If your first thought is what the hell does it mean to suck eggs, you are avoiding the real issue. What is the scarcity mindset? It is the belief that there will never be enough. Never enough money, never enough love, never enough time, never enough green gummy bears…never enough of anything you need or desire. Therefore, your outlook on life is from a position of lack and despair. It is also the belief that life is a zero-sum game; If there are winners, then there have to be losers.
First of all, green gummy bears are never going away. There is enough Yellow #5 and Blue #1 in the world to cause chromosomal damage in generations of unborn children. Secondly, you may not know you have a scarcity mentality. You might do and say the same things your parents did, and you probably exist in a similar socioeconomic condition as your closest friends and family.
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”-Jim Rohn
If you frequently say such things as “I can’t afford it”, “I didn’t have the same opportunities that others were given”, or “ I just don’t have enough time” (to exercise, write, learn a new skill, etc.) If you are constantly in fear of losing what you have, or are focused on just getting by, you probably have a scarcity mindset. It’s not necessarily your fault, but it is definitely holding you back from achieving your true potential.
If you are perpetually scraping by and sucking eggs, how much good can you do in the world? How much good can you do for your family and friends? The most valuable commodity we all have is time. If most of yours is spent toiling to survive and laden with fear and anxiety, where is the quality of life? I write with an intimate knowledge of egg-sucking because I have been angry, negative, and scared all of my life. I found out there is another way.
We are unable to assimilate all of the information we are constantly bombarded with. Our brain identifies the things that we focus on the most and blocks the rest out. Buying a car is an excellent example. You never see a specific make or color of car until you decide to buy one, then you notice it everywhere. If you have a negative outlook, or one stemming from scarcity, your subconscious mind will show you all the rotten things in the world. The opposite is also true; if you have an abundant mindset, you will see opportunity and bounty. (More on that here.)
So, how do you you change from a negative, scarce mentality to one of positivity and abundance? It really comes down to perspective and self control. The biggest trap we all fall into is thinking that the way we know is the only way. That our experiences have given us all of the knowledge we need pertaining to our life situation. Spit out the egg and listen up! Every problem or opportunity you encounter has unlimited possible meaning and outcomes. The way you perceive it, whether positive or negative, has the largest effect on those outcomes. The good news is…you can decide how you perceive everything.
I have been miserable most of my life, always looking for things to go wrong. I usually found what I was looking for. I saw the worst in people. I was jealous of others and always felt that my relationships were tenuous and one sided. I felt like it was impossible to get ahead and the choices I made never seemed to result in any significant successes. Now, looking back, I realize that I have learned and accomplished many amazing things. I also see that my attitude and perspective kept me trapped and prevented me from experiencing true happiness and fulfillment. Hindsight is not very useful, but the key change I have made is simply deciding to find the positives in my life. If I can’t find a positive, I look for a lesson, if I can’t find a lesson, I look again because my old habits and fears have resurfaced. THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO LEARN.
Now, about the egg-sucking. It used to be a common phrase to tell someone to piss off or get lost. It was said “go suck eggs!” This was perceived as negative and one often felt slighted when told to place unborn chicken fetuses in his mouth, contract the muscles of the lips and make a partial vacuum…vigorously. If your life has been one big eggscruciating, egg-sucking eggstravaganza…it’s time for a new perspective. GET ONE (and some green gummy bears.)