Casey had exactly $1.37 in his bank account, half a pack of ramen noodles in his cupboard, and a deep, passionate hatred for the phrase “money mindset.” He rolled his eyes every time an influencer with suspiciously white teeth told him to “manifest abundance.” Bro, Casey was manifesting dinner.
This wasn’t new. Casey had been operating under the scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset debate since sophomore year of college, when he first discovered the joy of budgeting by panic. Scarcity mindset? That was his love language. He’d squeeze toothpaste tubes until they cried for help and kept ketchup packets in a drawer labeled “condiments & condiments only.”
But things hit a new low when he overheard a classmate at the campus café say, “Honestly, I never worry about money. I just assume more will come.”
Casey almost choked on his 99-cent drip coffee. Who was this person? A wizard? Were they born with a 401(k)?
He couldn’t get it out of his head. That phrase—it haunted him. “I just assume more will come.” What witchcraft was this?
Later that day, Casey had a meltdown at his laptop. His rent was due in four days. His freelance gigs hadn’t paid out yet. He debated selling his couch, but that would mean standing during Netflix, and even scarcity had its limits.
His roommate Lexi walked in just as he was Googling “can you sell plasma for Target gift cards.”
“Whoa,” she said, peering over his shoulder. “You spiraling again?”
“I’m spiraling responsibly, thank you. I’m just exploring the fine line between hustling and hemorrhaging.”
Lexi flopped onto the couch (which he had not yet listed on Craigslist) and handed him a neon pink sticky note that read:
“Abundance doesn’t mean reckless. It means believing there’s more where that came from.”
Casey blinked. “Is this from your vision board again?”
“Yes, and it’s laminated. Respect the craft.”
He rolled his eyes. “Lex, I’m broke. Believing in more doesn’t change the math.”
“But your scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset is affecting how you make decisions. You’re hoarding stress and avoiding risk. When’s the last time you applied for a higher-paying gig instead of scrambling for $15 tasks?”
Understanding Scarcity Mindset vs. Abundance Mindset
Casey opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again to say, “Shut up.”
Which was roommate speak for You’re not wrong, but I need a snack to cope.
That night, Casey couldn’t sleep. He lay in bed replaying every “safe” choice he’d made. Passed on that graphic design internship because it was unpaid. Declined the mentor call because he felt underqualified. Never invested in that cheap video course because it “wasn’t essential.”
He had been operating like the world had exactly one dollar left and Jeff Bezos was holding it.
The next morning, something shifted.
Fueled by exactly one (1) slightly stale Pop-Tart and a questionable amount of espresso, Casey sat down with a mission: ditch the scarcity mindset. Not by being reckless, but by thinking bigger. He applied for two part-time jobs outside of his usual low-paying gigs. He emailed a mentor. He even signed up for that design course—on sale, of course, he wasn’t a complete maniac.
By week’s end, he landed a contract with a boutique marketing firm. It paid double his usual rate and—bonus—they thought his “spaghetti meme flyer” was genius. He was still broke, but for the first time, it didn’t feel like the end of the world.
His fridge still only had oat milk and pickles, but he felt something he hadn’t in months: lightness. Like maybe this abundance thing wasn’t a scam.
A few weeks later, Casey was scrolling social media when he saw a post that said:
“Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset: One says, ‘I can’t afford it.’ The other asks, ‘How can I afford it?’”
“Scarcity mindset vs. abundance mindset: One says, ‘I can’t afford it.’ The other asks, ‘How can I afford it?’”
He chuckled, took a sip of his non-instant coffee, and whispered, “Okay, fine. Maybe the influencers have a point.”
Then he Venmoed Lexi five bucks with the caption: For the vision board fund. Don’t spend it all in one manifestation.
Final Thought:
When you start thinking differently about your resources—your time, your energy, your talent—the world opens up in ways your bank balance can’t always predict. So… what’s one abundant move you can make today?
