressing limiting beliefs; we are going to talk about mindset shifts.
The one I want to address today is scarcity-vs-abundance. I am going to give you the definition of both, and we can talk about this.
A scarcity mindset is a way of thinking that obsessively focuses on what we lack, believing resources are limited. People with this mindset believe that if someone else has something, there’s less available for them, which leads to tunnel vision, stress, and poor decision-making. This mental approach causes us to concentrate intensely on perceived shortages—whether of money, time, or emotional support—preventing us from seeing broader opportunities and possibilities.
On the other hand, abundance thinking is a mindset that believes opportunities, resources, and success are limitless and available to everyone. It is characterized by gratitude, optimism, and the belief that one person’s success doesn’t diminish opportunities for others. People with an abundance mindset:
• Celebrate others’ achievements
• View challenges as opportunities for growth
• Believe in endless possibilities
• Practice generosity and sharing
• Focus on what they have, not what they lack
This approach encourages a positive, expansive view of life where collaboration and mutual support are valued over competition.
For me to realize this limiting belief I had about having either a loving passionate thriving marriage or a successful business (podcast) was a scarcity mindset. What if having both, actually created more? This was a mind shift for me. I want you to reflect on your life right now. Where do you have a scarcity mindset vs. an abundance mindset?
Here are ways to shift from a scarcity to an abundance mindset and a mindset shift from doubt to gratitude
Your daily practices matter! The one thing that can change your life is how you spend the first 20 minutes of your day! I’ve shared the first thing I do in the morning, after I make coffee and take one to my husband and one for myself, is to go into my office—where I listen to the Abide app (a 2-minute Christian meditation app) and I read Our Daily Bread. Then, I get out a prayer journal and thank God for the small things like a good night’s sleep, to thanking him for my husband and our amazing relationship, to thanking him for my children, and praying for the people I have told I would pray for them. I pray for my friends who are going through a rough season, or they’ve lost a parent, or are struggling in some area of their life. I also pray that God will not just give me head knowledge when I study his word, but that he will change my heart. I ask God to give me wisdom and let me live out my faith pleasing him. I ask him to give me the words to say on my podcast. I then take out my gratitude journal, write four or five things I’m grateful for, which helps retrain my brain to focus on what I have rather than what I lack. I then have an I-want-journal in which I write 3 or 4 things I want. They may be as small as “I want to be kind and loving to my husband today,” to “I want 20,000 downloads on my podcast,” to “I want to play strong 3.5/4.0 tennis today,” or “I want to reach out to my adult kids or my friend and be encouraging today.” All of that creates the space to build, not a scarcity mindset, but an abundant mindset—as I am training my brain.
I feel God is the God of abundance and Satan wants people to believe in scarcity. I believe this leads to envy or anger. I believe, if unchecked, this becomes a hardened heart—with the goal of winning no matter the cost. Sin becomes stronger and stronger, judgement becomes so clouded, we believe our own deceiving heart. And sin begins to stack up on itself. We take God out of the picture and believe we are God. Some of the self-improvement advice given promotes reaching your goal at any cost. I do not.
I feel an Abundance mindset comes from God and a scarcity mindset comes from Satan.
So here are some “Quick Takeaway Exercises for Overcoming Limiting Beliefs:”
1. Daily Abundance Mindset Morning Routine, start each morning with:
• 2-minute meditation
• Prayer/reflection
• Gratitude journaling
• Focus on abundance: What CAN I create?
• Reframe challenges as growth opportunities
• Reflect on opportunities, not limitations
2. Belief Audit Exercise
• Identify your current scarcity mindsets
• Ask: “Where am I believing ‘either/or’ instead of ‘and’?”
• Challenge beliefs like “I can’t have both X and Y”
3. Personal Reflection Questions
• What limiting beliefs am I currently holding?
• How are these beliefs preventing my growth?
• What would be possible if I let go of these beliefs?
In summary, by challenging my two limiting beliefs—that I couldn’t have both a thriving marriage and a successful business (podcast), and that self-development conflicted with my Christian faith—my life has transformed. Embracing an abundance mindset has allowed me to see possibilities where I once saw limitations. My marriage and business now thrive together, and I confidently share personal growth tools aligned with my values. If you accept the challenge to identify and reframe your limiting beliefs using the exercises I shared, you’ll unlock new opportunities and experience life-changing results. Your mindset truly shapes your reality!
Please share this post with a friend who has limiting beliefs.
Monette hosts a weekly podcast: Mornings with Monette. She has been a lifelong learner and and appreciates the opportunity to share what she has learned–both through her podcast and here at The Best-Life Project (based on the content of her weekly podcast). Her messages are raw, honest and straight from the heart. She lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband Leland. They have three adult children and are enjoying living their best lives filled with travel and adventure.
Thank you Monette. This is a wonderful outline for personal practices and daily grounding.