Meet Jayden 💭
Jayden is starting his first week of freshman year. Everything feels overwhelming — new classes, new faces, and a lot of uncertainty. His goal? To do well in his classes, make friends, and maybe even try out for the school’s music club.
Today, in his honors science class, Jayden answers a tough question correctly. The teacher smiles, but his classmates aren't impressed. He hears one student mutter, “Show off.”
As Jayden heads to his next class, two thoughts are tugging at him, each from a different place in his mind:
Scarcity mentality says: 😒
“Maybe I should hold back. If I shine too much, others might dislike me. There's only so much success to go around.”
Abundance mentality says: 🙌
"There’s enough success for everyone. If I grow, I can help others grow too. Collaboration is better than competition.”
Now Jayden has a choice: which mentality will guide him through the next four years?
Thinking with anabundance mentalityis a much better choice for Jayden to hold onto— it creates a world of possibility for him, and boosts him to succeed.
Adopt an abundance mentality in your own school life!
What is Abundance Mentality?
Abundance mentality is the belief that life isn't a pie that we take slices from until there are none left — there's enough success, love, and opportunity for everyone.
Scarcity mentality is the belief that if someone else wins, you lose —as if all of life is a competition.
Why scarcity mentality hurts:
Causes you to focus on what you lack, instead of what you have
Too much focus on short-term needs instead of bigger picture long-term goals
Increases stress and leads to poor decisions
Isolates you from potential community
Why abundance mentality wins:
Encourages teamwork instead of comparison
Reduces stress and fear of missing out
Makes you happier and more open-minded
Builds better friendships and stronger networks
Quiz
Which of these actions reflects abundance mentality? Select all that apply:
Benefits of Adopting Abundance Mentality at School
Having an abundance mindset can completely change your school experience. It turns school into a community, not a stressful competition.
Photo by Pang Yuhao on UnsplashHere’s what students can gain from an abundance mentality:
Encourages better group work instead of comparison
Makes you happier and more open-minded to learn
Less stress, jealousy, or drama over grades and recognition
More confidence to share ideas, even if they're not perfect
Stronger relationships with classmates and teachers
Let's check in on Jayden. 💭
He's now working on a group project with classmates. Doing well on this project is critical to getting an A in the course.
Abundance mentality might make Jayden share resources, help struggling group members, and help the whole group succeed together.
Thinking with abundance in mind can look like this: “We can all grow together and learn from this project.” 🙌
Scarcity mentality might make him withhold useful research resources and ideas, hoping to stand out as the smartest and get a higher grade than everyone else.
Thinking with scarcity in mind can look like this: “Only a few can get good grades on this project, so it should be me.” 😒
Self-Reflect: Abundance Mentality or Scarcity Mentality?
Take a moment to think about, or journal about, your recent school experiences.
Ask yourself:
Have I ever felt threatened by someone else’s success?
Have I kept ideas or notes to myself to stay “ahead”?
Have I secretly felt bad in the face of my classmates' wins?
Do I believe that helping others might make me fall behind?
If you answered yes to any of the above questions, you likely have more of a scarcity mindset. It may be time to shift toward an abundance mentality.
Jayden takes time to reflect. 💭
With regular reflection and growing self-awareness, Jayden has been working on catching himself when he begins having thoughts with a scarcity mentality. He then reframes the thoughts with an abundance mentality.
Instead of thinking...
"I'm upset that I don't have the best teacher for this subject." ✖️
"I don't have time to plan ahead, I'm too busy and overwhelmed." ✖️
Jayden reframes the thought as...
"I'm grateful for the resources I have to learn as much as I can for this subject." 🔁
"I'll plan ahead, even if I'm busy. If I manage my time now, I'll get more later." 🔁
Take Action
It's easy to fall into the trap of scarcity mentality, especially when it's all around you. But there's good news: Abundance mentality is learnable.
Start with one mindset shift today — you’ll be surprised how far it takes you.
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